The Monoprice brand is known for its affordable and high-quality consumer-grade 3D printers. Monoprice Voxel is one of its latest installations.
Unlike most budget 3D printers that need a lot of manual tinkering and calibration to get started, the Monoprice Volex is a smart printer allowing users to do everything by the touch of a button.
It makes 3D printing easy for beginners and saves time for experts.
MP Voxel 3D Printer Overview
Monoprice MP Voxel 3D Printer Review (source)
What stands out in the first place is its enclosed build and clear panels that lets users monitor the printing process. Its cubic shape and the big LCD touch screen somewhat borrows from the FF Finder.
The Volex printer is pre-assembled when it comes out of the box, and anyone can get it running in no time. The Volex accommodates new users with easy to use features. It also has impressive features for 3D printing experts looking for a breath of fresh air.
The print volume is modest with dimensions of 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch. The MP Volex printer is compact and lightweight. The exterior printer’s measurements are 19.2 x 16.8 x 20.7 inches. That makes it a highly portable desktop 3D printer.
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Monoprice unleashes the Assisted Leveling Technology with this model. The technology takes the hard work out of print bed calibration, enabling users to do it simply by touching a few buttons the LCD screen. That will save you a great deal of time when setting up the printer.
Additionally, the printer stands out with the Quick change nozzle. You don’t need to be a skilled techy to replace your Monoprice Volex 3D printer nozzle. The quick change feature makes it a simple process that doesn’t even require a screwdriver.
The printer also uses a heated build plate (heated to 60 degrees Celsius). This build plate is flexible and allows for attaching and detaching as you please. That eases the process of removing the printed model from the plate. You can also swap it for a new one if it gets damaged.
Another distinctive feature of the Monoprice Volex is the Auto feeding filament sensors. Unlike in other printers, users do not have to load filament into the Monoprice Volex manually. You can do it by the touch of a button on the printer’s LCD menu. The printer will also notify you when the filament runs low.
The recommend printing material with the MP Volex is PLA and ABS. The print resolution is from 50-300 microns. Bonus features include a built-in camera that lets you monitor the printing process, Wi-Fi connectivity and 8 GB of internal memory.
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How to Setup the Monoprice Voxel 3D Printer?
The Monoprice Volex is pre-assembled and comes with an easy to follow the Quick Start guide. The printer also comes with a complimentary spool of red or orange colored PLA filament materials.
The process of setting up the printer involves loading filament and calibrating the print bed and the nozzle.
Load filament
Open the filament panel on the printer and insert the filament into the intake. Shove the filament into the driver wheel until you feel some resistance. With the printer turned on, navigate to the filament menu and touch the load icon. The printer will automatically start preheating, and then it will take gears up the filament material.
Touch the Ok button after the printer extrudes a few centimeters of filaments. Place the rest of the spool onto the filament holder and close the panel. Position the filament in such a way that it loads into the printer in a clockwise direction unwinding from the spool.
Calibrate the bed
When you select the calibration option on the menu on the printer’s LCD screen, the printer will move the print bed to home (point zero). You will be prompted with options on the screen in the form of the toggle up and toggle down arrow keys. Touching the UP button raises the extruder while the DOWN icon lowers the extruder. Touch OK to save the changes.
Calibrate the nozzle
Before starting to print it would be wise to calibrate the printer nozzle to ensure that it is in the right position above the build platform. With the printer powered on, touch the LCD screen to select Tools and then Calibration. You will be taken to the calibration menu that has the toggle up and toggle down arrow keys.
Place a thin card between the nozzle and the build plate. Proceed to use the UP and DOWN buttons to raise or lower the nozzle up to a point where you encounter some resistance when attempting to slide the paper out of position. Touch Ok to save these settings.
How to Print with Monoprice Voxel?
Set up Wi-Fi
On the main menu of the printer select the Tools then Network then click on Wi-Fi. Locate the slider at the top right corner and turn on the Wi-Fi button.
Select your Network from the list that appears and then enters your Wi-Fi password. The printer will then connect onto your Wi-Fi network. You will be able to monitor aspects such as the temperature of the printer and send sliced files to the printer via your MP Flashprint software.
Apart from Wi-Fi, you can also transfer designs to the printer via a USB stick or an Ethernet connection.
Print a model
With the printer power on, touch Build on the LCD menu and select the position of your design. From the screen, you will be able to see the file in your USB stick, the printer’s internal memory or the Cloud.
Once you find the model, you wish to print touch the button to start printing. The Monoprice MP Volex 3D printer will begin to preheat and proceed to print the design after reaching the right temperature. You will hear a beeping sound after the printing is complete.
The Monoprice Volex is a silent printer, a rare feature among 3D printers. All you will hear during the printing process is the soft humming of the fan. Because of its quiet nature, sometimes you might be tempted to stop and check whether the printer is printing.
Pros and Cons of Monoprice Voxel 3D Printer
Pros
- Superb print quality
It is possible to get right all the minutiae details of your blueprint with this printer. The layer resolution is 50 microns, a feature that helps to eliminate overhangs and rough edges. Your final 3D printout will need very little post-processing.
- Removable print bed
It is easy to remove and attach the print bed when removing the models. It helps to simplify the whole printing process. The print bed is also heated to boost layer adhesion and prevent warping.
- Wi-Fi connectivity
You can send files you wish to print through the cloud. Beyond that, the printer also features 8GB of internal storage. You could store all your designs in the printer and initiate printing from the LCD menu.
- Easy to set up
Setting up the printer is easy. Print bed and nozzle calibration are all by the touch of a button. The Monoprice Volex 3D printer is, therefore, a highly user-friendly model even for beginners.
- User-friendly features
Other intuitive features include the LCD touch screen from where you can access the entire printer menu. The printer is also compatible with the Flashprint Slicing software that is simple to use yet also loaded with advanced software.
Cons
The machine uses a very thin filament spool. The filament holder is only compatible with 500g spools. You will need to change the filament spool holder for standard 1KG spools.
Other concerns with the Monoprice Volex include
- Average build volume
- Not modifiable
- Propriety filament spools
- Doesn’t come with a USB stick
Monoprice Voxel 3D Printer FAQ
What is the power usage of Monoprice Voxel?
MP Volex’s maximum power consumption is 150 watts.
What materials / filaments can be used with the Monoprice Voxel?
The printer is compatible with ABS and PLA filament.
What is the build volume of the Monoprice Voxel?
The print volume of the MP Volex is 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch.
What is the bed temperature of Monoprice Voxel?
The maximum heated bed temperature: 140 °F / 60 °C.
How to clean the Monoprice Voxel nozzle?
On the LCD screen touch Filament then select Change to remove the loaded filament. After the printer has cooled down pull out the remaining filament. Using the Unclogging tool that came with the printer, insert it into the nozzle in a drilling motion then yank it out while turning.
Repeat this severally to remove all filament residue and dirt. Load new filament into the driver gear and touch the Ok button to allow the Pinter to feed the materials into the extruder.
What is the maximum print speed of Voxel 3D Printer?
The maximum print speed is 60mm/s.
The Verdict
You will get your value for money with the Monoprice Volex. Despite it being targeted for beginners, 3D printing veterans will also find it a useful printer especially for designs with complex geometries.
The proprietor spool aspect can be pesky, and the print volume might not be that large, but despite these issues, the Monoprice Volex comes highly recommended for new beginners.
These smart features take the hassle out of 3D printing turning it into a fun endeavor.
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