在我们为入门级用户寻找最佳 3D 打印机的过程中，我们有机会试用了Flashforge的(Flashforge)Voxelab Aquila S2 FDM 3D打印机。Aquila是一款DIY套件，售价约为 289.00 美元至 375.00 美元。它可以在亚马逊(Amazon)上购买，也可以直接从制造商的网站上(manufacturer’s website)购买。
在这篇 3D 打印机评论中，我们将让您了解购买Aquila S2时会得到什么、构建它的感觉以及我们对其质量和可用性的第一印象。
Flashforge的Voxelab Aquila S2的功能
Voxelab Aquila S2(Voxelab Aquila S2)是一款FDM灯丝打印机，可使用PLA灯丝以及PETG、PETG-CF、TPU和ABS灯丝等进行打印。FDM是一种增材制造工艺，使这些 3D 打印机成为最通用和最易于使用的 3D 打印机，尤其是与树脂打印机相比，树脂打印机(resin printers)令人惊叹(amazing)，但使用起来更加困难，而且可能相当混乱。
构建体积为 8.7 x 8.7 x 9.4 英寸（220mm x 220mm x 240mm），与Creality Ender 3(Creality Ender 3) V2的打印体积非常相似。早期型号配备了涂有碳化硅(Carborundum)的玻璃床，这也与Ender相似。我们(Ours)的带有磁性打印床，我们很喜欢。
我们将在下面详细讨论磁床，但可以说，它是这台打印机或任何打印机的最佳功能之一。
天鹰座(Aquila)非常安静。风扇是最响亮的部分。此外，它还有一个热端，对于入门级打印机来说温度异常高——高达 300摄氏度(Celsius)，让您可以使用所有常见的灯丝类型。
它有一个很棒的LED显示屏，很像AnyCubic Vyper上的显示屏。它很大。它清晰而多彩。尽管它不是触摸屏，但使用起来很直观。它有一个旋钮控件，您可以按下它来进行选择。
关于天鹰座特征的其他一些观察：
- 如果您所在地区经常断电，您会很高兴知道Aquila可以在断电后恢复打印。
- Aquila运行(Aquila)Marlin的一个分支，可能是最流行的开源(open-source)3D 打印固件。
- 您可以通过MicroSD(MicroSD)读卡器加载要打印的文件，也可以使用Pronterface等串行接口。
- 由于大多数Aquila型号都包含N32芯片，这意味着您可以在这台打印机上 运行OctoPrint和所有出色的 OctoPrint 插件。(great OctoPrint plug-ins)
用户手册包含完整的主板原理图，当您不可避免地要修改打印机时，它会派上用场。
组装Voxelab Aquila S2 3D 打印机(Printer)
如果您有任何 3D 打印经验，您就会知道在组装新打印机时会遇到一定程度的挫败感。
手册中有很多错别字和令人困惑的语言。我们蒙混过关，一切都很好。
初学者会发现这台打印机更容易由两个人构建。此外，3D 打印机需要维护。自己组装起来会给您进行维护所需的信心。附带的工具质量都很好。你会想要保留特别好的内六角(Allen)扳手。
螺栓没有标记，因此您可能需要使用一对卡尺来确定哪个是哪个。不难弄清楚，但如果他们被贴上标签会很好。
初学者可能会在尝试仅使用随附的用户手册将这台打印机组装在一起时遇到困难。构建打印机大约需要一个小时。他们确实有一个YouTube 视频(YouTube video)，可以解决任何困惑。
(Build Quality)Voxelab Aquila S2的构建质量
这是一个非常好的入门级打印机。它有一个直接驱动的挤出机。它具有用于 x、y 和 z 轴的铝挤压件。使其成为入门级打印机与高端打印机的唯一原因是缺少自动调平功能以及它只有一个 z 轴螺钉这一事实。
可移动的磁性PEI床是我们永远不会缺少的东西。它会为您节省很多悲伤、时间和划痕。
皮带张紧器是其他打印机（甚至是一些更昂贵的打印机）通常缺乏的一项重要功能。皮带需要偶尔收紧，能够在不拆卸打印机的情况下做到这一点真是太好了。
Aquila带有一个线轴架，但这是您首先要更换和移动的东西。您需要减轻打印机顶部的重量。打印您自己的线轴架是一种通行权，甚至包含在 SD 卡上的示例文件中。
校准
所有带有手动调平功能的打印机都有一个学习曲线，因为螺纹是颠倒的，所以很容易混淆。您可以在其中添加自己的自动床调平套件。一旦您掌握了 3D 打印的基础知识，那将是一个不错的项目。公平地说，手动调平床只需要大约五分钟。如果这是您的第一台 3D 打印机，可能需要更长的时间。
一旦你的床是水平的，并且你已经成功打印了测试打印，你会想要打印你自己的模型(print your own models)。Voxelab有一个配置文件，您可以将其导入Cura，这是一个免费的开源切片器，可以将STL 3D模型文件和其他格式转换为您的打印机可以理解的指令 (gcode)。你可以使用任何你想要的切片器；但是，VoxelMaker切片软件包含在打印机随附的 SD 卡中。
第一次打印
我们建议从随附的测试模型开始，因为它已经针对打印机进行了校准。它在MicroSD卡上，您可以通过LCD面板访问它。打印时没有粘附问题，打印件在冷却时会自行从构建板上弹出——这正是您想要的。
示例文件的打印速度明显低于打印机的能力，这对于测试打印是有意义的。我们没有遇到任何拉丝，而且考虑到打印机的成本，我们发现打印质量令人印象深刻。
我们开始以 0.2 毫米的层高(.2mm)打印。最小层厚为0.1mm(.1mm)。如果您想要比这更高的分辨率，您可能需要考虑使用树脂打印机。
切入正题
该打印机与Ender 3(Ender 3)非常相似，并且：
我们推荐Voxelab Aquila S2用于希望节省一些钱并仍然获得价格更高的高端打印机的一些功能的用户。我们希望它有自动调平功能，但在这个价位上，我们不得不说Aquila S2超出了我们的预期。
*特别感谢FormerLurker在审查Flashforge的(Flashforge)Voxelab Aquila S2 3D打印机时提供的帮助。
Review of Voxelab Aquila S2 3D Printer from Flashforge
In our ongoing quest to find the best 3D printer for entry-level users, we had a сhance to try out the Voxelab Aquila S2 FDM 3D printer from Flashforge. The Aquila is a DIY kit that will cost around US $289.00 – US $375.00. It can be purchased on Amazon or directly from the manufacturer’s website.
In this 3D printer review, we’ll let you know what you get when you buy an Aquila S2, what it’s like to build it, and our first impressions about its quality and usability.
Features of the Voxelab Aquila S2 by Flashforge
The Voxelab Aquila S2 is an FDM filament printer that will print with PLA filament as well as PETG, PETG-CF, TPU, and ABS filaments and more. FDM is an additive process, making these some of the most versatile and easy-to-use 3D printers, especially compared to resin printers, which are amazing, but are more difficult to use and can be quite messy.
The build volume is a generous 8.7 x 8.7 x 9.4 inches (220mm x 220mm x 240mm), quite similar to the print volume of the Creality Ender 3 V2. Earlier models came with glass beds coated in Carborundum, which is also similar to the Ender. Ours came with a magnetic print bed, which we loved.
We’ll discuss the magnetic bed more below, but suffice it to say, it’s one of the best features of this printer or any printer.
The Aquila is very quiet. The fan is the loudest part. Additionally, it has a hot end with an unusually high temperature for an entry-level printer—up to 300 degrees Celsius, allowing you to use all common filament types.
It has a fantastic LED display, quite like the display on the AnyCubic Vyper. It’s big. It’s clear and colorful. Despite the fact that it’s not a touch-screen, it’s intuitive to use. It has a rotary knob control that you push to make a selection.
A few other observations about the Aquila’s features:
- If you have frequent power outages in your area, you’ll be happy to know that the Aquila can resume printing after a power interruption.
- The Aquila runs a fork of Marlin, probably the most popular open-source 3D printing firmware available.
- You can load files to print via the MicroSD card reader or you can use a serial interface like Pronterface.
- Since most models of the Aquila include the N32 chip, that means you could run OctoPrint and all of the great OctoPrint plug-ins on this printer.
The user manual includes a full schematic of the motherboard, which will come in handy when you inevitably mod your printer.
Assembling the Voxelab Aquila S2 3D Printer
If you have any experience with 3D printing, you know to expect a certain amount of frustration when assembling your new printer.
There are a lot of typos and confusing language in the manual. We muddled through, and everything turned out fine.
Beginners will find this printer is easier to build with two people. Also, 3D printers need maintenance. Putting it together yourself will give you the confidence you need to do that maintenance. The included tools are all good quality. You’ll want to keep the particularly good Allen wrenches.
The bolts weren’t labeled, so you might want to use a pair of calipers to figure out which ones are which. It’s not difficult to figure that out, but it would have been nice if they had been labeled.
A beginner might get stuck trying to put this printer together using only the included user manual. It took about an hour to build the printer. They do have a YouTube video that will straighten out any confusion.
Build Quality of the Voxelab Aquila S2
This is a very well put together entry-level printer. It has a direct-drive extruder. It has aluminum extrusions for the x, y, and z axes. The only thing that makes this an entry-level printer vs. a high-end printer is the lack of auto-bed-leveling and the fact that it only has one z-axis screw.
The removable, magnetic PEI bed is something we’d never go without. It’ll save you a lot of grief, time, and scratches.
The belt-tensioners are a great feature that are often lacking in other printers—even some much more expensive printers. Belts need occasional tightening, and it’s nice to be able to do that without disassembling your printer.
The Aquila comes with a spool holder, but that’s the first thing you’ll want to replace and move. You’ll want to take the weight off the top of the printer. It’s a right of passage to print your own spool holder, and one is even included in the sample files that come on the SD card.
Calibration
All printers with manual bed-leveling have a learning curve because the threads are upside-down, so it’s easy to get confused. You could add your own auto-bed-leveling kit to it. That would be a nice project once you get the basics of 3D printing down. To be fair, leveling the bed manually only took about five minutes. If this is your first 3D printer, it might take you a little longer.
Once your bed is level, and you’ve successfully printed the test print, you’ll want to print your own models. Voxelab has a profile you can import into Cura, a free, open-source slicer that can convert STL 3D model files and other formats into instructions your printer understands (gcode). You can use any slicer you want; however, VoxelMaker slicing software is included on the SD card that comes with the printer.
First Print
We recommend starting with the included test model because it’s already calibrated for the printer. It’s on the MicroSD card, and you can access it via the LCD panel. There were no adhesion problems while it was printing, and the print popped off the build plate on its own as it cooled—exactly what you want.
The print speed of the sample file is clearly slower than the printer is capable of, which makes sense for a test print. We did not experience any stringing, and we found the print quality to be impressive given the cost of the printer.
We started printing at a .2mm layer height. The minimum layer thickness is .1mm. If you want higher resolution than that, you may want to consider a resin printer.
Cut to the Chase
This printer is very similar to the Ender 3, and:
- It’s cheaper.
- It has a removable magnetic bed.
- The LCD screen is better.
We recommend the Voxelab Aquila S2 for users who want to save some money and still get some of the features of pricier, high-end printers. We wish it had auto-bed-leveling, but at this price point, we have to say the Aquila S2 exceeded our expectations.
*Special thanks to FormerLurker for help in reviewing the Voxelab Aquila S2 3D printer from Flashforge.
