title: "CoreXY vs Bed-Slinger/Cartesian" date: 2024-11-22T09:03:00-05:00 tags: [3d printing] ---

CoreXY 3D printers and "bed-slinger" cartesian design 3D printers are the two most common types of filament-based 3D printers in the consumer market. What they have in common is that they both create shaped objects by depositing molten plastic "filament" of various types. Yet there are some key differences in how they operate.

In a "bed-slinger" cartesian design 3D printer, stepper motors move the print bed back and forth in the Y axis, while the print head starts just above the print bed and moves side to side (X axis) and up (Z axis) for each layer. The common design has the Z-axis directly driven by steppers, with belts driving the X and Y motion. Since the bed is heavier than the print head, these printers can suffer from to issues like vibration and reduced print quality.

CoreXY 3D printers use a different mechanism for moving the print head. In a CoreXY system, stepper motors move the print head in the X and Y axes by using belts. Since the print head is smaller and doesn’t carry the weight of the model being built, this can allow for faster and more precise movements, resulting in higher quality prints.

CoreXY designs do require careful alignment of the XY frame, moreso than cartesians. For this reason, Prusa’s Core One creates the XY frame out of a single piece of steel.

Overall, CoreXY 3D printers are often considered more efficient and reliable than "bed-slinger" cartesian design printers. However, they are newer, and may need more attention ("fussing") from the operator. With Creality, Bambu and now Prusa (among others) making consumer-priced printers in this format, CoreXY printers have clearly arrived, and are becoming a popular choice for 3D printing enthusiasts.

For more information, there is a Wikipedia article on CoreXY printers.