A 3D printer is a marvelous machine used for prints necessary in the third dimension. First a plastic string, called a filament, is held in a cartridge where it is brought to the extruder. The extruder takes the filament and melts it to a certain temperature. After the filament is melted the printer draws it on the glass board where the drawing begins. As the filament cools down and turns into a solid, printing continues. The extruder prints on top of the solid fabrication where the drawing comes to life.

A 3D printer was bought by Cougar Robotics this year with impressive statistics. The printer comes with a large 275x265x240mm build platform, which is large enough to print a plastic basketball. A touchscreen makes it quick and easy to set up, especially as it has the ability to print from a USB key. The CubeX comes with two extruders for printing that allows for multicolor printing. The printer weighs between 79 and 84 pounds with prints ranging from minutes to hours of agonizing printing. The main downturn to this great printer is the filament cartridges that are only compatible with the CubeX (removing the ability to use cheaper universal cartridges). The extruder has a maximum operating temperature of two hundred eighty degrees Celsius. The single head print comes with three modes of printing ranging from High Definition (100 Microns), Crisp Definition (250 Microns) and Standard Definition (500 Microns). Microns are another term for micrometer (common unit of measurement). The CubeX comes as a new learning experience for cougar robotics.