benallen - Don't get me wrong, the Objet is a 20k printer, Da Vinci is $500, I don't expect them to really compare I just need to know if the Da Vinci will be suitable for my needs.

bmmal - Objets on HQ mode have a z-resolution of 16 microns. That is 0.016mm which is about 0.00063". While it is certainly possible to run a very well tuned FDM machine around 0.080mm, the time to print a part of any reasonable size quickly becomes unreasonable. Most people and Stratasys FDM's are printing at 0.150mm to 0.254mm.

Keep in mind that FDM machines are susceptible to warping/curling (part and material dependent). I have found that a heated build plate can often get you by if you enclose your machine but it cannot prevent warping anywhere near what the heated 70C+ chambers of the Stratasys machines can do. They also require some form of overhang printing method - it is not the norm to be able to buy a DIY FDM machine with the ability to print a support material. If you do buy one, tuning the settings for support structures is a task in and of itself.

An SLA system would give you results much closer to an Objet than an FDM system.

If you would like an FDM sample I do have a Stratasys Dimension and would be happy to provide you with a print. It prints at 0.254mm layers in ABS. The print quality is better than the top end of what I have seen from DIY/prosumer FDM machines. You may be interested in checking out vapor smoothing techniques for ABS-FDM prints.

benallen - I was recently researching the vapor smoothing machine. Some pretty remarkable innovations are popping up thanks to 3d printing. My needs are prototype only, I would be fabricating brackets for automotive assemblies, I just need to be able to route, Cmm planes and fixtures and show production intent. I don't want to spend a lot on this since most of my brackets can be cut on plasma table (Torchmate), this would jut be for quick new designs. Thank you for the offer but I already have the part printed on an stratasys objet, it's beautiful but I don't have 20k in my budget for it. Or even the 10k for their Mojo model.

bmmal - In that case, so long as your parts are not terribly complex and not exposed to much heat you should be able to get by with ABS or PLA on an FDM machine. I can't comment on the Da Vinci, some pro-sumer machines are inherently great, some are inherently bad, and others fall in the middle. With enough time, practice, and knowledge most of the machines should be able to tuned to meet your needs though.

benallen - Thank you for the information.