According to the sixth, 2020 edition of Sculpteo’s definitive industry report, The State of 3D Printing, some 80% of companies that use the technology see it as a catalyst for innovation. And more and more of them are finding new uses for additive manufacturing across shop floors. Prototyping, of course, still dominates 3D printing industrial applications with 68%. Fifty-two percent of respondents, however, also use it for production, up from 38.7% in 2018 – and reap the benefits, such as improved cost per part.
No wonder that 86% of 3D printing decision-makers, in another survey published by global manufacturing services giant Jabil, said they will significantly, if not dramatically, increase their use of the technology. And do so in the hope of squeezing development cycles and boosting speed and agility to combat mounting competitive and customer pressures. For that, and for the 3D printing industry to grow, more robust and reliable technologies need to be developed.
When Size Does Matter
Created by Hungarian 3D printer manufacturer and software developer Craftbot (formerly CraftUnique Ltd.), the Flow IDEX-XL has been built with the demands of industrial users – and their clients – in mind. With a build volume of 425 x 250 x 500 mm and a frame of 635 x 450 x 790 mm, it’s not only the biggest member of the Craftbot Flow family but also one of the largest IDEX plug-and-play printers currently available on the market. While the print bed area leaves nothing to complain about, what really makes this model stand out (pun intended) is the height of the print chamber at 500 mm. That is 56 liters of potential print volume, no less.
Meet Your New Performance Booster
But size is not the only thing that the Flow IDEX-XL has going for it. According to All3DP’s recent buying guide, “the dual extruder 3D printer is a magical beast,” which allows users “to combine colors and materials with abandon, creating high-quality prints with insane overhangs and dazzling aesthetics.” Still not fancy enough for you? Worry not. As its name suggests, this printer ups the ante on dual extrusion with its independent dual extrusion system (IDEX), including two print heads that run independently from one another.
The printheads, which house two all-metal hotends, are locked together on a gantry in the Y axis but can freely move independently in the X axis, too – all this with an XY accuracy of 12.5 microns and a Z-axis accuracy of 5 micron. Meaning that besides printing large objects, you can even print two of them at the same time, use two different materials for printing or create bicolour items or objects with PVA support – and double your productivity in the process. All you need to do is switch to either Parallel or Mirror mode, and the printer produces the exact copy or the mirrored side of a part on the other side of the bed, thereby increasing production efficiency.
As Versatile As It Is Reliable
Ideal for everything from medical to educational to professional use, Craftbot’s Flow IDEX-XL plays well with even the most unique filament materials. Think carbon, nylon, and flexible filaments, such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomers), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and TPC (thermoplastic copolyester). This is thanks to its all-metal hotends and their operating temperature of 300° C.
Smooth operation and filament flow are ensured by a super-sensitive filament monitoring sensor and the high-performance dual drive. Optimal bed adhesion and easy removal are guaranteed by the heatable printing plate with an added layer of Kapton, which allows for maximum adhesion during printing. The heated bed is comprised of metal, tempered glass and Kapton, while the flexible top plate makes for easy removal even in the case of very thin, flat objects. As is the standard with all Craftbot printers, the Flow IDEX-XL comes with a 5-year (or 5,000-hour) warranty and best-in-class customer support.
See the CraftBots in action in this video about the Flow generation printers:
Click here and duplicate your performance with this beast!
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License: The text of "Craftbot’s Supersized 3D Printer Doubles Performance and Cuts Printing Time" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.