Josef Prusa earlier this week posted an image to X of what he called a “special” Benchy, prompting a boatload (get it?) of speculation – and we want in.
Granted, there’s not much to go on here, but based on the print’s appearance, it seems as though it could be printed from PEEK, PEI, or one of the other amber-hued polyether-derived materials.
PEEK is a “high-performance” material that has excellent temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength, boasting characteristics that make it stronger than steel in some ways – check out our PEEK guide for more. The material has a high melting point that puts it off-limits to users with consumer-grade machines; even Prusa Research’s current lineup of machines is not equipped to print with the likes of PEEK and PEI.
Could this “special” Benchy mean that Prusa is releasing a PEEK (or similar) Prusament filament that is capable of printing at ~300 °C? Such a material would ostensibly be compatible with many of Prusa’s machines, including the Prusa XL – the OEM’s most powerful (and most expensive) printer. However, printing with PEEK requires an enclosed build chamber to maintain a constant temperature – something the XL does not currently have. Could Prusa be fixing that as well?
On the other hand, that’s a lot of steps for a new filament. Maybe, then, Prusa is on the verge of unveiling an upgradable hot end capable of reaching the high temperatures (typically between 370-450 °C) required for PEEK printing. This would certainly be a simpler move, although it still doesn’t address the lack of heated enclosure on the XL 3D printer.
Another of our favorite theories? Haribo Prusament. Yes, you read that right. We all know Prusa’s tradition of placing a package of the iconic German gummi bears in shipments. Could the OEM have mastered the secrets behind printing it for at-home consumption? If so, it better come in red. That’s the best flavor.
Whatever Prusa’s forthcoming announcement may be, it seems we have a few weeks to wait. The post references the Formnext trade fair, which will be held from November 7-10 in Frankfurt, Germany. There, it seems, all will be unveiled.
You’ve read that; now read these:
License: The text of "Will Prusa Research Launch a PEEK 3D Printer? Materials?" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.