Colorado-based 3D printer manufacturer, Aleph Objects, has launched what it describes as its "first-ever industrial desktop 3D printer", the LulzBot TAZ Pro.
Building on the company’s popular open-source TAZ plastic extrusion printers, the TAZ Pro is a larger, dual-material system designed for the creation of functional prototypes, manufacturing aids, and print-on-demand parts.
It’s dual-material abilities are enabled by independent vertical lifting E3D hot ends with 360-degree part cooling, which deliver clean transitions between material types with similar melting points. Users can print a combination of durable and high-strength composite materials within the same part, along with a range of materials with soluble supports for more complex structures. Flexible materials with a Shore A hardness as low as 85A and industrial-grade polymers can also be printed in the same print.
Grant Flaharty, Aleph Objects’ CEO and President, stated, “The TAZ Pro is the first true multiple-material 3D printer with dual linear actuated hot ends at a prosumer price point.”
The machine has been constructed with hardened-steel components which allow printing of high-heat composites that are too abrasive for other desktop extrusion-based systems. There’s also a sensor on board which alerts the user when a new filament reel is needed.
An increased build volume of 280 x 280 x 285 mm means users can print larger parts, and a new Z-axis belt drive is said to deliver faster cycle times and improve part quality and accuracy. The TAZ Pro has also been fitted with a new 5-inch full-colour touch screen, automated X/Y/Z offset calibration, nozzle wiping, and self-levelling features.
The TAZ Pro is available to pre-order today and is expected to ship towards the end of April. The company also plans to launch another machine, just a month later, an upgrade on its TAZ 6 system which promises faster and more accurate prints within a strengthened frame. More details are expected on May 1st.
