AONIQ Team
AONIQ Team including CEO Michael Slavic at front
Polyvinyl Chlorine (PVC) has been gradually taking over swathes of traditional building materials in construction; think of the majority of double glazing frames, conservatories and doors built this century, and you'll be thinking of PVC. As of yet few companies have managed to 3D print in PVC and Australian start-up AONIQ is hoping to capitalise on the material's versatility with the launch of its 888 3D printer.
AONIQ's founder is Michael Slavica, who has been the managing director of Aussie 3D - a reseller of a wide range of desktop 3D printing equipment in Melbourne. Within this breadth of current machinery knowledge, Michael has spotted what he believes as a gap in the market for an industrial-grade 3D printer, built with components like ball screws and heavy duty cable chains that AONIQ believes makes their machine one of the most reliable on the market.
With the influx of cheap Chinese 3D printers resold by outlets like Monoprice and Aldi, AONIQ has decided against targeting the hobbyist market, and instead, with a price at around the US $10,000 mark, is aimed at those who want to make functional parts.
The AONIQ 888
The AONIQ 888
In the press release the Michael, now CEO of AONIQ, said, “With this 3D printer we are giving the average person the ability to not only take on the large corporations but beat them. In this next stage of 3D printing, it is time for most people already using 3D printers to decide if they want to continue to tinker on the sidelines or actually join the latest industrial revolution.”
The eagle-eyed amongst you may recognise the technology that AONIQ are building upon; the machinery is an upgrade on a range from the Polish manufacturer backed by billionaire rally driver Michał Sołowow, 3DGence.
"The 888 is an adaptation from the 3DGence Medical but has some modifications and new features." says the AONIQ CEO. "3DGence and AONIQ have been working together on this project since September last year. 3DGence produces exceptional 3D printers, and they have made for a perfect partner - we couldn’t be happier dealing with them."
AONIQ's USP(VC)
Not only has Michael and his team set about creating an industrial-grade 3D printer but their belief is it is the accompanying AONIQ PVC filament that makes its machinery unique. Coincidentally the only other development of PVC-based material TCT knows of is also out of Australia. The Sydney-based offices of Chemson Chemical developed 3D Vinyl filament, which we saw at RAPID + TCT this year.
We reached out to Michael for more on the AONIQ PVC Filament, and he told us the following:
"We will be retailing it (AONIQ PVC) for $119 USD to start with, but once production ramps up we will reduce the price. Chemson has created their PVC, and from what I understand about their product it is quite good, but in my opinion, they are still not able to release it to the market because they lack in knowledge - not with plastics but with 3D printing. It has been our experience in the area of 3D printing that has let us release AONIQ PVC for use with our 3D printer, the 888."
AONIQ PVC Breakage
As you can see from the above photo the AONIQ's PVC, when printed on the 888 with 100% infill and then broken with a hammer, splits more like concrete than a 3D print. The layers aren't visible, the piece performs and fractures like an injection moulded part.
Although the USP of the 888 is the PVC, the machine is capable of printing in a wide range of materials, from ABS to TPUs. And thanks to that industrial-level assembly it is printing them at incredible resolutions and tolerances.
888 Specs:
Technology: FFF
Number of printheads: 2 x 0.4, 1 x 0.3, 1 x 0.5
Printing area: 235 x 255 x 195 mm
Printer dimensions: 560 x 488 x 620 mm
Extruder type: direct drive
Filament diameter of 1.75 mm Firmware: Simplified3d, Cura
Communication: SD card, USB
Operating System: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
Maximum head temperature: 250 ° C
Maximum bed temperature: 180 ° C
Layer height: 100-400 microns
X and Y resolution: 100 microns
