The area surrounding Northern Italy’s largest city is quickly shaping up to become a hub for FFF 3D printer manufacturers. After Sharebot, Italy’s best know desktop 3D printer company, a new generation of mini-factories is starting to come through with self engineered and manufactured products that hold high definition 3D prints as their first priority.
One of these companies is 3ntr, based in Oleggio. The company founded by Davide Ardizzoia has been producing and selling a medium format machine (303 x 205 x 210 cm), priced at €3,900. It was on display at the Eurostampi show in Parma, and the quality of the prints, achieved through the sealed working envelope and full metal build, I found rather impressive when I got close up last week.
Within the next couple of months, 3ntr will be delivering its new generation 3D printer platform: the A2. A version was also on display at Eurostampi and its size made it hard to go unnoticed. The printing volume measures 610 x 370 x 500 cm, which means you can use it to make objects more than half a meter wide and almost as high.
It does not come cheap: the price is comparable to Makerbot’s Z18, but quality is essential for Ardizzoia and achieving a high quality level without compromising speed has costs. The machine has a triple 3 mm extruder and can 3D print with any FFF polymer. Like its smaller brother, it has a fully enclosed build envelope and it can reach a .011 mm precision on the X-Y axis, with 0.005 mm on the Z axis.
“Our systems are not toys: they have been conceived to be used in any environment, including small laboratories and studios,” says Ardizzoia. “Their solid structure makes it possible to use them continuously without any worry and with the printing envelope sealed off it is easier to use them even in a home/office environment. The triple extruder allows for multiple material printing, which means it can print objects with large holes or hangings, by combining regular thermoplastics with water soluble materials.” Ardizzoia assured me that the A2 will start shipping in June and that he is not playing around!
