This is an FFF 3D printer that has to be seen to garner full comprehension of the scale of it. We’re talking about the BigRep ONE 3D Printer displayed at the recent Inside 3D Printing event in Berlin, boasting an unprecedented working volume of 1.3 cubic meters. To better understand the sheer size of it, here’s Rene Gurka, BigRep’s hands-on investor, standing next to it.
Developed originally as a project by two artists — Lucas and Marcel — over two years, the interest from outsiders has been phenomenal. The launch of the commercial venture has generated even greater interest and the specs of the machine can leave you in no doubt as to why. With BigRep’s impressive build volume, and a $39,000 price tag, it is meant as a tool for professionals and creators seeking a cost effective system, able to produce full scale build volume objects. The price, in fact, is much lower than any other industrial 3D printer with a comparable size build volume but that does not necessarily mean sacrificing resolution, with maximum performance of 100 micron.
The demo piece, a small coffee table took five days to print. But according to Rene you should also take into account that many architectural models of this size, for example, often have a lead time of 4-6 weeks.
There is a lot of interest from academic institutions and from many different geographic regions. Korea, Singapore and Brazil, with a large automotive sector, were a few of the regions Rene mentioned to 3DPI’s Editor, Rachel Park, along with, of course, the US, the UK and the BigRep’s home market of Germany.
BigRep is commercially ready — producing two machines per week to fulfill an extremely healthy order book.
Take a look at the BigRep ONE in action: