Hybrid 3D printers have been rising to prominence as of late, as we’ve seen from Makerarm at the Bay Area Marker Faire and ZMorph with the building of a Polish bridge. Now, the company Fused Machines is throwing their hat into the hybrid race with the Orsus 3D printer, a combination of FDM printing and CNC milling into one desktop-sized machine.
Fused Machine calls their fused system Dual Sculpting Technology (DST), and claims to feature an automatic tool change which can transform the Orsus both quickly and painlessly. Assuming that Fused Machines is accurate about this seamless automatic tool change, using the multi-faceted Orsus should be doable even for novice Makers. The system is also compatible with numerous materials, including (but not limited to) PLA, ABS, nylon, and PET for FDM and wood, plastic, and foams for CNC milling. The Orsus, which Fused Machines labels as a “desktop machine shop”, may be a promising investment for those looking to shed the chains of material limitations.
“The Orsus represents the next step forward in 3D printing,” says Nathan Fuller, the co-founder and CEO of Fused Machines. “We built the Orsus from the bed up for people who want to spend more time tinkering with their designs and less time tinkering with their printer.”
What may be the most intriguing component of the Orsus, alongside its material versatility and automatic tool change, is what they suggest is a high quality build plate. The aluminum build plate is said by Fused Machines to be the flattest on the market, and can be heated by six times the standard industry heater power. The wide-ranging temperature boundaries of the build plate lead to a more precise print, especially when dealing with the crucially important initial layers.
As far as build volume goes, the Orsus can print at up to 250x200x200mm. The Orsus does use a proprietary software made by Fused Machines called InSpec, which may or may not limit the printer in that respect, but from a material and quality standpoint, the printer could be an interesting entry into the hybrid fabrication space. Fused Machines is currently hosting the Orsus Technology Preview, which offers prospective buyers the first line of their DST hybrid machine for $2,499, which will be shipped in April of next year.
