Germany is a hotbed of industrial 3D printing manufacturing, with companies like EOS, SLM Solutions, voxeljet, and EnvisionTEC producing specialty 3D printers to fulfill a variety of industrial applications. The German desktop market, however, is slowly starting to grow, as well. For some time, it seemed that GermanRepRap was the country’s main producer of (relatively) entry-level 3D printers. But a new company has come onto the field, called COBOT, and, from the looks of it, they may have a worthy desktop alternative to Germany’s industrial machines.
The COBOT uses precision stepper motors capable of 128 microsteps, allowing it to achieve an XY resolution and layer thicknesses of 50 microns . The build volume is 210 x 270 x 210mm and the machine is equipped with dual extruders that can print a variety of materials, including soluble support filament for easy to clean support structures. Additionally, the COBOT has a “Permanent Printsurface”, which the company claims “provides a perfect first layer” for laying the proper foundation for a print.
Pre-orders for the COBOT 3D printer will be taken in September or October of this year to be shipped in spring of next year for the price of, roughly, 4000€. The price tag and specs put the COBOT machine a step above simpler entry-level 3D printers, like the Printrbot Simple or the Cube, and the company describes it as ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. This still leaves room for other manufacturers to enter the German fray with lower cost, more consumer-oriented machines. The COBOT, however, looks to be quite promising for businesses and offices looking for a, potentially, refined and capable machine.
Source: COBOT
