Netherlands based startup Cyrus printers has released a whole range of new filament which they claim is cheaper compared with the rest of the market while at the same time keeps the quality high. Creating filament that is more affordable is very important to makers for a variety of reasons.
First, 3D printing is pretty expensive for the average person, so any way to keep costs down is a benefit. Second, if you are like me, you enjoy maximizing your build volume and creating large movable parts, so finding a reliable, affordable filament is a priority. I’ve never attempted to make my own filament, though I did approach someone at Plaxall in Queens, about buying PET pellets. Anyway, I think it’s pretty common to try out different filaments and see which ones you like best. Actually setting out to create a filament that has both a high quality and is competitively priced must be pretty challenging.
At Cyrus, the process to make the new range of filament has taken time and effort to make it affordable to the public. As I am writing this, I’m checking on the Amazon store, and I’m seeing that the average price of a cheap reliable filament is $ 22-28 USD, represented by XYZ ABS, of which you receive 600g at 1.75 mm diameter. The new Cyrus PLA/ABS is 19.99 euro’s for a spool of 750 grams, there are 25 colors.
Sasan Seyedi of Cyrus printers broke down the basics of desktop 3D printing: “We all know quality prints depend on three things: A rigid and good machine, proper slicing software, and high quality filament. We knew in order to reach the full potential of the Cyrus printer we needed good filament. We tested over 20 filament companies and each time the problem became more obvious. Either the quality was low and so was the price, or the quality was good enough but the price was just too high to justify in our eyes.”
I’m going to give them a chance because they’ve made some good decisions like collaborating with an unnamed Dutch company (perhaps Royal DSM or Avantium) that specializes in bio plastic .
Cyrus materials also include PVA, Nylon, Flexible filament and Bamboofill. At the moment the filament is only available in 1.75mm but they are considering moving that up to 3mm in the future.
Everyone has an experience with a print not working out for one frustrating reason or another. Many times, beginners want the fix to be easy, and sometimes it’s not. Overall, for most makers, price is an issue that led them to wanting to make their own versions of things that already exist, or create new things. Cheap, quality filament would help. I’ve never used Cyrus filament, but I will give it a shot because I’m always looking for new improvements to my home 3D printing experience.
The reason that Cyrus decided to invest the time and effort is because of their own experiences with cheap filaments that weren’t standardized in terms of quality and size.
“Cheap filament has normally a bigger tolerance that ranges between 0.1mm and 0.25mm. The tolerance of the filament is less than 0.05mm which is nothing compared what the market is offering at the moment,” Seyedi continues, “This big difference is key in printing at 150 microns and lower. When you try to print at 100microns, your machine thinks it is pushing 1.75mm while in reality it is pushing 1.9mm filament or 1.6mm filament which will ruin the print.”
One thing I can say for sure about Cyrus’s involvement in filament materials R&D, is that they are serious, creative and forward-thinking in their approach. The most outstanding example of this company mindset, is the fact that they are working on new polymers and testing materials to print beyond the average of most printers, which usually peaks at 280 Celsius. They’ve managed to print Teflon at 420 degrees and are just beginning to experiment with PEEK.
By opening up new capabilities for the FFF/FDM printers in the future, Cyrus hopes that eventually other companies won’t be able to keep up with the low prices they will set on new filaments with more fantastic qualities than the standard plastic set that dominates the market today.
According to the company, the core business of Cyrus is not selling filament but providing an “open filament spool” which everyone can use on any printer, not just a Cyrus. This allows them to cut down on the final retail price of filament, and encouraging that across the industry makes a lot of sense here. I’d personally like to see a lot more resourcefulness and less waste involved in desktop 3D printing.
The pricing of the PLA/ABS is 19.99 euro’s for a spool of 750 grams. The PVA, glow in the dark, and flexible filament cost more because of the extra labour and material costs.
