3D Printers

FlashForge brings new faster, larger pair of Guider 3 3D printers to market

3D printer manufacturer FlashForge has added two new systems to its Guider 3 product line-up.

Unveiled earlier this year, the Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus feature an upgraded CoreXY structure that supports a print speed of up to 250mm/s. As such, FlashForge says the machines could allow users to reduce print times by as much as 40-60%.

While the Guider 3 is built to be compact, making it ideal for small firms working with space and budget restraints seeking to enter small-batch production, the Guider 3 Plus is more capable. The latter’s 350 x 350 x 600mm build plate means it has the capacity to print at greater scale, whether this be in producing large models or architectural pieces.

A laptop running FlashPrint 5 and a group of FlashForge Guider 3 3D printers. Image via FlashForge.
A laptop running FlashPrint 5 and a group of FlashForge Guider 3 Plus 3D printers. Image via FlashForge.

Faster fabrication with FlashForge

According to FlashForge, its latest desktop Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers are built to enable small firms to print at pace, as “faster delivery is the key to competition.” To help users realize this vision, the firm has designed the Guider 3 to feature a structure that improves the utilization of its internal space, as well as an enclosure made from acrylic and ABS, which ensures stability during printing.

It’s this compact, 10% lighter design, which facilitates the inclusion of a larger build volume. While the Guider 3 comes with a 300 x 250 x 340mm plate as standard, heavier duty users can go for the Plus. The build area itself is also customizable, with users able to fit glass or flexible plates, depending on whether they’re after a smooth surface that’s easy to remove models from, or one with flex for larger parts.

Where the Guider 3 Plus differs from the Guider 3, is that it comes with an even larger build volume, and more sizable LCD screen for operation, making it better suited to demanding automotive, consumer goods or prop production applications.

However, both machines include the same print management systems, designed to make production easy, accurate and consistent. As well as a ‘multi-platform system,’ which allows for build plates to be changed in 30 seconds, the Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus have upgraded bed leveling functionality. This feature optimizes auxiliary leveling and automatic leveling to ‘guarantee leveling operation in all directions.’

As an added benefit, the two systems ship with monitoring cameras, thus users can track prints in real-time via FlashForge’s FlashPrint 5 and intelligent UI interfaces. Like their forebearers, the machines are also built around an open-material philosophy, enabling users to utilize their 320℃ high-temp extruders to print third-party filaments, including ABS, PLA, PC, PA, HIPS, ASA and PETG.

Ultimately, FlashForge says that through “allowing 7 days per week, 24 hours a day stable printing,” its new Guider 3s “improve the efficiency of the production process,” whether they be manufacturing in small-batches or prototyping at scale.

The FlashForge professional-grade 3D printing portfolio. Image via FlashForge.
The FlashForge professional-grade 3D printing portfolio. Image via FlashForge.

FlashForge: a history of FFF innovation

Since it was founded in 2011, FlashForge has established a 3D printing portfolio with clients in more than 100 countries, working in industries ranging from jewelry and medicine to the fields of education and advertising. Although it initially targeted the entry-level market with the Adventurer 3 and Adventurer 4, the firm has recently gone on to launch a string of more capable machines, like the Creator 4.

Designed to address the commercial-grade market, FlashForge’s flagship system features an IIDEX (Interchangeable Independent Dual Extruder) layout and large 400 x 350 x 500mm build volume. As a result, the machine is capable of meeting both production and prototyping demand within design, engineering and industrial manufacturing businesses.

In terms of its professional-grade portfolio, the company has now continued to innovate with the Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus. Both feature the speed, quality, noise output and easy to operate setup needed to meet the prototyping needs of design studios, universities and labs, while providing businesses with a means of rapidly responding to scaling demand.

The FlashForge Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus. Image via FlashForge.
The FlashForge Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus. Image via FlashForge.

Technical specifications and pricing

Below are the technical specifications for the FlashForge Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus 3D printers. Customers can order the Guider 3 and Guider 3 Plus now via the FlashForge website, with pricing available on request.

 Guider 3Guider 3 Plus
Build Volume300 x 250 x 340mm350 x 350 x 600mm
Print Precision±0.15mm or 0.002mm/mm±0.15mm or 0.002mm/mm
Layer Thickness0.05 ~ 0.4 mm0.05 ~ 0.4 mm
Print Speed10 ~ 250 mm/s10 ~ 250 mm/s
Max. Extruder Temp.320 °C320 °C
Display4.3-inch Touch LCD Screen7-inch Touch LCD Screen
ConnectivityUSB/Ethernet/Wi-FiUSB/Ethernet/Wi-Fi

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Featured image shows a laptop running FlashPrint 5 and a group of FlashForge Guider 3 Plus 3D printers. Image via FlashForge.