The message that I’ve been picking up on, as consumer 3D printing develops, is that, in order to compete in the marketplace, you’ve got to offer something different. There are some ways to achieve this, including the adaptation of printheads to varying materials, dropping the price tag on home 3D printers, introducing quirky gimmicks, or, if you prefer subtlety, going for improved design efficiency. Or, you could just make your printer bigger than the rest. This seems to be the approach of inDimension3’s Glacier Summit 3D Printer. Actually, not only is it really big, but it’s got a lot of compelling features.
The Glacier Summit is a really big printer. With a build area of 16” x 16” x 18”, the inDimension3 team of Berwyn, Pennsylvania has created a machine much smaller than the Australian printer we covered last month, which was about 40″ x 40″ x 16″ in size. The features it offers, however, might help it compete in the 3D printer sumo wrestling competition. According to the company’s COO and founder, Jeff Christiana, the Glacier Summit offers the following capabilities:
- .35mm and .5mm nozzle sizes, which are easy to swap (other sizes are available on request)
- 500c all metal dual print heads
- Garolite print bed (reusable)
- Semi enclosed design
- Dual spool holder mount (adjustable)
- 50micron – 500micron layer heights
- Control box that houses all the electronics. This allows the customer to send the box back for repair, without sending the entire machine.
- Windows 8.1 tablet
- Print from an SD card or from the tablet
- Uninterruptible power supply to keep the printer running during power outages.
- 300lbs casters to roll the machine around
- 80/20 2″ black anodized frame
- Wireless printing ready
- Remote control tech support into the unit
- On site training
- All software included – ready to run
- Dissolvable support material
- Heated build platform up to 130c
All of these features come at a reasonable price tag, considering what they’re offering and especially compared with the aforementioned Australian machine, starting at $5999. The complete package, as pictured in the photos, runs at $6,999.00, and includes, according to Jeff, “dual spool mounts, UPS, A sturdy 80/20 aluminum stand, 300lbs locking casters, control box shelf and a tablet with windows 8.1.” What’s distinctive about the Glacier Summit, in addition to the size, is the remote control tech support integrated into the Windows 8.1 tablet, which allows their team to troubleshoot issues or train users. This remote feature, with accompanying webcam, makes it possible to monitor prints from off-site, as well. I should also mention that the printers are tested for a full 8 hours in their manufacturing centre in Montana before shipping and there are tutorials on YouTube to help you get going with the machine.
The Glacier Summit is actually the fourth in their line of 3D printers, which they’ve been making since 2009. inDimension3 started by selling printed plastic mendels, but, like many RepRap manufacturers, moved onto more mass-producible materials, producing the Glaceir Steel with a steal frame and the Glacier Peak out of welded steel. The company also retails its own line of plastics, including: ABS, PLA, PC-ABS and HIPS as well as the Taulman brand of Nylon. They use HIPS as the support structure, which can be dissolved using d-Limonene, a non-toxic cleaning solvent made from oranges.
The large print area gives the Glacier Summit the ability to create objects so large that children can safely sit on them, an increasingly standard requirement among 3D printers. And, with dual heads, the printer is able to create multicolored objects or, if you want to enter the big leagues, objects with dissolvable support structures. The company is working on incorporating a third print head in the near future for greater versatility. Their website is currently under maintenance, most likely preparing for the release of their new mega machine, but you can follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
Now, you’re thinking, “Okay, so when are the 3D Printer Sumo Wrestling Olympics going to happen already?” That’s for you to decide, young grasshopper. As Ghandi put it, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” or, as Kevin Costner put it, “If you build it, they will come.”
I would be careful regarding this printer. I purchased the printer without the optional stand in late December of last year. It arrived in a crate with a broken limit switch and the forward guide shaft forward ends for the base plate axis off and resting on the support structure. We did not think too much about it thinking maybe that is how it is shipped. Wrong. We also then realized they did not send the tool kit nor the control box. By the time we got everything and started to run it, several days had passed. The first number of runs did not produce very good parts at all even with help from the manufacturer. After some time back and forth with the manufacturer, I asked what the return policy was. I was told it was 14 DAYS! What outfit only provides 14 days for a warranty on something costing over $6000.00? Their website was not very informative, especially in the area of warranty.
After more back and forth with them, we decided to level the base plate of the build platform ourselves knowing that it was not done since it was shipped not fully assemblied. Here it is almost 4 months later and it still does not function as advertised. We recently tried using the support material as well with it being a mess. Now we have a $6000 piece of equipment that cannot produce a part as good as what we get in our $2300 MakerBot.
Bottom line, be very careful in deciding to go with this printer. The build size is nice which is the primary reason for purchasing it however we did expect it to produce to the level of quality you would expect from a $6000 price tag. If you can no get satisfactory results in 5 days, return it.