The answer to the million dollar question about how to make a product stand out in the global and ever-more-competitive FFF 3D printing scenario is surprisingly simple: make sure that product is unique. I3D, one of the many 3D printer manufacturers based in the province of Florence, in the Italian region of Tuscany, took this concept very seriously and made sure their 3D printers are unique by producing them on demand, according to the specific requests of their customers.
That, however, is something that more companies already offer. So I3D, after creating the first PLAYMAKER and PLAYMAKER HD series of (up to) triple extruder systems, after venturing into large volume 3D printing with their PIVOT MAKER (850x850x850 mm), has now presented SIXER, a new 3D printer for serial production, with six extruders and as many printing areas.
Even parallel FFF 3D printing is not necessarily and entirely original feature and yet it is certainly sufficiently unique to make the SIXER, that is the name of the new model by I3D, stand out in the recent Maker Faire Rome and carve a production niche for itself.
With six extruders, each separate printing area of the heated plate measures 115 x 135 x 320 mm with a layer resolution between 300 and 20 micron. It can print at speeds of up to 100 mm/s which, multiplied by six, means it can in fact print objects at an overall speed of 600 mm/s. If each plate section is used to print multiple parts, than it becomes clear that a small serial production can be undertaken at acceptable costs and times.
What are the costs? the SIXER retails for €4,000 and it comes with a powerful vent for temperature regulation and a touch panel to control some of the printer’s functions. I3D’s experience in 3D printer manufacturing and assembly comes as a free bonus.
