Printrbot is not one to think inside the box. While RepRappers were creating Cartesian boxy bots, Printrbot’s Brook Drumm developed a wholly unique format for his low-cost 3D printer. The company’s machines have a distinctly “Printrbot” look, whether they be made from laser-cut wood or machined metal. And, no matter what direction Drumm’s firm takes, it’s always an unexpected one. The latest turn(s) sees Printrbot unveiling a large-scale 3D printer and a crawling CNC router.
In a Google+ post just around midnight last night, Drumm writes, “Say hello to the Printrbot Pro,” before going into all of the Pro’s features:
- “Around 2′ cubed build volume.
- Heated bed.
- Dual extruder (all metal Ubis hotends, v2 Alu extruder, Alu gear head extruder in the works… Print in any material available today)
- Optional enclosed build chamber.
- LCD panel
- SD card slot
- Dedicated heatbed controls
- LED lights
- Actually fits through most doors ;)”
The Pro is the result of seven prototypes and over a year of development. Drumm writes, “I have wrestled with this monster for over a year. I build 5 prototypes from scratch and hated them all. The last one was too ambitious with servos and ballscrews… That last one printed beautifully after, oh, SO much work, but I tore it down the next day and went back to the drawing board… Hacking together a totally new design in a couple days from spare parts lying around– #6. That served as the model for this fine specimen – #7. Thanks again to Steve, Nick, Mark and Caleb.”
Like all of Printrbot’s machines, the Pro is meant to be relatively inexpensive. In this case, the price is low relative to one manufacturer in particular, “It’s also the most expensive printer we have ever made, but will be less than the MB Z18. But, not gonna kid ya, shipping will kill you.” In other words, it will cost less than $6,500, without shipping, but, in order to get one, you’ll have to join the waiting list, with each Printrbot Pro being made to order. In fact, Drumm may even interview potential buyers “to be sure of a good fit.”
Though the Pro won’t be making it to Maker Faire, the Printrbot Crawlbot will. Designed entirely in Autodesk’s Fusion 360, the cloud-operated Crawlbot is a TinyG and Pi-powered CNC router capable of cutting objects 4′ x 8′ in size, despite its compact design. The router seems to be an evolution of the company’s previous CNC machine, the Printrbot CNC Beta, released last year.
Also at Maker Faire is the Printrbot Play, the company’s newest low-cost 3D printer. Made with the company’s now standard powder-coated steel and aluminum, the Play has a build volume of 4x4x5″, prints at Z-axis thicknesses of 100 microns, has an auto-leveling probe, and an SD card reader for tetherless printing. And all of this can be purchased in kit form or pre-assembled for just $399.
And because the company remains open source, it’s these sorts of developments that keep the 3D printing industry evolving more and more quickly, with progress over profits in mind.
