Layer One, creators of the Atom line of 3D printers, have teased the details of a forthcoming machine that can 3D print using both FDM and SLA technology.
Speaking to 3D Printing Industry as part of our guest article series in June Mike Galvez, International Marketing Manager at Layer One, commented tellingly, “the dream of the all-in-one desktop digital fabrication machine is beginning to materialize.”
“The era of the RepRap is coming to an end. The era of the digital fabrication platform is about to begin.”
[Atom SLA Teaser](CH/EN)唯有前進，才能領先！前些日子釋出的 SLA 艾菲爾鐵塔讓不少用戶好奇來訊詢問，今天終於要公布更進一步的資訊了！桌上型 3D 印表機的主流成型方式分別為 FDM 和 SLA，透過 Atom 率先採用的模組化設計，實現了將兩種技術合而為一的可能！如果填寫過 Atom 2.5 EX 問卷的用戶應該會發現一些端倪，Atom 團隊針對兩項技術的結合已經做了將近一整年的佈局與開發，相信在不久的未來就能為大家帶來令人驚豔的產品！如果想獲得最新資訊請至以下連結留下電子信箱https://atom3dp.typeform.com/to/PakGH9 The next Atom will combine two 3D printing technologies in one machineWhile FDM, the most widely used 3D printing technology, is great for printing big, strong, functional parts and prototypes, it struggles with printing finer details like tiny threads and decorations on fine jewelry. The next Atom, the Atom, will feature both technologies, allowing users to print parts large and small. "Even with our ultra-rigid design and a .2mm nozzle,it’s impossible to achieve super high detail with FDM, no matter how hard you try. SLA is the only way we can offer this capability to our customers," says Lawrence Lee, founder and CEO of Layer One, creators of the Atom 3D printer.Until recently, SLA has always been the more expensive option, but advances in LCD technology and resins have brought the cost down substantially. The Atom’s SLA capabilities are enabled by the machine’s modular design. The reservoir is affixed to the build plate, and the SLA build platform rides on the magnetic control arms.“SLA machines require a very sturdy Z (vertical) motion system, and delta’s provide that better than the conventional cantilever system. Of course, there will be challenges to designing a user-friendly module versus a standalone machine, but we accept them gladly.”Check the link and enter your email address to get important updates of our latest projects and products!https://atom3dp.typeform.com/to/u20gJDPosted by ATOM 3D Printers on Thursday, August 31, 2017
Teaser clip of the Atom SLA also dubbed “Atom 3” from Layer One. Via Atom 3D on Facebook
Scale and detail
The Atom FDM/SLA 3D printer is designed to deliver both size and detail in a single machine.
The machine has an interchangeable print head and build plate, meaning that users can choose to “go large” in filaments like PLA, or create smaller, finely detailed objects using resin and SLA.
Founder and CEO of Layer One Lawrence Lee explains, “Even with our ultra-rigid design and a .2mm nozzle, it’s impossible to achieve super high detail with FDM, no matter how hard you try.”
“SLA is the only way we can offer this capability to our customers.”
Technical specs
Like Layer One’s existing 3D printers, the forthcoming Atom will operate using a delta frame, avoiding restrictions of the typical Cartesian system that moves along a rail.
Replying to a comment on Facebook asking whether the new Atom would be an update of the 2.5EX, Layer One revealed, “it’s currently a working prototype at the moment,” and “we will be exploring both options.”
To give an idea of potential FDM specifications, the Atom 2.5EX produces a layer resolution of 0.05–0.3mm; it has a max. print area of 22cm diameter by 34.5cm height; and the total dimensions measure 42cm x 42cm x 93cm (L x W x H).
Keeping costs down, the SLA module in the “Atom 3” will operate using an LCD light source. If using a specially made resin that doesn’t require UV curing, the makers could also avoid the need for a shield on the machine allowing 3D printing “in open air”.
Lee adds, “SLA machines require a very sturdy Z (vertical) motion system, and delta’s provide that better than the conventional cantilever system.”
“Of course, there will be challenges to designing a user-friendly module versus a standalone machine, but we accept them gladly.”
Pricing
Existing Atom 3D printers are priced within the prosumer range at $1699 for the older, 2.0 model, and $2299 for the most recent 2.5EX. The company’s goals however, are to keep solutions cost effective.
Galvez states, “In the quest to deliver a cost-effective 3D printing solution to hobbyists, engineers, and industrial designers, the industry seems to have forgotten the finer details of what makes a machine not only easy to use, but easy to live with.”
“At Layer One we’re aiming for upcoming versions of Atom to be both.”
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Featured image: Layer One’s Atom FDM/SLA 3D printer. Image via Atom 3DP
