The well-established Dutch 3D printing company Leapfrog is back on the consumer market again with the new Creatr HS Lite desktop printer, which Leapfrog describes in three words as “reliable, simple, and flawless”. Their latest 3D printer represents a more compact and reliable version of the Creatr HS model they released last year. Leapfrog claims that the Creatr HS Lite is extremely reliable and easy-to-use, and both a starter kit and educational kit are available with purchase of the 3D printer, making it an ideal candidate for the home of a beginner or a classroom setting.
The Creatr HS Lite is capable of printing in volumes up to 13.6 L that measure up to 28cm in length, giving users a bit more leeway for more grandiose 3D printing endeavors that many other similarly priced and sized printers can’t offer. The printer is also completely stand-alone, using just a USB stick and one knob to browse the LCD interface, pre-heat the machine, and start printing in less than 10 minutes.
The print speed of the Creatr HS Lite is able to reach up to 300mm/s, which seems to be the sweet spot many printer manufacturers are using to ensure both quality and timeliness in the 3D printing process. Within the stand-alone printer is slicing software from 3D printing software pioneers Materialise, which helps prepare 3D models from the USB stick for the stages of printing.
The Leapfrog Creatr HS Lite seems like a great tool for an unexperienced 3D printing enthusiast or a classroom to prototype 3D models easily. Although the stand-alone nature and compact size of Leapfrog’s new printer makes it convenient to use in any setting, the potential is a bit limited by the fact that the Creatr HS Lite is only compatible with PLA filament. The Leapfrog Creatr HS Lite is in stock now on Leapfrog’s website for the moderate price of €1,699.00, and is a simple and sleek machine ideal for small to medium-sized PLA printing. As Leapfrog hops along from the Creatr HS to the professional-grade XEED and now to the Creatr HS Lite, the Dutch company seems to be making a valiant effort towards producing the necessary 3D printer for every customer’s needs.
