Poland has been increasingly putting out popular and impressive desktop manufacturing machines, with one of the most versatile being Zmorph’s multi-tool personal fabricator. The country is now home to not one, but two multi-headed desktop fabbing machines, with Zmorph seeing some heavy competition. Today, we received a tip from Pawel Slusarczyk, of Polish 3D printing news site CD3D, about a company called TYTAN 3D.
The company already garnered attention for its Goliat 3D printer, a RepRap derivative with an all-metal extruder, and Gaja 3D, a paste extruding machine capable of 3D printing clay, ceramic, and other paste materials. TYTAN 3D has just released its latest machine, the Gaja Multitool, a delta-style 3D printer with 10 interchangeable toolheads.
In addition to an FDM extruder the machine can also use two varieties of paste extruders, one with a tank capacity of 1 liter, mounted directly onto the printer, meant for 3D printing small parts, as the paste tube takes up space in the build area. The other is connected to a large 10-liter tank and is meant to use the entire build area of the printer. Then, there are all of the other toolheads the Multitool is capable of utilizing: a diamond stylus for engraving, ideal for glass and metal; a knife, for creating templates and cutting out signage; a CNC router for milling; a ratchet-head for PCB plates; and a 1.6W laser engraver.
Janusz Wojcik, co-founder of TYTAN3D, explains how the Gaja Multitool was developed:
We were very surpised when, together with [TYTAN 3D co-founder] Pawel Rokita, we started to explore the advantages of a mechanical system of our delta 3D printer that we used in Gaja. During the tests and trials with great ease we changed the print heads clay in very different types. We exchanged the head of clay on the weight of plastics. At some point we decided to mount the router. Taking into account a number of built CNC we knew that it will work. But it not only worked, but showed high processing capabilities. We have developed different heads, and it turned out that Gaia 3D is capable within a few seconds to transforming devices for various applications.
According to the company, swapping out heads is an easy process. TYTAN explains, “If today we need to print something from ABS or PLA, Gaja is ready even if equipped with clay extruder. Just unscrew the knob and free trolley from the ceiling of the printer. To attach the head to the FDM, user has to insert it into the truck, immobilize the screw itself and also the ceiling of the printer but in the other slot, plug FDM extruder. Then insert the role of the filament, and start printing. The whole process takes several seconds.”
And built around that essential toolhead is the frame of the Multitool itself, which relies on a delta construction to maintain a stationary printbed, columns and moving parts made from aluminum, HTD belts planetary gears and stepper motors, and 32-bit electronics. The print area has a diameter of 30 cm and a height of 36 – 40 cm, depending on the toolhead. And all of this is available for 17.800 PLN ($4547.37 USD).
In terms of web presence, the company is still a small one, but, with this latest release, they’re sure to get even more attention. For the original Gaja 3D, TYTAN 3D also won the award for the best new Polish 3D printer from CD3D, the largest site devoted to Polish 3D printing news. Whether or not it will receive a 5,000 unit order from Dell, like Polish manufacturer Zortrax, or be able to taken on Zmorph’s 11-toolhead machines remains to be seen. Either way, TYTAN 3D demonstrates that desktop fabbing is not just about 3D printing anymore.
