At the beginning of the summer, we relayed news of a Swedish-designed, Chinese-manufactured 3D printer called the ZYYX. Why it was called “ZYYX” we weren’t sure, but what we did know was that the printer was meant to make the 3D printing process simple and easy for consumers. And what we know now is that ZYYX is available for purchase through the company’s online store.
To take the hassle out of desktop 3D printing, the ZYYX is equipped with a number of nice features that weren’t seen with earlier generations of RepRap 3D printers, including MakerBot machines. A bed-leveling probe attached to the printhead detects the positioning of the printbed so that the printer can compensate for any unevenness and work as though on an even keel. Additionally, the company believes they’ve designed a hotend for their printhead that prevents the feedstock from heating up until its ready to be extruded onto the printbed. An enclosed print area is meant to control the ambient temperature in the workspace so that prints don’t experience any distortions or malformations during the printing process. Finally, and most interestingly to me, the ZYYX has a built-in carbon air filter, which could help mitigate the fumes and particles associated with 3D printing potentially toxic materials, like ABS.
With a build volume of 270mm x 230mm x 200mm (10.6″ x 9″ x 8″), the ZYYX is relatively substantial in size and the printer’s website claims that the printer is capable of a print resolution of 50 mircons. For € 1,550.00 (about $2100), customers receive the fabricator itself, the necessary cables, an SD card, a spool holder, a toolbox filled with all of the necessary 3D printing tools, one fume filter, 1 Kg of PLA filament, and access to Simplify3D 3D printing software.
Sounds like a pretty decent deal, if the printer delivers on its promises of a hassle-free experience. As with all new 3D printers, we’ll have to wait and see what its users say. One person commented on our last article that they were unhappy with the machine. Another reviewer was happy with the air filtration system, but wary of the first layer adhesion of the ZYYX. As more reviews come in, we’ll have a more complete picture of the ZYYX 3D printer’s performance.
