July 14, 2015 | By Alec
While 3D printing technology has definitely become an international hit, it has become a remarkably successful tool in Poland over the past few years. As a result, countless Polish 3D printing startups have been unleashing interesting products for a while now. And one of those companies, 3D printer manufacturer Omni3D, is now back for more with the Factory 2.0 industrial level 3D printer. And with a price tag of just €10,000 (or approximately $11,000), it will definitely catch the attention of a lot of businesses.
Omni3D, to explain, is a Polish 3D printer and hardware manufacturer with an eye on the high level user and professional markets. While their innovative approach has already caught the attention of a number of small companies and technology institutes, this new 3D printer is seeking to force its way into the industrial market.
The Factory 2.0, they tell 3ders.org, has been under development for two years now, and stands out thanks to a high level of precision printing. ‘Dimensional precision is particularly important in industrial productions. The priority for all elements of the production – also including our Factory 2.0 – is accuracy, which guarantees a perfect match between elements and an ideal end product,’ Konrad Sierzputowski, who was responsible for its development, says of the Factory 2.0.
What’s more, the properties definitely seem good enough for industrial use. ‘Accuracy is down to 0.03 mm, with an active area of 50 cm along each axis, while an unmatched printing speed is achieved with a head moving up to 35 cm/sec,’ they tell us. Furthermore, this industrial level FDM 3D printer is capable of using a wide range of durable composite filaments to offer professional users everything they need.
As the developers explain, the key to this high level of accuracy are a set of 10 microprocessors that control operation and all other factors involved. To ensure longevity, a large number of flexible components (such as the rubber belts on the axes) have also been replaced with fixed components. Along with a large 50 by 50 by 50 cm print area, an automated levelling system and a closed heated chamber, it definitely makes the complete package look good. Factory 2.0 also comes with Mak3r software, that has been programmed to do a lot of calibration of the parameters automatically to optimize results and minimize time consumption.
Preview clip of the machine.
Of course, a number of comparable 3D printers are already on the market, but Sławomir Mirkowski (from the board of managers) argues that their low cost enables them to target a niche of users between the home tinkerers and the large scale companies. ‘The majority of devices available on the market use similar solutions, which share the same problems and limitations. Seeing this, we have decided to take the challenge and to fill the market niche. In this way, our offer is now targeted only at entrepreneurs and the broadly understood industry,’ he says.
Sierzputowski further explains that their complete package and especially the material options make them stand out from their competitors. ‘Similar printers are currently sold on the market only by two American companies. We certainly have the advantage of availability, low price and maintenance costs of our equipment. Factory 2.0 printers operate in an open ecosystem – composites from various manufacturers can be used with them. This definitely improves access to innovative materials and reduces maintenance costs,’ he adds.
Overview of technical capacity of the Factory 2.0 3D printer.
While the Factory 2.0 and its €10,000 price tag won’t become commercially available in Europe and the Americas until September 2015, the Polish company is already boasting with filled orders for two companies on the Fortune500 list. ‘The first Factory 2.0 printers are used for printing wind turbine blades, which will soon be erected in California, USA. Factory 2.0 will also be tested this year in the automotive sector, where it will be included in the production chain of car elements of the equipment of a well-known German brand,’ they say. The rest of us, however, will have to wait a few months.
Update Feb 17, 2016: According to Marek Starow of
Omni3D, the €10,000 price tag was only for a very limited number of customers for pre-orders. The official price varies from different markets and in EU it is €22,900 net.
Posted in 3D Printers
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great stuff
RepRapper wrote at 4/17/2016 1:04:55 PM:
The most expensive RepRap I have ever seen :) OpenSource supported should say "we are using free open source software"
Bill wrote at 9/28/2015 3:08:20 PM:
I spoke with Pawel at Omni3d about this machine and was given a price point of $22,000 US. Twice of what is being speculated in this article.
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