July 30, 2015 | By Alec
In a market full of slightly different FDM desktop 3D printers, some are bound to be a bit faster or slower than others, but have you ever seen a 3D printer finish a complete bracelet in just eight minutes? For that is exactly what a new machine developed by a company in the Southern Chinese city of Shenzhen has developed. Called the IdeaWerk-Speed, this 3D printer was developed by Weistek Technology, and has just been revealed at the 4th annual Shenzhen International Trade Fair for the Electronic Equipment Industry on 29 July.
For those of you who’ve never heard of Weistek, this company was founded in 2011 and quickly grew out to become a leading figure in the development and manufacturing of consumer-grade desktop 3D printers, 3D printable filament and software in China. Two years ago, they opened up a new production site of 4000 square meters in Shenzhen to meet a growing demand for 3D printers, and the rest of us can now reap the benefits of those developments with the WEISTEK IdeaWerk-Speed 3D printer.
The chip at the heart of the WEISTEK IdeaWerk-Speed 3D printer.
This exciting new 3D printer was unveiled by the company’s founder and CEO dr. Chen Wen Juan, who also showed the remarkably quickly 3D printed bracelet. During the unveiling, she further revealed that the chip inside WEISTEK IdeaWerk-Speed 3D printer, WEISTEK No. 1, is capable of increasing desktop 3D printing speeds by 5 up to 10 times, making the machine a very competitive product in the global market. The company believes this will also speed up the adoption of 3D printing technology by consumers and businesses across China.
WEISTEK’s founder and CEO dr. Chen Wen Juan
Obviously 3D printing has been seen in all shapes and forms – from the toys we print at home to aerospace parts at NASA – but all 3D printers suffer from similar speed restrictions. ‘Focusing on the industry’s challenges, the WEISTEK European Research and Development Center spent three years developing the world's first 3D printer that specifically features high speed print chips. The WEISTEK IdeaWerk-Speed 3D printer is the world’s first FDM high speed 3D printer,’ Dr Chen Wen Juan said during the press conference. Remarkably, this desktop 3D printer can reach speeds of up to 450 mm/s, whereas most 3D printers in the consumer bracket reach print speeds of anywhere between 40 to 100 mm/s – it thus features an increase of anywhere between five to ten times.
It is believed that the core behind this 3D printer’s success is its control panel. The hardware used by the WEISTEK IdeaWerk-Speed 3D printer can more quickly and accurately control motion and control signals sent during 3D printing, essentially optimizing the response to software signals. Dr. Chen Wen Juan illustrated this remarkable development with a 3D printed bracelet – that can take anywhere up to an hour to 3D print on regular machines – which only took eight minutes on the WEISTEK. Waiting time thus becomes far shorter (and more durable for us), while also improving a machine’s efficiency and practicality.
Coinciding with the release of this high speed 3D printing machine, the Shenzhen company has also developed a complete set of high speed 3D printing software and PLA suitable for high speed printing. They have also integrated a large library of creative 3D models into their software to enable users to completely benefit from reduced 3D printing times. The new 3D printer has also been designed for intuitive use, including an LCD touch panel for one-click 3D printing.
While the abilities of this new 3D printer thus look pretty great, the price tag isn’t beyond the reach of typical consumers either. Chen Wen Juan argued that a typical low-end machine in China costs just over 3,000 RMB, while this high speed desktop 3D printer is about to enter the market in September with a price tag of no more than 10,000 RMB (approximately $1600). Not bad, right? The supporting printing materials will also be released in September, though pre-orders have already begun.
WEISTEK is further aiming towards to educational market with a children’s program. ‘We have also launched a “Children’s 3D dream factory” this summer, a training course very popular with children,’ Chen Wen Juan said. ‘With the help of a professional teacher and explanations, children already begin using 3D modeling software on the first day of the program to design key chains, cups, airplanes and more. If you’re interested in 3D printing, it really becomes simple and fun.’
During the press conference, WEISTEK further revealed that they have signed a strategic cooperation agreement with leading children’s publishing company Yangtze River Children’s Group. The two parties will work together to develop a 3D creative cloud platform to provide an optimal digital solution for 3D design and printing services for children. WEISTEK will have the exclusive rights in the 3D printing and scanning applications concerning the content of the Yangtze River Children’s Group’s picture books, comics and fairy tales – perfect for children.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Chinese Company copies someone elses design. World is stunned for some reason!
J wrote at 8/6/2015 4:11:37 AM:
Looks like my UP
MaximumMark wrote at 8/4/2015 12:33:54 AM:
AutoX3D: Good catch!
AutoX3D wrote at 8/2/2015 3:14:28 PM:
I don't see how that is super fast. I have exceeded those speeds last November in my machines. Frankly I fail to see how that mechanical system can hit those speeds reliably. You need very large and high quality linear guides to prevent resonance at those speeds. Japanese or German linear guides, the cheap china stuff just does not have the metallurgy to hit those specs.
James wrote at 7/30/2015 12:26:20 PM:
The Motherboard looks AMAZINGLY similar to the one that European manufacturer CreateItReal has in their website... http://www.createitreal.com/index.php/products/electronic These guys have just copied it..
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