www.3ders.org

Feb.25, 2014

After purchasing his first printer kit in 2012 Nohtal Alex Partansky quickly noticed he wanted a one with more capabilities. Since all of the high performance models were so expensive he decided to make his own.

"There were a few things that I wanted the printer to have: two nozzles, Bowden extrusion, enclosed build area, and a moving xy gantry. " Partansky explained.

His Lathon 3D printer, just launched on Kickstarter, is a dual nozzle 3D printer that prints in over 8 different materials with massive enclosed 305 x 200 x 230 mm (12 x 8 x 9 inches) build volume.

The two nozzles allows you to create more interesting prints, for example dissolvable support, multiple colors and multiple materials. But most printers have the stepper motors mounted to the print head giving them a large moving mass thus limiting their speed. Therefore the Lathon is designed to have a Bowden style extrusion, according to Partansky, it lightens the moving mass by over 80%. And the print speed of every Lathon can reach to 150mm/s.

Left: Pink PLA die with White PLA numbers, Right: Blue ABS die with Silver ABS numbers

The Lathon 3D printer has an enclosed build volume which helps maintaining an even temperature to prevent curling of ABS models. Two fans with activated carbon filters could reduce the amount of ABS particles in the air.

The print bed uses a plastic from GE called Ultem 2300 and it is great for printing PLA, ABS, HIPS, Carbon Fiber, NinjaFlex and LayWood filament (except Nylon).

With the E3D all-metal hotends you can print in over 8 different materials. In addition "with the ability to print in different materials it is possible to print overmolded prototypes," Partansky said. "In the product development market overmolds are a common practice but up until now the ability to have in house rapid prototyping capabilities were limited."

The handle above is made out of blue ABS and red TPE

The full graphic LCD screen allows the user to have full control over the printer. The front panel also comes with an SD card that allows you to print without being attached to a computer. In the future Partansky plans on making the Lathon WIFI enabled.

Specifications:

• Layer Resolution: up to 80 micron
• Build Volume: 12"x9"x8" (305x230x200mm)
• Air Filtration: Activated carbon
• Frame Dimension: 25"x16.5"x25" (640x420x640mm)
• Positioning Precision: X/Y/Z 6.25/6.25/<1micron
• Print Speed: 30mm/s - 150mm/s
• Travel Speed: 30mm/s - 200mm/s
• Weight: Approx. 33lbs (15kg)
• Filament Type (3mm): ABS, PLA, TPE, Nylon, HIPS, PVA, Carbon Fiber, Wood
• Connection: Print via USB or without computer using on board control panel
• Electronics: RUMBA board with Marlin Firmware
• Motors: Nema 17 1.8° step with 1/32 microstepping
• Power Supply: 450 Watt with 120VAC or 225VAC switching

Vase printed at 100 microns

Images credit: Nohtal Alex Partansky

The Lathon 3D printer kit is available for an early bird pledge of US$1,650 (plus shipping). The early adopter assembled Lathon is priced at $2,000. Check out the Lathon's Kickstarter campaign and pledge your support here.

 

Posted in 3D Printers

 

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Graeme wrote at 8/21/2014 7:15:36 AM:

There's a lot to like in this machine: 1 the retracting heads 2 the ability to use any material 3 heated bed 4 controlled environment 5 carbon filter Has anyone bought one of these? Are they any good? Did the company deliver?

Mike wrote at 3/6/2014 1:47:57 PM:

Yep it is very ***** printer. Pictures of prints looks like designer would just print whatever and took a picture. If he doesn't care about poor quality of prints on pictures how may he maintain high quality of end product ? Guy maybe know something about aerospace engineering but no way that he has any idea about ISO9001....

jd90 wrote at 3/5/2014 7:49:08 AM:

TPE sure prints pretty badly, I don't know how much is a reflection of the material and how much is on the machine. Some of the other prints aren't that great either. The machine is pretty large for its build area. It seems overly reliant on 3D printed and other plastic parts, there are better ways to produce flat plates & rod mounts. Plastic corner joints are the bane of 3D printer rigidity, durability and longevity. The slots in the hood to make the curves seem to defeat the desire to control breeze. A sealed enclosure makes ABS printing tolerable, louvers defeat that. OK, Ultem is expensive. If it's really as good as claimed, then it's very worthwhile. The machine name is the creator's name backwards. ...OK. Audio echo and background music in the video makes it hard to hear. It looks like a good start, I think it could have used another design iteration before unleashing onto the world.

cee wrote at 2/25/2014 4:15:36 PM:

This guy must live in the moon.

The Doc wrote at 2/25/2014 11:03:06 AM:

Hahahaha this must be a joke.. Or did i unknowingly go back in time to 2008 where a kit like this for $2000 was a competititve product?- or newsworthy?

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