Oct 20, 2015 | By Kira
Aleph Objects, the free software and open source 3D printer manufacturers behind the LulzBot line of 3D printers and parts, today unveiled new flexible filament-related hardware and software upgrades, including the first-ever Flexytruder tool head for the LulzBot Mini, and a new version of the Flexystruder for the LulzBot TAZ, which will allow users to easily convert both 3D printer models into flexible filament 3D printing machines, compatible with industry partners at NinjaTek, makers for NinjaFlex and SemiFlex filaments.
Flexible 3D printing filaments open up entirely new possibilities in 3D printed products, enabling bendy, stretchy and rubber-like creations that won’t shatter or crack like regular, rigid PLAs. These include flexible circuit boards, hinges, household items, cell phone cases, and of course, a wide variety of 3D printed wearables. Ninjatek, by Fenner Drives, is one of the leading American flexible filament manufacturers.
The Flexytruder tools are designed to be as easy to use as possible, with installation complete in just a few steps, and a special extruder body that limits the path for the materials, allowing them to print faster and at a higher resolution. The v2 Flexystruder tool head for the LulzBot TAZ includes four key upgrades, including a hot end capable of reaching up to 300°C, a thicker extruder body with a simpler design, a wider diameter 0.6mm nozzle for smoother surface textures, and a 16-pin connector for easier hardware installation.
In the same announcement, Aleph Objects introduced a new pictorial tool head configuration wizard in the most recent version of their Cura LulzBot Open Source Software (Edition v17), offering out-of-the-box software support for the new tool heads.
Screenshots of the new configuration wizard in Cura LulzBot ed. 17
Both tool heads are projected under Open Source Hardware licenses, meaning you can also make your own modifications for any specific project you are working on. Just last week, Aleph Objects also released its v2 hot ends as separate products, making them accessible to the DIY/RepRap community. The release of the hot ends as separate products, as well as their ongoing open source licenses and free Cura LulzBot software are a show of Aleph Objects’ support for open source movement and their ‘philosophy of freedom’, as well as a commitment to creating the best possible products to fit their users’ needs.
“After being wowed by the quality of NinjaFlex filament, we introduced the LulzBotTM Flexystruder to gauge customer interest in flexible materials,” said Harris Kenny, VP of Marketing at Aleph Obecjts. “With growing demand over the last year and a half, we collaborated with the community to improve the design and are proud that the new Flexystruder v2 makes 3D printing with flexible materials easier than ever.”
The LulzBot TAZ5 and LulzBot Mini desktop 3D printer
The new Flexystruder v2 tool heads will be released for purchase on LulzBot.com next week. The software upgrade is immediately and freely available online at LulzBot.com/Cura. Whereas many consumers are aware of 3D printing with rigid plastic materials, we now have an ever-widening range of materials to choose from, each with unique properties—we have dissolvable support materials, wood, stone and metal polymer blends, conductive filaments for PCBs and incorporated electronics, and even the ‘holy grail’ of 3D printing materials, graphene. Aleph Objects’ new Flexystruder hot ends are the latest in a range of flexible filament tools opening up the range of what is possible in non-rigid rubber-like 3D printing.
Posted in 3D Printer Accessories
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