Nov 24, 2016 | By Tess
Berlin-based company BigRep has maintained its place as one of the most successful and reliable large scale 3D printer manufacturers out there, largely because of its BigRep ONE 3D printers. Rather than resting on its laurels, however, the German company has continued to innovate and push its technology forwards. At formnext 2016, for instance, BigRep made not one but two exciting new announcements about projects it is developing and preparing to launch.
The first of BigRep’s announcements was the unveiling of its BigRep Studio 3D printer, a slightly smaller but arguably more versatile additive manufacturing system than its established BigRep ONE 3D printer. Despite being smaller, the BigRep Studio is still quite large, with overall dimensions of 1022 mm x 1660 mm x 1500 mm and a build volume of 500 mm x 1000 mm x 500m mm.
The biggest perks of the new 3D printing system are that it is easily transportable and can be installed with little hassle. According to the company, the BigRep Studio’s more compact structure was designed primarily for use in corporate and educational environments. The 3D printer is also equipped with a 0.6 mm nozzle, which offers rapid but still high-precision 3D printing, and shows optimal results with BigRep’s PRO-HT high temperature 3D printing filament. The system is capable of printing at a layer resolution of 300 microns.
According to the company, “The BigRep Studio is the result of three years of industry experience and addresses market demand for a more compact BigRep product.” The BigRep Studio is currently available to pre-order and is expected to be ready to ship in Q2 2017. It will retail between €29,000 and €30,000.
The second announcement was that BigRep has signed an exclusive partnership with another German 3D printer manufacturer, Kühling&Kühling. Together, the two 3D printer companies have unveiled a brand new high-end 3D printer, the BigRep Tech (known also as Kühling&Kühling’s VP75 3D printer). The BigRep Tech, a delta-style 3D printer, has been developed specifically for “high-end 3D printing solutions,” with applications in the medical technology sector.
The 3D printer’s high-end capabilities are largely due to its fine printing precision and compatibility with high-tech print materials such as technical plastic polycarbonate. In fact, the 3D printer marks the first of BigRep’s products that can process technical plastic polycarbonate, a material known for its high strength, impact resistance, hardness, and durability.
Additional specs for the BigRep Tech include a minimum layer thickness of about 0.05 mm, a 0.5 mm pre-installed nozzle (which can be swapped out for a 0.75 mm nozzle), and a high temperature print head (up to 500 degrees Celsius). Slightly more expensive than the BigRep Studio, the BigRep Tech will be retailing for about €44,000.
"At present BigRep is evolving at a fast pace,” explained René Gurka, CEO of BigRep. “We are strategically developing our core business areas, so that we are in an excellent position to take advantage of future opportunities. Thanks to our new printer models "BigRep Tech" and "BigRep Studio", our exclusive cooperation with Kühling&Kühling, and our newly opened regional headquarters in the US and Singapore, we are continuing our strategy to significantly expand and establish a global presence.”
BigRep also recently announced a multi-million-euro cooperation agreement with TNO, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, in the aim of developing a 3D printing process 10 times faster than existing solutions.
Posted in 3D Printer
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I have been to the Formnext this year and i really liked what i saw from RepRap. Now when the printers starts to get wider you get a lot more possibilities for your prints. I also saw the new Extreme printer from Builder which I really liked. I have not decided yet.