SpiderBot's new ABSolute3 3D printer features patent-pending Adaptive Print Chamber

Jan 10, 2018 | By Benedict

French 3D printer company SpiderBot has released a preview of its forthcoming ABSolute3 FDM 3D printer. The machine’s printhead heats up to 500°C and its chamber up to 220°C, making it suitable for technical materials like PEEK, PEKK, and PEEKK.

Printing technical 3D printing materials—those with superior mechanical properties to PLA and ABS—requires high-level 3D printing equipment. High-temperature heated build chambers are a must, as are powerful hot-ends for extruding the materials. ABSolute3, the new 3D printer from French additive company SpiderBot, ticks both of those boxes, making it suitable for material R&D and 3D printing R&D.

The ABSolute3’s double Adaptive Print Chamber (APC) technology chamber is currently awaiting a patent, and is capable of heating up to 220°C. Users can control and fine-tune the crystallization of the chosen polymers at various stages of the 3D printing process—during printing and also after printing—and can tinker with the post-print cooling curve.

The double printing chamber is highly unusual. On the ABSolute3, a primary chamber operates at maximum of 70°C, permitting the use of standard mechanical components. But a secondary chamber, made with silicone materials, can operate in temperatures up to 270°C.

This high-temperate second chamber has a base that is static in the XY directions, but is guided along the Z-axis by four linear guides and a linear guide ball. The height of the chamber thus automatically adapts to the level of the print bed, which is moved by four ball screws (diameter 20 mm) using 15 mm hi-torque timing belts and two Nema 23 stepper motors. The main mobile plate of the bed is guided by two linear guides with a diameter of 25 mm.

SpiderBot has also put a great deal of effort into developing a new print head capable of processing high-performance polymers. The new printer’s 500°C liquid-cooled print head comes with an optional tilting dual head, while the print head module is static and can be swapped over in minutes. The direct drive extruder lets users extrude virtually any kind of material.

Airflow is key to the ABSolute3. A professional HotAir heater with temperatures over 300°C pressurizes the chamber and creates an air cushion, eliminating friction on the base of the heated chamber. The secondary chamber also uses a pair of internal adjustable blowers for ventilation, helping to maintain the correct temperature. These blowers are 3D printed in stainless steel and use ceramic bearings.

The ABSolute3 also looks promising from a maintenance perspective, since all its components are modular and easily removable, while there are other aspects of the new 3D printer that are worth noting too: auto calibration, for ensuring neat first layers; attached video camera for remote monitoring; open technology, with firmware based on Repetier; and dedicated technical support.

The SpiderBot ABSolute3 will succeed the ABSolute2, which was priced between 11,000 and 14,000 euros—a figure that should give some indication of the eventual cost of the ABSolute3. Production of the new 3D printer will begin in the next few weeks.

SpiderBot ABSolute3 3D printer specifications:

Build area: 250 x 250 x 180 mm
XY resolution: 5µm
Z resolution: 6µm
Printing speed: Up to 80 mm/s
Layer height: 0.15 to 0.5+ mm
Filament diameter: 1.75 mm
Print heads: 1-2

Posted in 3D Printer

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