Enormous 3D Printer, MetalBro BIG, Launches on Indiegogo with Speeds up to 600mm/sec

I have had the opportunity to work with dozens of 3D printers over the last year. I love trying out new machines, and discovering new ways by which companies try and improve the entire printing experience. With that said, when I went to buy a new 3D printer three weeks ago I found myself drawn to the machines which were larger and had the ability to print at relatively fast speeds. Without realizing it beforehand, these were the two features which were most important to me.

Speed and size are what many within the industry lust over. The larger the printer, the higher the number of useful objects it will be able to fabricate. As for speed, well, the world is becoming a place in which we want everything done before we can finish saying the word “go!”

F&B Rapid Production, a spin-off company from BBW University’s FIB Research Institute, based in Berlin, Germany, understands this and has thus set forth to mass produce an enormous and relatively fast 3D printer known as the MetalBro BIG. First, however, they will need the help of the Indiegogo community, where they have just launched a crowdfunding campaign.

MetalBro BIG

“So far our main field was in developing and constructing customized 3D printers for industrial companies,” Christopher Felix, founder of F&B Rapid Production, told 3DPrint.com. “But the requests for print jobs, and especially bigger models like architectural structures and casing for exhibitions, made us dream of a high quality printer with a big printing area that is still affordable for smaller businesses and private customers.”

The MetalBro BIG has the following specifications:

• Print Technology: FFF
• Build Envelope: 700 x 300 x 700 mm
• Print Speed: 50-600 mm/sec
• Layer Resolution: 50 microns
• Positioning Precision: XY – 11 microns, Z – 0.05 microns
• Extruder Nozzle Temperature: 180-300 C
• Supported File Types: STL
• Supported Filament Types: PLA, ABA, PVA, HDPE, Nylon, TPE, Laywood, Laybrick, Ninjaflex, Gel-Lay, Lay-foam, etc

Clearly what stands out is the printer’s massive build envelope, which equates to approximately 27 inches in two directions and about a foot in the other, as well as its print speeds, which have been clocked as fast as 600 mm/sec.

“Our goal was to develop a printer which has no boundaries in terms of size, speed and usability. It is not only for companies but also for consumers it’s financially attractive,” explained Felix. “The speed and a stable printing process are very important with this large build volume.”

The Indiegogo campaign will run from now until December 15, and seeks a funding goal of €50,000. As for rewards to those backing this project, F&B Rapid Production is making two printers available, including a smaller version called the MetalBro300, as well as hotends, filament, and the granddaddy of them all, the MetalBro BIG. Early bird backers (the first 10) can pre-order the MetalBro BIG for just €5,900 fully assembled.

If funded, the company plans to begin shipping the first MetalBro BIG machines in June of next year. Have you backed this project? Let us know in the MetalBro BIG forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the Indiegogo pitch video provided below: