Orsus Hybrid Manufacturing System: The Machine Shop of Tomorrow, Available for Pre-Order Today

These days, if you are plugging a new 3D printer, it better be a great looking piece of hardware; after all, who wants to plunk out their dollars for an ugly hunk of junk to sit on the desktop? And in this marketplace, there better be some serious brains to back up that beauty. Users are shopping for the total package–and the team at Fused Machines is planning to give them just that–and far, far more.

Offering a desktop hybrid manufacturing system, Fused Machines has just begun a pre-order campaign for a limited beta release of Orsus, which is said to offer better resolution, higher quality, and faster speed than other 3D printers you’ll find currently available.

This intelligent machine is designed by a company that’s not afraid to continue using more traditional methods of manufacturing. While numerous experts do see 3D printing as revolutionizing industry overall, many see it as complementary, working well in tandem with conventional–and subtractive tools.

Founded by Nathan Fuller, Michael Williams, and Andy Baldwin, the Fused Machines team sees that 3D printing has indeed changed how designers and engineers work, but they were not finding quite enough predictability and reliable quality in 3D printing for their own satisfaction. It wasn’t acceptable to them to put in an entire day’s work making a model only to have it fail.

“Something needed to change,” said Nathan Fuller, founder and CEO. “We knew there had to be a better way, and that’s why we built the Orsus, the first true hybrid manufacturing solution for your desktop. With both additive and subtractive tools, the Orsus is able to produce parts faster, and with five thousandths of an inch of precision and with machine grade surface finishes.”

“The Orsus represents the next step forward in 3D printing. We built the Orsus from the bed up, for people who want to spend time tinkering with their designs, and not their printer. Most print errors occur in the first few layers of the print. Without a strong foundation, prints fail, and that’s why we pulled out all the stops and designed the highest quality build plate on the market.”

Users will discover unique power in Fused Machines’ signature DST, which allows for machine shop grade results on your desktop, and also produces finished parts in less time than with other ‘high resolution’ FDM printers.

An ultra-flat aluminum build surface is a crucial element of the Orsus, and they promise that it stays flat throughout the work process, while a 600 watt silicon heater works to offer proper first layer adhesion and eliminates warping. A BuildTak 3D printing surface is included with every Orsus as well.

“All of these elements combine to make the most advanced bed in any desktop 3D printer available,” says Fuller.

Also offered is a fully enclosed and stable build volume, combined with an all-metal hotend which allows you to work with a wide range of different and alternative materials. Temperature variations are reduced and print reliability is increased, which means also that there is less waste. While the standard ABS and PLA can be used, so can materials like polycarbonate, nylon, PET, and polypropylene.

“Being able to use the best materials for the job can be the difference between a part that works–and a paperweight,” explains Fuller.

The Orsus also offers dual sculpting technology (DST)–the combination between FDM and CNC–and you can look forward to switching between additive and subtractive tools rapidly. You can mill blocks of plastic and wood, as well as printing circuit boards–all with high precision–on the desktop. A 150W brushless spindle allows you not only to shape woods and plastic, but to etch PCBs too, which will probably make your desktop the envy of many.

“It’s like having the machine shop of tomorrow on your desk today,” says Fuller.

With the Orsus, you are promised:

• Speed that is 25% faster.
• Print surfaces that are 300% times smoother.
• Precision that is greater by 80%.

Also included is Orsus’ powerful software, InSpec, which offers a user-friendly platform and gives you the capability to create & control complex hybrid tool paths.

Until December 30^th, you can pre-order this system at the limited price of $2499 (+$75 for shipping), with delivery expected in April of 2016. The first ten Orsus machines are available for a discounted price–after this promotion ends, the Orsus will be available for $3599. To order, click here.  Discuss this new machine in the Orsus Hybrid Manufacturing System Forum on 3DPB.com.