ShareBot XXL Unveiled – Features Enormous 80cm Build Length, 36,000cc Build Volume

The build volume of a 3D printer still seems to be one of the main specifications buyers look at when purchasing an FFF machine. Even ahead of resolution, speed and layer height, the build volume seems to take the cake in terms of what attracts the most attention to a particular printer. With so many printers out there, it is important to stand out from all the competition. One Italian 3D printer manufacturer seems to do just this.

Sharebot srl, headquartered just outside of Milan, Italy, launched way back in 2011 (an eternity ago in terms of 3D printer manufacturers). The company has a line of several 3D printers including the Sharebot NG, Sharebot Kiwi and Sharebot Pro (discontinued). Overall their printers are well made and affordable for what they have to offer. In fact, the Sharebot NG is currently the best selling 3D printer in Italy, according to the company. With this said, Sharebot has revealed to us this morning that they plan on stepping things up a notch, and this time it is all about build volume.

At the 3D Printshow in London next week (September 4-6), they will be unveiling their latest piece of work, the Sharebot XXL. The new machine, dedicated to architects and engineers who are looking for bigger prints with great quality, is shaped like no 3D printer you have seen before. Besides the MakerBot Replicator Z18 which is much higher then it is wide or deep, typical FFF based printers are very close to a cube (same size in all 3 directions) dimension wise. The Sharebot XXL differentiates itself from most of the competition by its oddly shaped 80cm (length) x 20cm (width) x 20 cm (height) or, (31.5” x 8” x 8”) build envelope.

“Following the enthusiastic response the XXL prototype received over the course of last year, Sharebot built a final, commercial version of the XXL to address the needs of professionals in the field of architecture, engineering and for the production of full size billboards, signboards and logos,” stated the company.

The company has been vague with details on specs, likely waiting until next week’s show to unveil it all, but these are some of the general specifications we were able to find:

• Printer Technology: Fused filament fabrication (FFF)
• Build Envelope: 80 x 20 x 20cm – 36,000 cc
• Filament Compatibility: Optimized for PLA
• Extruder: Single

The exact price of this machine, as well as additional specifications, will be released next week at the 3D Printshow in London.  The company plans to begin shipping these printers sometime in the forth quarter of this year.  Let’ hear your thoughts on this new machine, in the Sharebot XXL forum thread on 3DPB.com.