Jonathan Schroeder, President of 3D Platform, said, “We’ve had a lot of success with our Workbench machine over the last 15 months. Our customers have asked us to take it to the next level, and we’ve successfully delivered on that request. Building on our super-reliable mechatronic system, we included a faster processor, touch-screen control, built-in Wi-Fi, 40% more print volume, and mesh bed leveling—features that our customers requested. This game-changing throughput increase will dramatically help our customers get more out of their additive workflows.”
The Workbench Pro has a large 1 x 1 x 0.7 m build volume, and delivers print rates that are up to 16 times faster than the original 3D Workbench. An HFA extruder comes standard with the Workbench Pro, with optional upgrades to HFE 300 and 900 high-flow extruders. Both options can accommodate filament sizes from 2.85 mm to 6 mm, and are independently controlled for extruded material amounts and speed. The machine delivers high quality and accurate prints with high resolution detail, thanks to its Touchscreen Brainbox, with optimized firmware and a 32-bit chip.
It has a folding gantry, optional enclosure, and just like its predecessor, features a full industrial workbench, with built-in storage and non-slip lockable casters. The Workbench Pro has WiFi, so users can remotely login with a smartphone to receive print information, and remotely stop and restart print jobs. The 3D printer has industrial-strength enhanced mechatronics, so your prints come with high quality, but at two times the amount of acceleration and deceleration. The framework uses Constant Force anti-backlash lead screws and nuts, and SIMO Series actuators to allow for the previously mentioned 40% more build volume. Other unique features include:
- Touch Probe: state-of-the-art Auto Mesh Bed Leveling up to 441 points
- Advanced Cooling System
- Borosilicate Glass Heated Bed
- SurePrint Servo Technology: closed-loop control offers positional feedback every 1.25 microns
- Enhanced Filament Feed System
3D Platform’s new 100 Series WorkTable has the same mechanical features and build area size (1 x 1 x 0.5 m) as the original Workbench, but its entry-level price point is less than $15,000.
“Our new series of machines is a direct response to what our customers have been asking for. Our WorkTable 100 Series is designed for smaller businesses, schools, and entry-level designers looking to implement large-format, industrial strength 3D printing into their projects, but at a lower entry cost,” said Schroeder.
The 3D printer, with a mechanical bed leveling system and marker frame, comes with a Volcano Extruder, which is available either as a single or dual head, and an optional HFA extruder, which is twice as fast as the original Workbench extruder. An LCD display, 8 KB of RAM, a step motor, and an 8-bit, 16 MHz ATmega 2560 processor all come standard with the WorkTable, and brand new enclosures have been added for the entire Workbench family, including the 100 series WorkTable, which help produce better quality prints with more easily maintainable temperature controls.
Both the WorkTable and the Workbench Pro use open-market materials and software, which keeps the purchase price and operating costs down.
3D Platform’s new line of HFA extruders, which are faster than anything else on the market right now, come standard with the 3DP 300 Series Workbench Pro, and are also available as optional upgrades with both the 100 Series WorkTable and the 200 Series Workbench Classic.
Schroeder said, “Our new line of quick-swap dual extruder heads deliver high quality 3D prints and are independently controlled for speed and extruded material amounts. They are the fastest filament extruders on the market, and can accommodate filament sizes from 1.75 mm to 3 mm and nozzle sizes from 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm.”
The HFA Extruder prevents filament slipping and stripping with a gear reduction transmission, and it can print layer resolutions down to 50 microns. It offers high reliability, with a maximum output, and commercially digital manufacturing environments will appreciate its continuous duty cycle. It is available in three different nozzle sizes:
- Minimum: 0.4 mm
- Standard: 0.6 mm
- Maximum: 2.5 mm