LulzBot Releases New TAZ Pro S for Professional, Industrial 3D Printing

Last year, open source advocate LulzBot, now part of FAME 3D in North Dakota, switched directions with the release of its first bioprinter, which is pretty different from the traditional filament extrusion systems it offers. But the latest in the brand’s portfolio, the recently released LulzBot TAZ Pro S, fits right in with the existing TAZ Pro industrial desktop 3D printer line. The new LulzBot TAZ Pro S is designed to print professional on-demand parts, large functional prototypes, and manufacturing aids, in a package that costs less than $4,000.

With a build volume of 280 x 280 x 285 mm, the TAZ Pro S is a little bigger than its predecessor, the LulzBot TAZ 6, which offers 280 x 280 x 250 mm worth of print volume. The printer’s Z-axis belt drive offers less Z wobble, which results in quick cycle times for faster throughput, and the accuracy and quality of parts is improved thanks to X/Y/Z backlash compensation. Additionally, The TAZ Pro S features automated X/Y/Z offset calibration.

The new TAZ Pro S enables quality 1.75 mm 3D printing, and because the single extruder M175 tool head has double nickel-coated hardened steel drive gears, it can achieve rapid retraction, offers improved pushing power, and features an uninterrupted flow of filament without users having to worry about slipping or grinding. Here’s another difference between this system and the TAZ 6: the latter is a dual extruder printer, so it can print with multiple materials. But even so, the tool head on the TAZ Pro S can print with many different kinds of filament, such as ABS, PLA, nylon, TPU, and strong, rigid carbon-filled materials that are far too abrasive to work well with most out-of-the-box desktop systems. In fact, all of LulzBot’s 3D printers support what the brand calls “the industry’s most diverse array of thermoplastics,” including varieties that are chemically resistant, composites, flexible, conductive, and more.

If you’re looking for professional, high-quality, industrial-grade prints, it sounds like the TAZ Pro S can deliver. It has greater processing power, as well as more memory for your complex components, thanks to improved 32-bit electronics, and also offers a longer cable life with chain cables and reinforced electrical connectors on all of its wiring harnesses. Because of Trinamic TMC2130 stepper drivers, quiet print operation is enabled, so you could likely use this printer at your desk without disturbing others.

The Cura LulzBot Edition software still provides pre-configured print profiles, which have been tested for over 35 filament types, and, just like all of LulzBot’s other desktop 3D printers, the TAZ Pro S is calibrated and tested before it leaves the factory in Fargo, and purportedly arrives at your home ready to print right out of the box.

“By combining the enterprise grade technology of the LulzBot TAZ Pro and the high quality printing capabilities of the LulzBot M175 Tool Head, the LulzBot TAZ Pro S gives users the ability to get great reliability, repeatability, and performance 3D printing out of the box,” LulzBot writes.

The TAZ Pro S has a lot of handy features to enable easy printing, such as self-leveling and nozzle wiping, and a durable, heated glass/PEI build plate, which is something else it shares with the TAZ 6. A 5″ color touch screen makes it easier to see how to operate the system, and a filament run-out sensor will signal users before it reaches the end of a spool, so they don’t have to deal with a print failure because the material ran out. It also offers 0.05 mm layer resolution, a hot end temperature range of 120°-290°C, and certifications from FCC, CE, RCM, ETL by Intertek (UL), CSA, OSHWA, and WEE.

You can now order the new TAZ Pro S on the LulzBot online store.

(Source/Images: LulzBot)