Canadian startup 3DQue always does what it can to achieve, and promote, mass production and cluster production through automated 3D printing solutions. Now, the Vancouver-based company has announced the release of its new Pi Kit for Quinly, an automated 3D printing management software solution, to give Creality Ender 3, Pro, and V2 users automation, a print queue, and continuous, wireless 3D printing access. This means that operators won’t have to get up from their desk in the middle of the workday, the weekend, or even the night, to remove completed parts from the print bed and start the next job.
“Ender 3 printers don’t come with the computing power needed to run automation software and connect wirelessly, while many of our customers have Raspberry Pi 4’s, those who don’t have one want an easy-to-use solution with our Quinly software already installed. The Pi Kit for Quinly gives them that,” Mateo Pekic, the Co-Founder and Chief of Innovations at 3DQue, said in a press release.
Instead of having to waste valuable labor hours installing the software and tracking down all of the necessary cables, fans, a mount, an SD card, a Raspberry Pi 4, and whatever else is needed to install a Raspberry Pi on one of Creality’s Ender 3 series systems, the Pi Kit for Quinly includes it all in one handy package. Because it’s designed to be a plug-and-play solution, Ender 3 users should have a fairly easy time using this new kit to attach the Raspberry Pi to the printer. According to 3DQue, this process only entails three simple steps: mount the Pi to your printer, use the included enclosure to protect it from bumps and jostles, and access the WiFi network with the enclosed cables.
The Quinly software was developed from 3DQue’s existing industrial automation system, which recently provided the power to achieve 1,000 hours of autonomous 3D printing of 897 face shields, in only five days, in a highly successful trial.
“Quinly is the only automated 3D print manager with VAAPR Print Bed technology for unattended part release. It turns your current Ender 3, Ender 3 Pro, or Ender 3 V2 into a continuous 3D printer that schedules and runs jobs and removes parts on its own,” 3DQue states on its website.
If you purchase the Quinly kit for the Ender 3, you’ll receive not only the software, but also everything from the tilt frame, fasteners, and part release guides to the VAAPR Print Bed with adhesive and 200 g of PLA filament. But to load the software and achieve wireless access, you’ll also need a 16 GB micro SD card and SD card reader, a laptop, an Ethernet cable, and a 2 GB Raspberry Pi with a power source and cable in order to connect it to the printer. Here’s where the Pi Kit for Quinly comes in handy.
“Your Ender 3 does not have the computing power to store an entire print queue (needed to schedule jobs), run Quinly software or connect wirelessly to your devices,” the 3DQue website explains.
“The 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 is a credit card-sized computer that not only runs Quinly, it stores files and allows you to run Quinly from any device on your network. With the addition of adding a VPN you can remotely access your printer.”
For users who are new to updating firmware, don’t already have a Raspberry Pi, or just want to save some time installing the software, the new Pi Kit for Quinly should be right up your alley. 3DQue says that it includes everything you’ll need to upgrade your Ender system to run Quinly software and automatically manage and control your continuous 3D printing queue.
The kit comes with:
- 2 GB Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
- Raspberry Pi power supply
- Raspberry Pi enclosure, fan and fasteners
- 16 GB micro SD card with preloaded Quinly software
- USB Mini to USB-A (connect RPi to printer)
- USB Micro to USB-A (connect RPi to printer, 32bit)
If you’re interested in installing the Raspberry Pi 4 on your Ender printer by yourself, 3DQue does offer a list of the necessary components and step-by-step instructions.
3DQue’s Co-Founder and CEO Steph Sharp said, “We are happy to support our customers by providing information on our resources page at 3DQue.com/Resources, on our community channel on Discord, and through our live streams on twitch.tv.”
You can purchase Quinly software for $199, and the new Pi Kit for Quinly for $149.
(Source/Images: 3DQue)