Canadian technology startup 3DQue Systems Inc. has always had a major focus on automating the 3D printing process, in an effort to make innovation and high-volume printing more accessible to the world’s makers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The company has just announced that it can autonomously run multiple 3D printers at once with its new Quinly Wireless Hub, which is a plug-and-play solution for users wanting to automate print farms and individual printers, but can’t source enough Raspberry Pi computers to run the necessary software.
Launched in 2018 by young inventor Mateo Pekic and finance expert Stephanie Sharp, the company develops automated digital manufacturing systems for on-demand, onsite mass production of plastic parts. Designed to keep your printers running even when you’re not there, 3DQue’s Quinly software is a virtual operator that runs on a Raspberry Pi and connects to the printer, allowing users to set up a queue of parts to be printed. The software even controls the print bed with its own motion system, clearing and preparing it for the next print.
“Quinly was originally developed to run on the Raspberry Pi 4, however due to the global chip shortage, they are difficult and expensive to source. In addition, Quinly automation allows our customers to run more printers with less labour, driving demand for increased computing power,” 3DQue’s Co-Founder Pekic explained in a press release. “The Quinly Wireless Hub allows our customers to cost-effectively scale their automated printing.”
The new Quinly Wireless Hub features a microcontroller that, while just a little larger than a credit card, packs quite a punch, as it enables the software to run on multiple 3D printers at once, which solves the issue of the Raspberry Pi shortage. The hub, which is pre-loaded with Quinly software, is an optional upgrade to the Quinly kit, and, to reduce unnecessary shipping and packaging, includes everything the user could possibly need to quickly and easily set the software up and get the printer running, including:
- 2 GB Rock64 microcontroller
- 40 x40 mm cooling fan
- USB WiFi adapter
- power supply cable
- 32 GB Class 10 micro SD card
- customized dual-color enclosure ready for mounting
- USB B/USB Mini/USB micro cable to connect to your printer
Quinly Wireless Hub
Once Quinly software is installed, it can determine which printers are connected, before choosing the correct profile for each one, and can then get started printing.
“Quinly Wireless Hub is the platform designed to run your Quinly. The power of Quinly lies in reliable, plug-and-play automation software that automatically detects your 3D printer, and selects a profile that has been specifically tuned for your hardware,” the website states.
This powerful new hub can help Quinly users become more productive and efficient, while also cost-effectively scaling 3D printing for mass production purposes. The Quinly Wireless Hub supports the startup’s increasing range of helpful automation features, like machine vision failure detection, real-time print status updates, gCode file storage and transmission, an infinite print queue, and the necessary data to autonomously operate 3D printers and print farms.
Beginning January 5th, 2022, 3DQue will invite beta testers to try out its new Quinly Wireless Hub with multi-printer support capabilities. You can also purchase the hub for yourself on the company’s website for $99.