Xolo Launches the Xube2 Volumetric 3D Printer

Xolo has launched the Xube2, a volumetric 3D printer designed for scientific research. The machine allows users to switch between 375 nm and 405 nm light sources and adjust resolutions. Available resolutions include 30×50 mm² at 15 μm, 20×35 mm² at 10 μm, and 10×17 mm² at 5 μm. The printer’s speed reaches up to 6 mm/min, with printable features as small as 5 μm. It uses a 4K LED projector and prints inside enclosed material-holding tubes called cuvettes, with options ranging from 10 mm to 50 mm in size. The printer itself measures 80 by 50 by 72 cm, with a build volume of 30x50x80 mm³.

The system is described as open and configurable, allowing users to adjust several parameters, including tuning variable projection energy. These adjustments can be made through the software suite called xolid, which runs on the printer’s large attached touchscreen. The screen is notably big—so much so that it might just make you crave a Big Mac!

If Xolo becomes any more successful, they might run out of words starting with “X” that sound like Berlin clubs. The company envisions users printing hydrogels, optics, high-viscosity resins, and oligomers with the Xube2 system. They also anticipate that users will experiment with various new photo initiators and fine-tune temperatures between 15°C and 40°C. The team has left space inside the printer for users to add their own instruments or sensors.

Xolography and other similar volumetric printing techniques are exciting and cutting-edge. Companies like Vitro, Readily, 3D Systems, and Xolo are all pursuing advancements in speed and materials. Recent research highlights tunable properties, and these techniques appear conceptually very promising for the future.

UPS doesn’t use Ferraris, so we don’t yet know if the new capabilities of these systems will find a significant market in research and beyond. It seems likely they’ll find some market, but it’s unclear whether that market will be large enough to support the expansion of this segment. Stratasys was able to grow because every engineering faculty wanted a 3D printer, and the only real alternative at the time was Zcorp, which used messy powder. Stratasys printers produced durable parts in familiar materials, and a grad student could operate one without much risk, making them ideal for broader market adoption.

These factors were key to market expansion but weren’t necessarily top considerations when the first 3D printers were designed—early designs simply aimed to function, hoping that companies like GM, Hasbro, or universities would be interested in the cutting-edge technology. For Xolo and similar firms, there needs to be an immediate customer base with a present need, followed by a future customer group that is large, willing to invest in new hardware, and open to experimentation. Only then can applications emerge that drive future growth. At this stage, we still don’t know if there’s a strong product-market fit for the initial customers, early adopters, or the potential applications that may follow.

So far, I love how open they’re making this system. Offering plenty of settings and flexibility is definitely something researchers will appreciate. The ability to experiment with a wide range of materials, resins, initiators, and viscosities could attract a diverse group of users to the Xube2. While I’m not fully convinced of a volumetric future for everyone just yet, I’m excited to see what the “xolomorrow” will bring.