Probably one of the fastest growing consumer-based 3D printer manufacturers we have seen is Aleph Objects with their LulzBot brand of machines. Rapid growth usually is an indication that a company is firing on all cylinders, and that is certainly the case with LulzBot. I’ve had the opportunity to test out and thoroughly watch several of their machines in action, and every time, I am impressed by the quality of print, as well as the attention to detail put in during the manufacturing process of each of their machines.
Today, Aleph Objects has announced a slew of news which should garner the attention of many within the industry.
First and foremost, the company has revealed their latest 3D printer, the LulzBot TAZ 5. The TAZ 5 carries most of the specs seen within the popular TAZ 4 machine, with a few added benefits. One such benefit is the ability of its new Hexagon all-metal hot end to achieve temperatures of up to 300°C (572°F). This is the same exact hot end used in the company’s LulzBot Mini, which features both a heat sink and nozzle fan and enables users to choose from a whole slew of possible materials, other than the typical PLA or ABS materials which many printers are limited to.
“We developed it in partnership with RepRap Discount and also made additional improvements to improve performance and safety,” Harris Kenny, Marketing Manager at Aleph Objects, told 3DPrint.com. “TAZ 3 and 4 users will have a very easy upgrade to the all metal hot end. The TAZ 1 and 2 can also upgrade, but it is a bit more complex due to 12V on TAZ 1 and 2, versus the 24V on TAZ 3 and 4.”
Just announced: LulzBot TAZ 5 3D printer
Next, the TAZ 5 is equipped with a PEI (Polyetherimide) bed surface which provides high bed adhesion without the requirement of glue, tape or other solvents. Below you will find a handful of the machine’s general specifications:
- Printer Size: 680 x 520 x 515 mm (26.8 x 20.5 x 20.3 in)
- Printer Weight: 11kg
- Build Envelope: 298 x 275 x 250 mm (11.7 x 10.8 x 9.8 in)
- Max Print Speed: 200mm/sec
- Print Tolerance: 0.1mm X/Y axes
- Layer Thickness: 0.075mm to 0.35mm
- Filament Size: 3mm
- Max Extruder Temperature: 300°C (572°F)
The LulzBot TAZ 5 is immediately available at the company’s website and through participating Official LulzBot Reseller Partners for $2,200, which includes free shipping to the US, EU, and Canada.
As if this news is not exciting enough, Aleph Objects has also partnered with eSUN and Fenner Drives to launch a variety of new ‘officially supported LulzBot filament materials.’ These materials include the following:
- SemiFlex (higher durometer) TPE — Colors: Black, Red, Blue, and White
- Glow-in-the-dark (luminescent) PLA — Colors: Green and Blue
- Electrical conductive (129 ohm/cm) ABS — Colors: Black
- Light-changing (UV reactive) PLA — Colors: Red and Blue
- Cleaning filament for purging between prints and for specialty materials
- 9 new colors of PLA– Magenta, Peak Green, Pine Green, Pink, Purple, Yellow-Gold, Light Blue, Gray, and Brown.
Finally, Aleph Objects will now be offering full support of the Cura LulzBot Edition for all their LulzBot TAZ and Mini 3D printers. According to the company the software is totally free, and will help users convert their 3D models in GCODE for printing, as well as have full control over their LulzBot 3D printer’s operation.
It will certainly be interesting to continue following the rapid growth of this company which is based on open source hardware. The news that they’ve released today will only continue to expand their reach within the 3D printing space. Let’s hear your thoughts on their latest 3D printer as well as the new materials they are supporting, and their Cura LulzBot software in the LulzBot TAZ 5 3D Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com.
