Italy-based Kentstrapper introduced the MAVIS, a new, large format professional 3D printer.
Kentstrapper has been known for producing good quality desktop 3D printers, most recently the Verve, but now they’re taking a very big step into the professional market for use by industry. The MAVIS is a much larger 3D printer with a number of features you’d expect to see in a professional workshop environment.
The MAVIS is a plastic extrusion machine, like the others on Kenstrapper’s product shelf, using 1.75mm filament driven by a Bowden-style extruder. The all-metal hot end has a top temperature of 260C, making it possible to 3D print ABS and other moderate-temperature materials. However, it is not sufficiently hot to print the more exotic materials such as PEEK.
The print volume is entirely enclosed and kept warm by the up-to-100C print bed, making prints more reliable.
Perhaps the most notable feature on the MAVIS is the rather large print volume: 400 x 400 x 700mm. This puts the machine squarely between the current two popular size ranges of ~250mm and 1000mm. It’s an unusual spot in the market and I am interested in seeing how popular it proves.
Aside from size, this machine has a number of features you may expect to find in a professional machine:
“Filament Guardian” is a detection system that ensures the machine does not continue printing when the filament has run out. The system pauses the print operation until the machine has been refilled with a fresh spool.
A “Phoenix System” detects when input power ceases and can quickly put the machine into a pause state where printing can be resumed when power is restored. These two features alone should enable heavier use of the MAVIS machine by serious operators.
But there is more.
The MAVIS also includes an “automatic calibration” system. It is not clear what is being calibrated, but I assume it is the bed leveling and Z-gap setting. That again should make prints more reliable and simplify operations.
A 12.7cm touch screen is prominently mounted on the front of the MAVIS, enabling easy operational control.
A key is required for operation, which is a required feature in some professional workshops. Also note that the MAVIS has an emergency power off switch, something very rarely seen in smaller 3D printers. But I suppose the MAVIS is not that small a machine!
Print jobs are delivered by USB stick, or alternatively through the MAVIS’s WiFi connection.
As this is a machine that can 3D print large objects, prints can take more time. However, Kenstrapper has smartly included a way to rapidly swap nozzles. Along with the standard 0.4mm nozzle, they also offer 0.6 and 0.8mm nozzles that should dramatically increase the speed of larger prints.
A 0.8mm nozzle provides 3.8 times more volume when printing. Thus a 48 hour large print using a 0.4mm nozzle would take only 12.5 hours with a 0.8mm nozzle. This is quite important for those wishing to run the machine 24 hours a day for business activity.
Kenstrapper also provides a warranty of up to 24 months on the machine, again making it more attractive to businesses wishing to grow their 3D printing capacity.
All together, these features make for a very strong machine. It’s not clear when the product will be available, nor the price. However, it’s likely this unit will carry a premium price given its size and features.
Via Kentstrapper
