BigRep Updates Flagship 3D Printers

BigRep announced new versions of their flagship 3D printers, the BigRep ONE and BigRep Pro.

The Berlin-based company was one of the very first to explore the now-popular market for large-format 3D printers. Beginning with an essentially scaled up desktop machine design, they quickly identified many issues associated with large format 3D printing that don’t appear on smaller devices. The result was their original BigRep ONE, a device that proved incredibly popular among industrial manufacturers.

For the first time these operations were able to quickly produce massive part prototypes in a one meter cubic volume, such as bathtubs or propellors, which would have taken eons to produce using conventional approaches. BigRep’s success led to a number of competitors appearing in the market.

But the company has not stood still. They’ve announced a series of new devices, engineering materials and much more, but this past week they introduced new versions of the BigRep Pro and BigRep ONE.

New BigRep Pro

The new BigRep Pro includes a system they call “JUMPSTART”, which is a kind of workflow system involving both software and hardware, with the intention of simplifying the work of the 3D printer operator. JUMPSTART helps with removal of parts, extruder mounting and machine calibration before printing.

The print removal is perhaps the most interesting part. I always wondered how challenging it might be to 3D print objects so large it is hard to lift them, even when detached. How hard can it be to remove them when sticking to a print bed?

That’s solved with BigRep’s new “SWITCHPLATE”. It’s essentially a massive version of the spring steel magnetically-attached print plates we’ve all seen on smaller desktop devices. The concept has been proven so well in that market that it’s become a kind of de facto standard in the industry.

Now, BigRep has adopted that technology for their massive 3D printers. If you watch their short video, you can catch a glimpse of the SWITCHPLATE in action:

Note that in some of the video scenes it appears that two people are necessary to place the SWITCHPLATE. I’m not surprised, as magnets can quickly snap down one of these plates in a misadjusted position if you’re not paying attention.

The company has also upgraded their software control system. They explain:

“BigRep’s upgraded MXT Controls System orchestrates the harmonious performance of all components and processes to ensure fast printing, accuracy, and repeatability. It employs proprietary algorithms that improve your gcode print file, resulting in better quality such as smoother surfaces, higher accuracy and all-around consistent results.”

New BigRep ONE

The new version of the BigRep ONE has changed slightly, and I’m not surprised as it has been extraordinarily successful.

The new version is much more customizable. It’s now possible to order the massive device in single, twin or dual extruder versions. You can also optionally add an enclosure that could increase print quality and reliability.

Finally, you are now able to order the BigRep ONE in different colors, rather than their long time standard, orange.

Via BigRep