At the recently held Maker Faire 2018 event, the veteran 3D printer manufacturer Printrbot unveiled a range of new products, including the new Printrbot Play v2, a unique conveyor belt-style 3D printer kit for long prints and rapid single-object reproduction, as well as the Printrbot CNC v2 KIT.
The desktop 3D printing scene has expanded exponentially over the years, as more companies and clones hit the market at a relentless rate. But back in 2011, before the time where 3D printers became a dime a dozen, a maker named Brook Drumm started constructing his own 3D printer design from inside of a garage. This eventually transformed from a successful Kickstarter project to a full-fledged company called Printrbot, and seven years later, they’re still pumping out innovative machines.
Last weekend, Printrbot was on-site at Maker Faire 2018, the Bay Area-based event where people from around the world gather to ooh-and-awe at the latest innovations in the maker space. The company unveiled a number of new products during the show, including a range of 3D printers and a CNC milling kit.
Printrbot Rises From the Ashes With New Range of 3D Printers
The most intriguing of the new Printrbot products is the Printrbelt KIT, a 3D printer that utilizes a conveyor belt system to produce long objects or streamlined copies of a single model. This unique model was initially released back in 2017, developed in collaboration with Polar3D. But now, the kit form is available for just $599. Printrbot forwarns that this machine is not for the faint of heart, and should only be taken on by experts or builders. The Printrbelt utilizes a conveyor belt as the Z-axis, meaning you can prepare a number of models to print sequentially.
The new Printrbot Play v2 was also announced at the Maker Faire, and is bigger and has more hardware improvements than the previous model. This 3D printer offers a 200mm x 150mm x 200mm build volume, and is equipped with linear rails, a machined aluminum extruder, and an 8mm lead screw. There’s no heated bed, but the Printrbot website claims that a further update is coming soon.
However, although the Play v2 doesn’t come with a heated bed, Printrbot did happen to add this feature to its flagship 3D printer: the Simple Pro. Couple this with WiFi compatibility, upgraded electronics, and other great features, and this classic machine seems well worth the $699 price tag.
Printrbot CNC v2 KIT Gives Affordable Access to CNC Milling
Outside of the 3D printing realm, Printrbot also revealed the new CNC v2 KIT, a desktop CNC milling machine that costs only $1,499. Not only is that affordable for CNC technology, this kit is powerful enough to cut through aluminum and offers a generous 615 x 462 x 124mm cut area. The CNC v2 KIT includes waterjet aluminum plates, hardware, extrusion, electronics, router, Nema 24 stepper motors, HTD Timing Belts, and the full Bill of Materials.
All in all, it was an eventful weekend for the Printrbot team at Maker Faire 2018, packed with new products and upgrades to tickle every maker’s fancy. You can learn more about the new 3D printers and CNC kit on the Printrbot website.
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