PRUSA Research, one of the largest manufacturers of 3D printers in the world, presented at Formnext the long-announced and long-awaited model – Prusa XL. A large-format 3D printer based on CoreXY kinematics, has a working area of up to 36 cm in each of the XYZ axes, which makes it more than four times larger than the Original Prusa MK3S+ model in terms of cubic volume and eight times larger than the Original Prusa MINI+.
The Prusa XL is the company’s first CoreXY printer designed to minimize vibration and other unwanted effects for high-quality prints regardless of size. It includes high-quality components such as solid aluminum profiles and high-quality guides and bearings, new 32-bit control electronics, and a host of innovative features developed by the Prusa Research team.
This is how Josef Prusa himself – founder and president of the company comments on the new 3D printer:
Almost every aspect of the new machine has been designed completely from scratch to ensure the Prusa XL is a 3D printing technology for a range of applications including prototyping, architectural models, engineering, cosplay accessories and more.
The Prusa XL is equipped with a new generation extruder which has been designed and manufactured using a completely new approach. Nextruder makes the operation, maintenance and servicing of the machine easier, while improving the monitoring of the print nozzle temperature and the overall safety of the manufacturing process. It features a new backlash-free cycloidal gear with a large, anti-skid gear that allows more control of the filament when it is fed into the new quick-change nozzle.
Additionally, it uses a highly precise strain gauge sensor to ensure a 3D print of an always perfect first layer. Even after replacing the nozzle or removing the heatbed, no calibration will be needed. The strain gauge also allows detecting filament jam in the nozzle and pausing 3D printing.
Standard buildk tables tend to slightly deform when heated – PRUSA Research has decided to solve this problem by using a segmented heating bed, which consists of 16 independent segments with expansion gaps. When printing smaller details, users will be able to heat only selected segments, saving time and electricity.
The company has developed a kinematic clutch mechanism that does not need electromagnets or other active components to function. The system is extremely precise and has fully automatic tool alignment calibration, ensuring that everything is perfectly aligned after every tool change. The system is also based on a strain gauge, which eliminates the need for calibration as it is fully automated. In total, as many as 5 print heads can operate in a 3D printer, extruding five different colors of the same material, or materials with similar temperatures and properties.
In addition, the Prusa XL will contain everything that users of other 3D printers of the manufacturer are already accustomed to – ready-made filament profiles and 3D printing modes in the PrusaSlicer software, detailed instructions, and 24-hour technical support.
Due to the still uncertain situation with the components and their delivery dates, the production of Prusa XL will start at the turn of the second and third quarter of 2022. By default, three versions of the device will be offered: with a single head, a double head and a set of five heads. Please note that in the case of the version with 3+ heads, the price will increase due to the additional hardware needed. The expected prices of the devices are:
Source: www.prusaprinters.org
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