As FormNext quickly approaches, the 3D printer releases and teasers are coming thick and fast. Today Prusa Research has announced the Prusa Core One L, a larger version of the excellent Prusa Core One that I reviewed back in January.
I was lucky enough to attend the announcement in Prague earlier this month and spend some time with the machine and the other launches announced at the event.
You can pre-order the Prusa Core One L by clicking here and using the code TechRadar.
Core features of the new Prusa CORE ONE L
3D printing is now fully integrated with many areas of manufacturing and business, from the foundation of iterative design and prototyping to small production runs.
With this comes an industry need for larger volume printers and the CORE ONE L scales up print volume by 10% with a print area of 300 x 300 x 330mm in the fully enclosed environment.
The change from open frame to closed has also meant an expansion of the type of materials that can be used in the machine, and a new AC convection heating surface enables better printing with advanced materials such as PETG, Nylon and ASA.
While the heated chamber makes printing with special materials possible, the temperature in the machine must also be regulated. On the CORE ONE this could be done using the simple manual vent on the top of the machine; now opening and closing the vent has been automated.
Surface quality is also an important factor and PRUSA Research is known for pushing great advances for their printers through software. Sure enough, with the Prusa Core One L, the company has spent an enormous amount of time tweaking VFAs that take the already smooth surfaces of the prints to the next level.
Again, as with the Core One, the set-up speed is fast, so if you don’t want to get bogged down in the construction of the printer, or for that matter the length calibration process, then the Core One L has that done for you.
All you have to do is remove it from the packaging, install the filament and turn on. If there are any problems, Prusa Research is one of the only 3D printing companies that offers 24/7 technical support.
Double the print volume, not the size
Scaling with 3D printing is a problem, as getting the meaningful print volume also adds stability issues, and of course a bigger machine generally means bigger and heavier. However, PRUSA Research went back to the drawing board and looked for ways to increase the print size without effectively doubling the size and weight of the machine. The result is a machine that still offers the rigidity through the laser-cut steel profiles of the CORE ONE’s exoskeleton, but then uses aluminum for the side panels and a few other tweaks that have resulted in a machine that is 10% larger and 0.5kg lighter.
A heated 3D printing chamber makes all the difference
Heating the print area is something that has become more and more common with the shift to fully enclosed systems, and even more of a focus with the increase in print sizes and the use of specialty materials.
Thermal stability of the print base is also another consideration, and with the Core One L a thick block of aluminum has been used with a dual-loop heating element, which promises to offer a temperature variation of less than 2ºC across the surface. PRUSA Research has also worked hard on the AC convection current to actively heat the chamber, ensuring it can now reach a maximum of 60ºC when needed.
This heated environment means that many high-performance materials are now far easier and more reliable to print, including ABS, ASA, Nylon and Polycarbonate. When it comes to standard PLA that prints better in a cold chamber, the vent at the top of the machine now opens automatically, helping to regulate the internal temperature and meaning there is no need to leave the door open. If you are using the machine in an office or workshop environment, then there is also an optional HEPA filtration system that can be used.
Get ready for 3D printing production
Let’s face it, if you step into the world of 3D printing, there is a huge selection out there for the consumer. But when it comes to business, that choice quickly diminishes as precise, production-ready parts and dimensional accuracy become the most important purchasing factors.
Prusa Research has tackled this in an interesting way by essentially refining and keeping things somewhat simple so that on-site maintenance and customization is possible.
The machine uses rigid CoreXY kinematics with a 360º cooling extruder that helps set the filament quickly, reducing (but not eliminating) the need for supports. Through the PrusaSlicer, organic supports can be added that are much easier to remove than traditional support structures.
While the Core One L remains a single tool head machine (although you can fit the MMU3 multifilament option), the company has worked to address Vertical Fine Artifacts (VFA) with a new feature in the PrusaSlicer called “Consistent Surfaces”, which is designed to enable production-ready prints directly from the print bed.
It’s all about Business
Having tested and used Prusa Research printers for a number of years, reliability is key to business success, and for business, this reliability is at the heart of the Prusa Core One L.
All require no setup or calibration and anyone can get up and running with the machine in minutes, and the path from files in SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion or from STEP files to a physical print from CORE ONE L has all been streamlined.
If you are a company looking to learn more about 3D printing, Prusa Research is well aware that education is key, and here the company provides access to the comprehensive Prusa Academy online course with every printer. This course delves into the world of workplace use and is an invaluable resource for any engineering or product design studio.
Easy maintenance
3D printers are inherently complex, and when you look at many of the latest iterations, thoughts of repairing them yourself are generally out of the question. But with deep roots in the Open Source community, Prusa machines are still designed to be maintained by you. Nozzle replacement, which is the most common focus of maintenance, can be replaced in about 30 seconds.
If anything else goes wrong, everything can be taken apart and rebuilt, meaning that the machines, even after thousands of hours of service, can be restored to good-as-new condition.
The Prusa machines are one of the last manufacturers to enable this level of access and on-site repair and maintenance. If you get stuck or have a problem you can’t solve, 24/7 technical support is available in seven languages, staffed by experienced operators.
An open ecosystem
The Prusa printers are part of an open ecosystem that enables you to integrate the printers and make them part of larger workflows, or sit in safe isolation. PrusaSlicer has become the industry standard and iterations of the application are now used by most of the industry, and with EasyPrint you can even use an online slicer that works across platforms.
As the PrusaSlicer is so integrated with the industry, Prusa Research is also launching the Open Tag Print standard, an open RFID tag in all their new spools that allows the printers to identify the filament type, so you no longer need to enter the details of the material into the slicer software.
Although this technology has been available for over a decade, this is the first time an Open Tag system has been launched and could have a dramatic effect on the filament market, where several manufacturers are already adopting the format.
More from Prusa Research
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Prusa Signature Oak
Alongside the launch of the CORE ONE L, Prusa Research is also announcing the Signature Oak, a limited edition premium 3D printer that sees the CORE ONE redesigned with an oak cladding. This printer is unique, but truly one for the Prusa 3D printing enthusiast. Limited to 250 units, it has a price to match and will be an essential for all fans of Prusa printers.
Silicone tool head
Developed for the original Prusa XL, this new tool head is unlike any other and will enable the machine to print silicone. The final release of the head is coming soon and I will bring more updates on this as soon as I have them. From the first impressions I’ve seen, it looks like an interesting development and something that will be of clear interest to the industry.
Prusa Research INDX multi-material system
With the industry moving towards multifilament machines, everyone is naturally interested in the next steps. Following on from a tweet a few weeks back about a collaboration between Prusa Research and Bondtech, it looks like there will be a new multi-material INDX solution for the CORE ONE machines that will be announced at FormNext next month. I will give you more details soon.
If you are interested in pre-ordering a Prusa Core One L you can click here and use the code TechRadar.
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