XYZprinting, subsidiary of contract manufacturer New Kinpo Group, has had an interesting story since it entered the 3D printing space in 2014. With the launch of the first da Vinci 3D printer, the company began to tackle the desktop 3D printing space.
Now, ahead of formnext, it is performing a full-on attack of the industrial space, announcing two new industrial machines, several digital light processing (DLP) machines and a series of partnerships meant to establish XYZprinting as a formidable player in the industrial 3D printing space.
The PartPro350 xBC
The PartPro350 xBC is a binder jet 3D printer that deposits CMY three-color ink and a transparent binder to fuse layers of plaster powder and create full-color objects with a resolution of 1600 x 1600 dpi. Priced at $30,000, the system has a price point competitive with other full-color binder jetting systems, namely the ColorJet Printing machines from 3D Systems. With a build volume of 350 x 222 x 200 mm, the PartPro350 xBC undercuts 3D Systems’ ProJet CJP 660Pro, which, according to the latest Wohlers Report, has a price of about $68,000 for a somewhat larger build volume of 254 x 381 x 203 mm.
It has an integrated curing process and removable build platform so operators can remove the bed and replace a new build tray for continuous printing. The system will be made available as part of an early access program in the first quarter of 2018.
MfgPro230 xS Laser Sintering 3D printer
XYZprinting also is taking on selective laser sintering (SLS) with the MfgPro230 xS, an SLS system that relies on a 30W CO2 laser to sinter objects up to 230x230x230 mm in size using various material including standard polyamide (PA) in several colors, flexible PA, high temperature PA, thermoplastic polyurethane and acrylic.
Perhaps the closest comparing machine is the ProMaker P1000 from Prodways, which has a larger build volume of 300 x 300 x 300 mm and is available for about $115,000. It is still larger, more powerful and more affordable than desktop SLS machines that have recently been released.
The system features a removable build tray for continuous printing and will be available for over $60,000 as part of an early access program.
New DLP 3D Printers
XYZprinting previously released a DLP machine, as well as two stereolithography (SLA) machines, but under its consumer line. Now, the company is targeting the professional market, including the jewelry and dental sectors, with the PartPro 100 xP, CastPro 100 xP and Dentpro 100 xP DLP 3D printers. The systems are priced between $2,399 and $2,699 and will be available in the first and second quarters of 2018.
The PartPro100 xP is a desktop DLP 3D printer meant to print with standard, tough or rigid resins for a price of $2,399. The DentPro 100 xP is targeted at the dental and medical industry, using a certified dental resin and biomedical resin, with a price of $2,699. The CastPro 100 xP can print an object of 2.8 cm in height in just one hour and is meant for printing castable objects in the jewelry and dental spaces.
The da Vinci Super
The company also unveiled its largest fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer yet, the da Vinci Super. With a respectable build volume of 11.8 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches, the da Vinci Super is designed to use a range of filaments, including ABS, PLA, TPE, Tough PLA, Nylon, PETG and PC. It features automatic calibration, fail recover and a pause feature.
New Partnerships
In addition to a series of new machines firmly declaring XYZprinting as both a consumer and industrial 3D printer manufacturer, the company announced a series of partnerships, including Nexa3D, Digital Wax Systems and Sicnova.
In February 2016, startup Nexa3D launched a Kickstarter claiming to have one of the fastest 3D printers in the world capable of printing layers at a rate of 1 cm per minute using patented technology. Dubbed “Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc)”, the technology seems to be a similar form of SLA that relies on a thin layer of oil to quickly print objects. After the Kickstarter was launched, however, a confusing IP battle ensued, which caused the company to cancel the project.
Now, the company has received $10 million in funding, including a contribution from XYZprinting. In return, XYZprinting will manufacture and sell Nexa3D’s technology under XYZprinting, with the expected launch to take place in Q2 of 2018. The firm will launch on the equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd, which also invested in Nexa3D. OurCrowd is headed by CEO Avi Reichental, former 3D Systems president and a key figure in the development of 3D printing as a global phenomenon.
XYZprinting will sell DWS SLA machines under its brand, while DWS will sell XYZprinting’s DLP printing machines under its own brand. While the deal would give XYZprinting a more robust line of DLP systems, it also gives DWS a line of sub-$5,000 systems. The deal should reach full execution by the second half of 2018.
XYZprinting will be slapping its label on Sicnova’s large-scale JCR 1000 and JCR 600 FFF 3D printers. The JCR 1000 has a large build volume of 1000 x 600 x 600 mm, automatic bed calibration and dual 1.75 mm print heads. The machine can reach speeds of up to 1,0000 mm per hour and be used for such applications as jigs and fixtures or end parts. The newly branded products are expected in the second half of 2018.
The Big Picture
Now that all the news is out there, we can take a breath and look at XYZprinting’s strategy. In 2014, the company quickly became a leading player in the desktop space, leveraging its experience and resources as a contract manufacturer to create consumer machines for as inexpensively as possible.
It then ramped up this consumer line as quickly as possible, releasing what seems like an endless number of products. By 2015 the company had the biggest foothold in the desktop space.
By 2016, the company had begun plans to enter the industrial space. When I visited the Taipei headquarters, XYZprinting had its inkjet technology on display, alongside numerous experimental products being tested in the marketplace, such as food 3D printers and smart fitness devices. I was made aware of the binder jetting system, which was a low-key announcement at CES in 2016.
With the official announcement of the binder jetting system ahead of formnext, XYZprinting seems to have decided to make a big splash as more than a consumer 3D printing company. It has launched an entirely new professional 3D printing site, including many of the products mentioned in this article, as well as a separate logo to differentiate its consumer and professional lines.
The products mentioned here attempt to offer entry-level or low-cost systems in the industrial space, possibly with an eye of disrupting that space the way that it has consumer 3D printing. Partnering with the aforementioned companies quickly adds items to its product line so that it may soon become the most diverse 3D printing company on the market.
XYZprinting has proven itself an expert in manufacturing inexpensive desktop 3D printers, but can it do the same in the industrial space? It looks like 2018 may begin to answer that question for us.
To learn more about XYZprinting’s professional line, visit the new website.