Blog

UltiMaker 3D Printer Supports Production Applications | Modern Machine Shop

The printer features a temperature-controlled heated build chamber and heated build plate, enabling users to print large production parts with manufacturing-grade ABS.

UltiMaker’s Method XL 3D printer. Photo Credit: UltiMaker Cloud Encryption Software

UltiMaker 3D Printer Supports Production Applications |               Modern Machine Shop

UltiMaker’s Method XL was developed as a 3D printing solution for engineering applications, offering precision printing with industrial-grade materials without compromising on part size. The 3D printer is designed to deliver the accuracy and performance of industrial production alongside the flexibility and affordability of a desktop 3D printer.

The printer bridges the gap between desktop and industrial 3D printers by delivering a fusion of accessibility and performance. With a 305 × 305 × 320-mm build volume and a dimensional accuracy of ±0.2 mm, it enables customers to a range of projects — from functional prototyping to end-use parts.

Method XL is engineered to create large, complex parts that are durable using industrial-grade materials such as ABS-R and ABS carbon fiber. The heated chamber, which can reach up to 100°C, is designed to enable optimal results when printing with ABS, one of the most popular and challenging materials to successfully print on a desktop 3D printer due to its tendency to warp and deform.

The Method XL’s heated build plate is an added feature to the company’s Method printer series, offering customers an extra layer of security to avoid warping and layer adhesion issues. Both the heated build plate and the temperature-controlled heated build chamber combine to create a stable environment for printing accurate and strong parts of any size.

With its expansive build volume, high dimensional accuracy, heated build chamber and heated build plate, Method XL can print production plastics at a fraction of the cost of industrial machines and with the ease of desktop 3D printers. Combined with RapidRinse — a fast-dissolving, water-soluble support material — Method XL makes printing with ABS an even simpler and smoother process. RapidRinse enables one of the fastest support removals for complex fused deposition modeling (FDM) parts, resulting in a more refined surface finish, the company says. For a seamless CAD file-to-printed-part workflow, Method XL syncs directly with CloudPrint software, enabling customers to upload, monitor and track their print jobs from their web browser. 

Method XL also offers an external moisture-controlled material case, ensuring peak performance from professional-grade materials. The printer comes equipped with a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter for safer 3D printing indoors.

IMTS 2022: Azul 3D says its Lake printer enables manufacturers to transition from prototyping to mass manufacturing on a single, streamlined production platform.

The widespread outsourcing of large machine castings led a collaborative team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to tackle the machine tool supply chain. The first step? 3D print the largest cast component.

UltiMaker 3D Printer Supports Production Applications |               Modern Machine Shop

Voxel Creator Software tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) reveal geometries that can only be realized through 3D printing. HP and Siemens share an example in an episode of The Cool Parts Show: an air duct.