14 DAY TRIAL // We've seen our share of 3D printers, and most of them have a pretty small build volume, good for little figurines or parts of larger objects you'll have to assemble later. Sharebot, however, has just revealed a 3D printer that is positively huge in comparison.
It's not all that tall, but it's wider than pretty much every other FDM 3D printers we've seen so far. In a way, it means it can be used to make a whole bunch of components for a single project at once.
If said project is not particularly tall, like a building set or city model, you could get away with printing it all in one go. Here's hoping it turns out as accurate as the virtual 3D model intended.
The new 3D printer is called Sharebot XXL (extra extra large) and was launched by Sharebot, a company based in Italy.
Sharebot XXL has a build volume of 800 x 200 x 200 mm, which corresponds to 31.49 x 7.87 x 7.87 inches, give or take a few millimeters.
The only printer we can pull in for comparison is the MakerBot Replicator Z18, but that one is taller than it is wide, not the other way around.
Admittedly, its cubic volume is greater compared to this one. Specifically, where the MakerBot Replicator Z18 exhibits a volume of 2,592 cubic inches / 42,475 cubic centimeters, the Sharebot XXL comes in 36,000 cubic cm / 2,196 cubic inches. The difference in shape still gives them completely different uses though.
And here we should note that most FDM 3D printers (fused deposition modeling) have almost cubic print chambers, making the Sharebot XXL stand out even more.
Anyway, the newcomer boasts a single extruder and handles PLA material best, but other plastics should work as well. Wouldn't do to create a product completely bereft of flexibility after all.
The Sharebot XXL 3D printer will be formally launched at the 3D Printshow, which will take place next week, from September 4 to 6, in London. Alas, while this is going on we will be attending IFA instead, in Berlin, Germany, so we won't be there in person to see the printer. Unfortunately, this also means that we won't know the price of the new product before then.
No doubt other Sharebot 3D printers will be showcased there, along with products from basically every other 3D printer in the world. We're looking forward to it.
