Entering the 3D printing hobby-sphere is no difficult task, but sticking around to master the craft is not for faint of heart. Save for a few patient and diligent souls, many will find themselves dismayed by the drove upon drove of printer maintenance. This is particularly true during the early, experimental stages of the hobby, when noviceness necessitates the acquisition of a low-end printer. The primary problem with using low-end printers is that you’ll often find yourself doing more tinkering than actual printing. And when successful printing does occur, the results wind up being low quality.
ORD Solutions seeks to change all this with the introduction of the RoVa3D printer, the successor to the widely popular MH3000R1. This bad boy features a number of innovations in addition to MH3000R1’s original selling points: aerospace alloy frame, 1002 cubic inch print volume, all metal hot ends, liquid cooling, stainless steel gears and metal pulleys, easy change filament loading and the ability to print simultaneously with up to five different materials at five independent temperatures.
RoVa3D includes a flatter bed for greater dimensional accuracy, a larger and more robust print bed for enhanced edge to edge printing, an electronically controlled cooling system that’s automatically controlled while printing, and smoother filament flow. The RoVa3D’s five nozzles enable users to print objects made of five different colors without the inconvenience of filament swapping. Alternatively, three can be used for different colors while the other two are split between different support materials.
Yet, RoVa3D is more than a five nozzled 3D printer – it’s efficient and convenient. For example, RoVa3D’s extruders are side mounted to reduce weight and increase speed. Furthermore, the hot ends are all metal, allowing them to print at any temperature up to 450°C; this in turn permits the use of a wide range of filaments including polycarbonate, nylon, vinyl, carbon fiber alloys, and the usual ABS and PLA.
The fully upgraded RoVa3D comes with all five nozzles and cost $2,599 or $100 more than the Makerbot Replicator 2X. But unlike the Replicator 2, RoVa3D features three more nozzles and a build volume that is the largest in its class by as much as 50%. In truth, the RoVa3D trumps Replicator the 2X in every criterion from Z resolution and max print dimensions, to cost per print head and capacity for print material. Have a chart below for a closer comparison.
If you’re considering buying a 3D printer but are concerned with the low quality prints of entry-level printers, never ending maintenance, and the hassle of assembling a printer, then the RoVa3D is definitely something you’ll want to consider. For goodness sakes, the printer even comes fully assembled straight out the box.
Via Kickstarter
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