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The line of printers offered by Aleph Objects has always impressed users. And, so is the expectations from the LulzBot TAZ Pro 3D printer. Helping users to realize great results while coupling the experience with ease of use has been the selling point for the company.
The printers developed are designed to create a balance between the consumer’s affordability and professional print results.
By far, the manufacturer has come up with many options and every one of these has excelled at their own pace and criteria. However, with time, the expectations have raised and the technology is continually advancing.
To cater to the group of mature users, Aleph Objects have released its LulzBot TAZ Pro in March 2019.
The company has called the 3D printer to be the first-ever industrial-grade desktop 3D printer. With larger print space than the predecessors and a dual extruder setup, the 3D printer sets to explore greater possibilities in the arena of 3D printing.
Features
As the company claims, the 3D printer is being designed for serving those involved in specialized applications. Hence, it has been bundled with great features to be able to compete with the other expensive machine in the market.
PEI Coated Print Bed: If you have worked with the other machines offered by Aleph Objects, you would know how helpful PEI coating has been in providing first layer adhesion. The same feature has been used in LulzBot TAZ Pro as well. With this machine, you get a sizeable PEI-coated print bed that travels in the Y-axis alongside the belt-driven X- and Z- axes.
Open Frame: The LulzBot series have been marked with its quite similar appearance. And, the open frame is one of the design outlines that has been carried this far since the start.
Automatic Nozzle Cleaning: This again is a similar feature that is present in the other versions. Before every print, the hot ends are cleaned while being rubbed against the padding available with the machine.
Automatic Bed Leveling: There is a difference in the way the automatic bed leveling works in TAZ Pro as compared to its predecessors. The setting has been enhanced further by employing automatic X/Y/Z-axis offset calibration.
LCD Screen: The machine owns a 5-inch LCD screen and no more requires to be tethered to the PC as it was with Mini. The interface is intuitive and helps the user to tweak almost every necessary setting of the prints.
Dual Extruder: The 3D printer is equipped with a dual extruder. Hence, one can print multiple materials at the same time. The printer also supports water-soluble supports. Making it easier for users to print the models with a smoother surface finish.
E3D Titan Aero extruder: To make this machine compatible with professional applications, the manufacturer has utilized an E3D Titan Aero extruder. The 0.5mm steel nozzles are being used for enhancing the resistance even further and making the printer capable of coping with wear and tear from abrasive materials.
360 Degree Part Cooling: The machine aids the accuracy by providing 360-degree part cooling. This keeps the stability of the print process intact and enables high performance of the 3D Printer. Hence, making the 3D printer capable of accomplishing complex design tasks with ease.
Filament Run Out Sensor: The printer has a dual filament run-out sensor. This helps in pausing the print and saving the progress when the filament runs out. Hence, one can design models without fearing the failure of prints when not close to the printer.
Heated Print Bed: A feature that makes the printer eligible for printing with tricky materials. A heated print bed enhances the adhesion of the materials and lets users print with materials such as ABS and other specialized ones without worrying about warping and related issues.
The LulzBot TAZ Pro is designed for professionals and industries making way for the creation of functional prototypes and other complex designs without much hassle. Hence, it is equipped with major functionalities that make it eligible to accomplish such jobs. With easy operation and once again, leaving close to no room for error, Aleph Objects has given the 3D printing community, a desirable option.
Specifications
The 3D printer is created for eliminating the limitation of space that the predecessors couldn’t offer. The printer boasts 280 x 280 x 285 mm of build space. With layer height between 0.05 mm to 0.4 mm, one can create models with almost invisible layer differences.
The extruder temperature can be reached at 290 degrees Celsius. Hence, opening room for the introduction of a greater number of filament types. The print bed temperature attainable is 120 degrees Celsius.
The printer isn’t very small and covers a space of 830 x 710 x 520 mm and weighs up to 16.78 kgs.
Price
The 3D printer is expensive and costs $4950. However, when compared to the other industrial-grade 3D printer, the cost is affordable. Where most of the industrial-grade 3D printers lie above the range of $10,000, LulzBot TAZ Pro stays to $4950.
Hence, the 3D printer is an affordable option for small scale industries and the professionals who want to utilize the machine for the greater good.
First Impressions
The printer would look similar to the predecessor in terms of looks, however, in a bulkier form. Offering larger build space than the prior versions, the 3D printer has gained overall size as well. The sturdy body made of all metal makes the complete machine look professional and attractive at the same time.
The 3D printer comes packed securely inside a box with foams covered from inside around to provide safe delivery to the users. Taking out those foams and other packing materials, one would find a few more things wrapped inside along with the 3D printer.
The package contains the 3D printer, the necessary tools for maintenance, and comprehensive and detailed documentation. The company also offers test filament. However, it won’t last much and users may have to order some right away.
Setup
The setup is easy. Most of the difficult jobs are being carried by the TAZ Pro itself. For example, the calibration, cleaning, and other pre-requisite of the print procedure. Because the machine is completely assembled, one does not need to spend hours putting the parts together.
The machine would start the automatic nozzle cleaning and bed calibration. Your job is to feed the filament to the machine. Once the calibration completes, the hot ends would start heating. You can then start the print process and add a 3D design for printing.
Printing Type/Cost
LulzBot TAZ Pro is an FDM machine. This means that the printer is based on the most affordable 3D printing process available by far. The printer works by depositing the filament after melting it just above its melting point.
Once the layer is deposited, it is cooled while it sets. Later, the next layer is applied and it goes on until the model is completely prepared. After every layer is completed, the print bed goes one level down.
The printing cost of the machine would depend on the size of the model, the time is taken, the material chosen, and few other factors. To keep the operating cost to the minimum possible limit, one can optimize the design and use the cheapest material that can justify the properties of the model.
Because the company has no boundaries regarding the proprietary materials, users are free to choose from the dealers offering cheaper filament rates. However, the print quality would differ depending on the filament one uses.
Print Quality
As mentioned, the 3D printer is designed for helping professionals and industries to accomplish jobs like creating functional prototypes, print on demand and other applications. Hence, the company has gone the extra miles to ensure the best print quality for the designed models from LulzBot TAZ Pro.
The 3D printer can create finer details. The designs can be optimized for the involvement of minimum support or no support, if possible. Hence, helping users achieve a smoother finish. The minimum layer height of 0.05 mm can get users flawless prints with no visible lines.
One can create complex geometries using this machine. Plus, the large build space makes it easy to play around with the designs a little more than before.
Software
TAZ Pro comes bundled with an upgraded version of Cura. This slicer software is a LulzBot edition version and is very impressive in terms of providing faster results. With more than 30 pre-existing material profiles, one can straight away optimize the design without worrying about the manual setup.
The intuitive interface with mostly drag and drop feature helps beginners get used to the software in no time. The manual settings are also available. The software can work with different file formats including and not limited to STL, OBJ, X3D, G, GCODE, 3MF, PNG, JPG, and others.
One can change the infill settings, customize support, and do a lot of other things when working with this advanced software.
Customer Service
The company is not known to provide a long-term commitment to customer support. However, limit the warranty and free customer service for a one-year time span.
However, the instructions available on the website and the manual that comes along with the printer has almost everything that one needs to know to start printing with this machine.
Moreover, the large online community of LulzBot lovers makes it easy to access the answer to the problems related to 3D printing. Making the overall ecosystem complete and self-sufficient.
Parameters that Influence the Buying Decision
There are many constraints that make a 3D printer favorable or unfavorable for different applications. While a printer can be best for a certain use, it may not be enough for others.
Hence, users must buy 3D printers considering those parameters and assessing the printer based on those factors to come to the final decision.
3D Printer cost: If we talk about home users’ choice, this 3D printer may not fit right. It is expensive for those wanting to use a 3D printer for fun or learning experience. There are many cheaper options available for that market segment. However, for industrial applications, this TAZ Pro is cheap.
3D Print quality: The printer delivers high-quality prints with layer height ranging between 0.05 mm to 0.4 mm. One can print finer details as well as work with edges just fine.
3D Print speed: The print speed is also competitive enough the complete the jobs faster with desirable output. The software coupled with the machine also helps in completing the slicing task faster than before. Making the overall print speed faster.
3D Printer capability: The printer is capable of printing amazing complex models including those with specialized design requirements.
3D Printer Practicality: The LulzBot TAZ Pro can be used for many professional and industrial applications. Such as functional prototypes, large model printing, printing on demand, and many other commercial usages.
3D Printer User expectations: While the printer sits just right for most of the user expectations. A little more at this price range would have done wonders. Such as the WIFI connectivity, push notifications, and few others.
Verdict
If you are wondering which 3D printer to buy having the most competitive price tag and offering results similar to those by industrial 3D printers, look no further.
LulzBot is designed for those wanting to add more value to their creativity while keeping the operation as simple as possible. It is great for beginners as well who do not have much experience operating similar devices.
LulzBot TAZ Pro is a great 3D printer that offers amazing print quality at competitive speed with minimal manual intervention.
