The Incredibly Solid Zaxe 3D Printer

By on January 31st, 2018 in printer

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 The powerful Zaxe X1 desktop 3D printer
The powerful Zaxe X1 desktop 3D printer

Zaxe is a new 3D printer company from Turkey, where they don’t mess around with flimsy designs. 

The Istanbul-based startup is only three years old, but now offers two different desktop 3D printer models, and is now working to expand globally. 

Their two filament-powered machines are the X1 and X1+, a larger version of the X1. Both machines have similar features, although the X1+ sports a much larger build volume at 300 x 300 x 300mm as opposed to a somewhat smaller volume on the standard X1 machine. 

The sealed build chamber on the X1+ provides a means to capture and stabilize heat to increase build quality and reliability, as well as enabling the Zaxe machines to 3D print in ABS, Nylon and Carbon Fiber materials. A PEI print surface ensures good adhesion on that model as well. 

One feature in particular was quite interesting. I noticed the frame of this machine was very different from the usual arrangement of bolted-together components. This machine appears to have an entirely solid frame! It was explained that it is one solid block of aluminum that was CNC milled to its final state. [UPDATE: Officials from Zaxe contacted us afterwards to explain that in fact the frame is made from welded aluminum cut sheets. Nevertheless, it’s still an extremely solid design.] This should provide an extremely stable frame on which to build their motion system. Check out this image: 

 The rather solid nature of the frame on the Zaxe desktop 3D printer
The rather solid nature of the frame on the Zaxe desktop 3D printer

The machines can 3D print layers as small as 0.05mm, and with their interchangeable nozzle system, can print layers as large as 0.8mm (on the X1+) for very rapid – but coarse – prints. 

The X1+ includes auto calibration, so that makes them a bit easier to use than some other equipment. They say it’s very easy to print ABS or PETG material on either machine. 

 Color touchscreen on the Zaxe X1 professional desktop 3D printer
Color touchscreen on the Zaxe X1 professional desktop 3D printer

The X1 and X1+ include a color touch screen for control, but also include a WiFi network through which you can connect the device to Zaxe’s cloud network. 

Their cloud system seems quite sophisticated, as we were told you could not only manage a 3D printer remotely, but could also operate a “fleet” of 3D printers together. This could make this machine a good choice for institutions operating more than one unit. 

The X1 and X1+ also have the ability to store GCODE on the machine itself, even after printing. This means you could theoretically initiate a previously printed item again – repeat prints! They say they’re developing some kind of “library system” that could be implemented later this year. 

 The Zaxe X1 3D printer in action
The Zaxe X1 3D printer in action

I suspect it would enable easy transfer of GCODE from the cloud to the machine, perhaps via an app or the control panel. This could turn an X1 into a kind of “vending machine”, where you select what you’d like and it gets printed. 

So far they’ve sold around 1,000 units in Turkey, but as I mentioned they’re very interested to expand more widely. I suspect they could be quite successful, as this appears to be a very powerful machine. Pricewise, we were told the prices of the two machines are USD$2,250 and USD$4,250, although their website seems to list them at slightly higher pricing. 

Buying the machines is currently only available directly from their website, but they are seeking resellers. If you’re a 3D printer reseller, you might want to contact Zaxe for a discussion before someone else in your region does!  

Via Zaxe

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!