Elegoo suddenly announced a new series of desktop FFF 3D printers, the Centauri 2.
This follows on from the original Centauri series, which was very well received. That machine was extraordinarily popular because it was not only well-featured, but also because it carried a price point far below comparable machines of the day. In fact, we believe that machine reset price expectations for the desktop FFF industry.
Now they’re following up on that machine with a new version, the Centauri 2.
The new iteration is extremely similar to the original, as you will see. It comes in two variants, a regular, single-colour version, and a four-colour combo.
How similar is the machine to the original? It actually seems to be the same, with the following changes:
- There are no panels to form an enclosure; the Centauri 2 is an open frame system.
- There is no onboard camera system, and no lighting system, which you typically don’t need for an open frame system.
- There is no cooling system, which makes sense for a machine without an enclosure.
- There are fewer sensors, but 22 sensors still remain; the missing sensors probably have to do with the enclosure.
In other words, the Centauri 2 is a lesser version of the original Centauri Carbon system — an original without the enclosure, essentially.
One other thing to note: the original Centauri was the Centauri Carbon — a machine designed to 3D print abrasive and engineering materials. The Centauri 2 is not compatible with many engineering materials. Elegoo does not recommend printing ABS, ASA, PET, PA, PC, or PETG-CF. Strangely, they do recommend PLA-CF on the Centauri 2.
Supported materials include PLA, PETG, PLA-CF, and TPU.
A note about TPU, which is notoriously challenging to 3D print on many machines. Elegoo says TPU is “natively supported” on the Centauri 2. But what about using TPU in the CANVAS filament switcher? That would be something that no other machine can do.
You can’t do it here either. If you want to print with TPU on a combo unit — which by default forces all filaments through the CANVAS unit — you must bypass the unit with a special adapter you can print yourself. It doesn’t sound like you can mix TPU with other filaments in a print job, similar to other single-nozzle machines.
Normally, new machines have added features to attract buyers, so why would Elegoo launch a machine with fewer features?
There is one answer: pricing. Elegoo told us that the standard and combo versions of the Centauri 2 would be priced at US$299 and US$349, respectively.
How does this place the Centauri 2 in their product lineup? We now have the Centauri Carbon 2 as their flagship machine, capable of printing many engineering materials (via an enclosure and hardened nozzle); the Centauri 2 is a lower-cost option for those who don’t require engineering material compatibility and have a smaller budget.
Two types of machines for two types of customers.
The base Centauri 2 would be suitable for anyone that just wishes to print parts in one colour, while the combo unit is more for those printing decorative objects in multiple colours.
Either way, the pricing is very good for machines that have a pretty good reputation.
Via Elegoo
