Compound Dynamics introduced a new large-format polymer 3D printer, the RM40.
The Wisconsin-based operation has an interesting history. Founded in 2018, the company produced large-format 3D printers that were marketed by Cincinnati Incorporated’s MAAM 120 and MAAM 111 devices. After Cincinnati Incorporated left the market, Compound Dynamics took over marketing the products directly under the RM30 line.
Now we have the RM40.
The RM40 inherits features from the earlier RM30, but in a much larger build volume. The RM40’s build envelope is a whopping 1524 x 1524 x 1050 mm, certainly one of the largest enclosed 3D printers on the market.
There are several variations of the RM40 available:
- Dual Filament Extruders with a filament storage cabinet
- Single Pellet Extruder with an integrated pellet feed system
- Combination of Dyze Pulsar Pellet and Filament Extruders with a filament storage cabinet and an integrated pellet feed system
- Dual Dyze Pulsar Pellet Extruders with the option of Copy Mode
The enclosure is quite important for this device, as it enables the capture of heat to reduce the thermal gradient during printing. In other words, it helps reduce warping. That’s critical because large prints tend to suffer more from warping, and especially when there is more time to warp, also something that happens with large print jobs.
The RM40’s build chamber can be heated to 60°C, which is pretty significant for such a large build chamber. Even better, there’s an option to increase the maximum temperature to 85°C. That should allow printing of a wide range of engineering materials at large scales.
Materials, filament, and pellets can be stored on board the RM40. The pellet handling system is able to not only store pellets but also dry them.
A new feature on the RM40 is a four-motor Z-axis system. While smaller devices might have a single motor for the Z-axis, the enormous size of the RM40 demands more power to lift the toolhead.
The motion system is quite sophisticated, as Compound Dynamics explains:
“The RM40 Series retains the same high-end features that made the RM30 Series stand out, including a semi-monocoque welded steel frame, profiled linear rails, and Yaskawa motion control, delivering CNC-like precision that is rare in FFF 3D printing.”
Compound Dynamics writes that the RM40’s price depends on the configuration, starting at US$240K and ranging up to US$310K.
There are other FFF / FGF 3D printers that have a similar build volume, but few are enclosed. This is a very important point because warping is much more prevalent on large-format machines, so the RM40 has an advantage.
If you’re considering a large-format FGF / FFF device, you may want to check out Compound Dynamics’ options.
