Flashforge continues to refine its 3D printer product line with the upcoming Guider 4 series.
The company is one of the oldest making desktop 3D printers, and today they offer several models, including the Guider 3 Ultra. However, there is a Guider 4 on the horizon.
The Guider 4 is quite a bit larger than its siblings, the Adventurer 5M and AD5X, with a build volume of 300 x 300 x 300 mm. It sports a high-temperature hot end that can reach 320°C, making it compatible with a variety of engineering filaments. Flashforge lists PLA, PETG, TPU, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PET-CF, PAHT-CF, PPA-CF, and PETG-CF as compatible, but it’s very likely this machine can also handle ABS, ASA, PPS, and a few other materials.
The Guider 4 is quite speedy when printing, said to reach up to 600mm/s. However, this is almost certainly when printing 0.1mm layers, so count on 300mm/s in practical use. However, it does have a maximum volumetric flow rate of 55 cubic mm/s, which is quite a bit higher than competing systems that are around 30-35 cubic mm/s.
The Guider 4 does have acceleration a bit faster than most other high-speed desktop 3D printers, at 30,000mm/s².
Of particular note is that the Guider 4 will be compatible with Flashforge’s IFS (Intelligent Filament System), which had been previously introduced for the AD5X. It’s a system that allows switching of filaments during print jobs, similar to Bambu Lab’s AMS or Anycubic’s ACE Pro.
While not included in the base Guider 4, it should be a straightforward installation, similar to what is done on the AD5X. Unlike the competing switching units, the spools for the IFS simply hang on the side of the machine, which takes up far less table space.
There will be two models of the Guider 4, the base version and a Pro variant. The Pro version differs in that by default it will come with an enclosure — which can be actively heated up to 65°C. That should make printing of high-warp materials very easy, although special handling of prints is required due to the residual heat when jobs complete.
The base version can be upgraded with an enclosure later, similar to what’s done on the smaller AD5X system.
As of this writing, the Guider 4 and Guider 4 Pro do not appear on Flashforge’s website, so we will have to wait for them to be officially launched with pricing. Unfortunately, the company is sold out of their very popular AD5X.
The Guider 4 series looks to be quite appropriate for professional use, and hopefully the pricing will be competitive with alternatives.
Via Flashforge
