What is the world’s fastest 3D printer? It’s probably the T250.
The T250 is an open source design created by 3D print enthusiast Matthäus Szturc. Szturc previously produced “The 100” back in 2023, which was named for its ability to complete a #3DBenchy print in only three minutes.
Now we see that there is a new design, the T250, which is even better. It’s based on considerable amounts of feedback received from the community on The 100.
The first clue about the T250 is in its name. The “250” refers to the “verified real-world acceleration” of the system, measured at an astronomical 250,000mm/s/s! For reference, a typical desktop 3D printer, the Bambu Lab A1, has a maximum acceleration of a mere 10,000mm/s/s. The T250 is literally 25X faster, and it is able to 3D print the #3DBenchy in less than two minutes.
This video by Szturc explains the rationale and detail of the T250’s design:
The goal was to produce an open source 3D printer design that is specifically for speed modifications.
The specifications on this device are mind-boggling: perimeter walls can be continuously printed at 600mm/s, with infill printed at 1500mm/s.
How is this achieved? The CoreXY motion system design is mounted on an extremely rigid frame, and uses four motors. The motors are driven at 60V, far above the typical 24V used in typical desktop 3D printers. That extra energy allows the motors to crank up much faster, pushing the motion system to the limit.
The other key feature is cooling. Anyone attempting high speed FFF 3D printing will soon discover that cooling is a major limitation: you cannot print the next layer if the previous layer is still soft. That happens frequently when printing very quickly.
To overcome this problem, the T250 includes CPAP-style cooling, where high pressure air is used to very quickly bring down the temperature of extruded material. Ducting forces the air effectively around the extrusion area, and even the motors are actively cooled.
Another unique innovation is the toolhead design. Typically motors in direct drive extruders are simply mounted on the toolhead. However, it is by far the heaviest component, and thus introduces unwanted twists when yanked around at high speeds. The T250 design has the motor as the center of gravity on the toolhead, which eliminates these effects.
In addition to these high speed features, the T250 also includes a number of convenience features:
- RBG lighting
- Klipper firmware
- 192 x 212 x 175 mm build volume
- Automatic leveling calibration
And of course, it’s all provided in open source form. Anyone can obtain the necessary parts and build their own T250, which should cost only a few hundred dollars. After some effort to follow through the assembly instructions, you should have a T250 ready to go.
And then enjoy print speeds 2-4X faster than today’s “fast” 3D printers.
Via GitHub
