UltiMaker announced a brand-new 3D printer, the S6.
The device is different from the older S5 model, but is said to be fully compatible with all the S5 accessories. From a quick glance, they would seem to be similar from the outside. UltiMaker writes:
“Material stations, air managers, print cores, and materials are interchangeable across the entire S series.”
How is the S6 different from the S5? It’s all about the print speed. UltiMaker has put their UltiMaker Cheetah motion planner into the S5, which results in print speeds of up to 500mm/s, including 50,000mm/s/s acceleration. They say it can print models up to 4X faster than the S5.
Like the S5, the S6 is a dual extrusion device. This means it can automatically handle two-material jobs without the need for material purging, as is the case on competing single-nozzle systems. The dual material capability is most used with soluble support material, which allows for easy printing of highly complex 3D models.
The S6 is offered with two different build plates: a removable flexible plate of the type we’ve seen become a de facto standard among desktop FFF devices; or a glass plate. The glass plate might seem to be a remnant of days gone by in the desktop 3D printing world, but in fact, it is still used for specific applications requiring ultra-clean and ultra-flat surfaces.
Why is UltiMaker releasing the S6, when they already have the S5? I think there are a couple of reasons.
First, it’s the print speed. The company is facing stiff competition from other companies that offer high-speed desktop 3D printers at relatively low price points. UltiMaker didn’t have a high-speed option for that segment, but now does with the S6.
The other reason has to do with the broad ecosystem that UltiMaker has developed for its products. Their system is an integrated set of software, online services, materials, and hardware that works seamlessly together. By introducing the S6, they now have a lower-cost option that brings all of that to a new market segment. That’s something that most competitors cannot offer.
UltiMaker is so convinced that the S6 is a well-built device that they are offering, for the very first time, a 24-month extended warranty on the machine. Most desktop 3D printers might have a 90-day warranty, if that, with very few offering a single-year warranty. Here, UltiMaker’s extended warranty is a differentiating factor.
While UltiMaker bills the S6 as a desktop 3D printer, it isn’t targeted at hobbyists. Instead, it’s designed specifically for professionals producing prototypes or even end-use parts using engineering materials — of which UltiMaker has support for over 300 different types.
Via UltiMaker
