fulcrum wrote:geneb wrote:
The barrier to getting an affordable printer with a heated chamber is patents. Until the patents that Stratasys (and probably 3D Systems) expire, there's no legal way for companies like SeeMeCNC to offer a heated chamber - Stratasys certainly isn't going to license the patents to a competitor. Even if they did, those license fees would likely put the printer into the $50k+ range.
If this were the case, how is the Ultimaker (or other enclosed printers) not selling for $50K or infringing on patents? I am sure that the enclosure plus the heatbed inside it constitute a heated chamber. Or does it require an active heating system?
To go back to my original question, can anyone confirm that the v3.2 bed can reliably go to 100C and maintain that temp? It's being advertised that way so I just want to know what the real capabilities are. If I had to build an enclosure, it should be simple enough.
Ultimakers are not fully enclosed (Top is open, letting the heat out), and the bed is heated, there is no attempt to actually control the temperature of the chamber. It could also be said that since the motion system is entirely within the enclosure (because it's the outer structural shell, not a thermal barrier other than incidentally), that it doesn't infringe on the patent, if one is specific about it, as the patent only covers external motion systems. However, compared to Stratsys, almost all manufacturers are tiny enough to crush with a groundless lawsuit.
You could argue that for example, a modified Artemis, or my hacked together V2.2, might infringe, as portions of the motion system are actually outside what the build chamber would be. Thus most Domestic/First world (IE, Prusa, Ultimaker, Seeme,E3D) companies won't sell enclosed printers, because patent courts in the US have allowed generalizing from a specific patent (which is bad for all of us). Chinese manufacturers don't care so much, because US patents don't apply to them, and they lie on customs declarations anyways.
As for temperatures the bed is capable of, I've not used a V3 specific bed, however, the V2 could hit 120 C (slowly) on 12V (with a upgraded ATX supply. 1 rail supply in the V3 is slightly adjustable to increase voltage, and more stable), and the Rev 10 bed on the 3.2's is the same total area and power (based on the voltage and resistance, Rev8 was slightly lower power, but seems to be only straight V3's). I won't guarantee your specific one will hit 120, but it will hit 100C, unless you keep it in an unheated room/building (like I do), and that with fan curves appropriate to ABS, that you can maintain it.