Hong Kong startup Infinity3D offers a conveyor 3D printer of the same name that features an unusual design: this system can be quickly converted to a more or less conventional configuration by changing the tilt of the frame.
The advantage of conveyor 3D printers over regular ones is that they allow either an automated 3D printing in batches, lining up one product after another and dropping them into a container, or print parts of theoretically unlimited length – in this case, it all depends on the length of the supporting roller conveyor and whether there are holes in the walls of the working room. (It should be noted that if you want to complete your cosplay projects in one go, you might also consider a larger format 3D printer such as the Modix Big 120Z (https://top3dshop.com/product/modix-big-120z-3d-printer) with a build volume of up to 600 x 600 x 1200 mm).
The typical features of such systems are the presence of a conveyor belt, which serves as Z-axis (confusing, but so easier to adapt the slice), and inclined frame, through which the head is printed at a certain angle to the horizontal, usually around 45 degrees.
The Inifinity3D team for some reason designed a conveyorized 3D printer that could be “straightened”: set the frame vertically and get a variant of a device with the “XZ-head, Y-bed” kinematics,” but with a conveyor belt instead of a moving platform. As a result it loses the ability to print products of unlimited length, but increases the height of build volume: 250 x 215 x ∞ to 250 x 220 x 323 mm: the height is increased from 215 to 323 mm (remember that in the conveyor 3D printers Y and Z axis replace one another).
The 3D printer uses MGN12 linear guides on the X and Y axes, BMG extruder, 32-bit electronics, and stepper motors with quiet TMC2209 drivers. The hot-end heats to a maximum of 280°C, the platform under the belt to 110°C, and the positioning speed reaches 150 mm/s.
The software includes Marlin firmware and a proprietary modification of Cura slicer. The system has a 3.5″ color touch screen display and supports USB sticks and SD cards. Material supply is monitored by a filament sensor, and there is an automatic save and resume function in case of power failure.
Pre-orders were at around $550 excluding shipping costs. Deliveries are scheduled to begin next February. An optional roller conveyor can be added for $99. More information is available on the Kickstarter crowdfunding page.
