3D Printing

3Doodler brings 3D pen printing to professionals

3Doodler brings 3D pen printing to professionals
With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals
With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals
View 16 Images
With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals
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With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals 
The pen itself features adjustable dials for tweaking temperature (100 – 250 °C) and speed (10-100 percent)
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The pen itself features adjustable dials for tweaking temperature (100 – 250 °C) and speed (10-100 percent)
There's an adjustable fan built into the pen, providing control over how quickly the filaments cool
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There's an adjustable fan built into the pen, providing control over how quickly the filaments cool
Unlike previous pens, the new device can make use of plastics that contain a high percentage of other materials, such as wood, copper, bronze, nylon, and polycarbonate
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Unlike previous pens, the new device can make use of plastics that contain a high percentage of other materials, such as wood, copper, bronze, nylon, and polycarbonate
Settings are displayed on an LCD display on the top side of the pen
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Settings are displayed on an LCD display on the top side of the pen
The 3Doodler Pro is aimed at professional users, such as architects and designers
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The 3Doodler Pro is aimed at professional users, such as architects and designers 
An example of the sort of designs that can be produced using the 3Doodler Pro
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An example of the sort of designs that can be produced using the 3Doodler Pro
3Doodler's Max Bogue gave us a demo of the new Pro model at IFA 2016
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3Doodler's Max Bogue gave us a demo of the new Pro model at IFA 2016
The drive system inside the carbon fiber housing has been redesigned to accommodate a range of new materials
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The drive system inside the carbon fiber housing has been redesigned to accommodate a range of new materials
The 3Doodler Pro has stylish carbon fiber housing
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The 3Doodler Pro has stylish carbon fiber housing
3Doodler reckons that architects will find the Pro useful for prototyping designs
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3Doodler reckons that architects will find the Pro useful for prototyping designs
The Pro can make use of plastics that contain a high percentage of other materials, such as wood, copper, bronze, nylon, and even polycarbonate
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The Pro can make use of plastics that contain a high percentage of other materials, such as wood, copper, bronze, nylon, and even polycarbonate
The 3Doodler Pro will come supplied with a battery power pack for creating structures away from the wall socket
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The 3Doodler Pro will come supplied with a battery power pack for creating structures away from the wall socket
With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals
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With options for hobbyists and kids already available, the 3Doodler Pro takes aim at professionals
Turning the crank at the end of this creation moves the 3D-doodled pistons up and down
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Turning the crank at the end of this creation moves the 3D-doodled pistons up and down
Design professionals can look forward to 3Doodling intricate creations like the necklace and model house shown here
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Design professionals can look forward to 3Doodling intricate creations like the necklace and model house shown here
View gallery - 16 images

3Doodler's 3D printing pens are a lot of fun, and with models already available for hobbyists and kids, they've already proved pretty popular, with more 750,000 units shipping since the first device launched in 2013. Now, the company is taking things into a more serious sphere, releasing the 3Doodler Pro, a brand new pen that aims to provide a more refined experience to professional users such as architects, engineers and fashion designers.

The most compelling aspect of the Pro is the materials it uses. Unlike previous pens, the new device can make use of plastics that contain a high percentage of other materials, such as wood, copper, bronze, nylon, and even polycarbonate.

According to the company, a finished design using one of these materials will have the same look and feel as, say, a full wood design. There's even a burnt wood aroma given off as a strand passes through the tip (as we experienced ourselves at IFA), and the 3Doodle that's created can be polished, too. The metallic filaments are said to have a similar weight to "real" copper or bronze.

The pen itself features adjustable dials for tweaking temperature (100 – 250 °C) and speed (10-100 percent)
The pen itself features adjustable dials for tweaking temperature (100 – 250 °C) and speed (10-100 percent)

The pen itself features adjustable dials for tweaking temperature (100 – 250º C, or 212 - 482º F) and the flow speed of the strand through the pen (10-100 percent), and there's an adjustable fan built-in, providing control over how quickly the filaments cool. Settings are displayed on an LCD display on the top side of the pen.

The shell of the pen is made from carbon fiber, and the drive system inside has been redesigned to accommodate the new materials, which the Pro alone can use.

The professional-grade pen ships with a protective case, and includes a portable battery pack, nozzle set, and 100 strands of specialty plastic.

The 3Doodler Pro starts shipping today for US$249.

Update Aug 31: 3Doodler's Max Brogue gave us a short demo of the Pro pen, and introduced the new materials. The carbon fiber housing lends the new professional 3Doodler a premium finish, with a rubber grip ahead of the tip helping to keep fingers away from that hot tip during use.

The Pro can make use of the company's range of PLA, ABS and Flexy plastic strands, but the new materials offer professional designers more choice and, in some cases, increased strength for their creations, particularly with the addition of polycarbonate – which can be used with the Pro thanks to the increase in heat capabilities, and dries solid within a second or two.

It did take a few minutes for the necessary temperature to be reached, but the LCD display showed the progress from the starting temp to the desired temp. There was still some residue inside the mechanism from the previous print, which needed to be pumped through and removed before starting the polycarbonate demonstration and material flow rate also needed to be adjusted.

Design professionals can look forward to 3Doodling intricate creations like the necklace and model house shown here
Design professionals can look forward to 3Doodling intricate creations like the necklace and model house shown here

As mentioned above, the wood filament gave off a wonderful smoky aroma when heated, and the simple 3Doodle created had a real wood look to it. Brogue told us that nylon design will have a fabric-like feel when 3Doodled and can be colored using fabric dyes.

In use, it was a similar story to the other 3D printing pens. It will take some hours of practice before you're not getting messy mangled blobs, but designs like the intricate necklace or model house you see above.

The Pro looks to be a solid addition to the range and, as the price suggests, is definitely not aimed at the home doodler.

Source: 3Doodler

View gallery - 16 images
2 comments
2 comments
MQ
Proprietary filament is merely a sales tactic. Gouge the purchaser then gouge them at every refill. Infomercial. A "pro" 3d-Doodling pen needs to use the same filament used by the designers 3d printers.
A 3doodler is a nice arty tool, for the professional additional uses are editing and altering 3d models printed conventionally.
NB. wood and metal fill filaments are often very weak..
AlexMcIl
Hey MD, You comment has peak my interest regarding the filaments? When you say the Pro needs to use the same filament used by the designers 3D printers....I am not sure what you mean? <a href="http://apm-designs.com/3doodler-pro-review"></a>