• X5 – UP300 – UP mini 2 ES
• UP mini 2 ES Currently In Production at Tiertime Factory
• UP300 and X5 Scheduled for Release Later This Year
• Tiertime Print Queue
BEIJING – April 11, 2018 – 3D printer manufacturer Tiertime plans to announce three 2018 additions to its 3D printer lineup at RAPID + TCT, to be held at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, April 24 – 26, 2018.
Prevalent among each new machine are four common features – a spare USB port for loading models from a USB memory stick, an Ethernet port for wired LAN connectivity, a more advanced touchscreen display, and compatibility with a new software/hardware combination called Tiertime Print Queue.
The 2018 model touchscreens allow programming to be updated within the printer’s hardware, affording customers the opportunity to take advantage of future upgrades in printer-to-printer communications, management, and interoperability. Tiertime Print Queue provides a user interface for controlling a series of print jobs assigned to a printer by authorized users.
“Our engineers are constantly thinking of new abilities they want to add to our hardware and software. We needed a way to inject fresh GUI elements into a printer’s touchscreen so users could take advantage of future technology upgrades,” said Joseph Guo, International Sales and Marketing Director, Tiertime Corporation. “The 2018 touchscreens aren’t just an improvement over previous models. They are a method of rapidly deploying enhancements to existing 3D printer investments.”
First to be released this year is a version of the UP mini 2 that includes the four new features, dubbed the UP mini 2 ES. “The mini 2’s feature set, ease-of-use, and reliability have made it popular, particularly among educators and professionals operating on a nominal budget. Updating a best-seller to take advantage of contemporary hardware and software was a priority,” said Guo.
The second new printer is the UP300. It is a larger machine with a build volume of 205 × 255 × 225 mm. It comes with three purpose-specific extruders – one for ABS, one for PLA, and one for TPU. Its interchangeable print head design allows for future extruder development as user demand for certain materials increases. The UP300 also comes with an improved air-filtration system. Separate HEPA and activated carbon filters recirculate the build chamber’s air to minimize VOC and UFP emissions. A dual extruder option is planned for later release.
“The UP300 is more industrial than our previous efforts. It is designed for professionals seeking reliable, quality printing with multiple materials,” said Guo. “It features our tightest enclosure to date, maximizing build chamber temperature stability. It also comes with an interchangeable print surface that is glass on one side and traditional perf board on the other, another first for Tiertime.”
The last printer to be demonstrated at RAPID is the X5, the crowning achievement for Tiertime in 2018. It is a continuous 3D printing system, a fully enclosed printer with a print bed vault containing several spare beds. When a print job completes, its print bed is expelled from the side of the machine and is automatically replaced, ready for the next job from the Tiertime Print Queue. Previously used and cleaned print beds can be inserted into a side door of the vault during printing, allowing for near-non-stop production. It can utilize a filament spool up to 2kg, so continuous printing can be achieved via minimal spool and vault maintenance.
“Years ago we recognized the value of inexpensive 3D printing in a low-volume manufacturing environment. The X5 was designed from the ground up with this in mind,” said Guo. “The machine fully realizes the potential of the Tiertime Print Queue and is intended to be a workhorse, grinding out print jobs one after another with as little hassle as possible.”
The X5 combines short-run production with features professionals have come to expect from Tiertime, such as air filtration and ease-of-use. In addition to the advancements included in the entire 2018 line, it also features a third USB port for options such as a USB camera, enabling remote visual monitoring.
Tiertime invites members of the press and all interested parties to visit booth 2230 at RAPID + TCT 2018 to view the products first-hand. Tiertime staff will be available to provide additional information and answer any questions.
About Beijing Tiertime
Headquartered in Beijing with offices abroad, Tiertime is a manufacturing and prototyping solutions provider with a global distribution network serving over 50 countries. Through innovation and consistent technological advancement, Tiertime strives to deliver high quality, affordable, easy-to-use additive manufacturing solutions to a wide variety of fields such as engineering, architecture, medicine and education. More information is available at www.tiertime.com.
