BCN Epsilon W50 - FDM 3D printer

BCN3D Epsilon is the range of professional FDM 3D printers or Workstations, developed to manufacture larger volume parts with professional materials for long periods of time.

Within the BCN3D Epsilon, we can find Epsilon W27 and Epsilon W50. Both devices differ only in the printing volume, which corresponds to 420x300x220 mm for Epsilon W27 (27 L volume) and 420x300x400 mm for Epsilon W50 (50 L volume).

Epsilon W50

The designation of professional 3D printer or Workstations, is due to its closed design that keeps the temperature inside the printing chamber stable, its high printing temperatures, its high printing volume and its double independent extruder system (IDEX).

Video 1: The new generation of BCN3D Epsilon 3D printers. Source: BCN3D.

The Epsilon W50 has a maximum printing temperature of 300°C and a maximum bed temperature of 120°C. In addition, it has a completely closed structure that constitutes the passive heated chamber, and allows a chamber temperature of up to 60 ºC (depending on the printing and bed temperature) to be maintained during the printing process.

The first thing that catches the eye of the BCN Epsilon W50 3D printer is its two independent extruders, which can print two different materials at the same time or make two-colour parts. When printing parts on two materials, the extruder that is not active is moved away from the part, preventing drips and unwanted marks that could affect the surface finish of the part.

Image 1: Independent extruders. Source: BCN3D

The BCN3D Epsilon W50 printer allows the following materials to be printed with excellent results PLA, PVA, PETG and TPU. Thanks to its double extruder, it allows different combinations of materials to be made.

In addition, the BCN3D Epsilon W50 allows you to print technical materials such as ABS, PP, PA, or advanced materials and fibres such as Nylon CF15 or Nylon AF80. This is due to the high printing and bed temperature, as well as the passive heated chamber, which allows the interior of the printer to be kept at the right temperature to avoid undesired effects such as the dreaded Warping.

As can be seen in the following image, rigid materials (PLA) can be combined with flexible materials (TPU) easily, obtaining an amazing finish.

Image 2: Rigid material combined with a flexible one. Source: BCN3D

Within the combination of materials, another interesting set is formed by rigid material (PLA) and another water-soluble support (PVA), a combination that allows for the creation of models with complex shapes and the effortless removal of the supports.

Another advantage of the Epsilon W50 is that it offers different printing methods, among which those that make the same piece on each extruder stand out:

Duplication mode, which prints the model simultaneously on both heads, thus doubling manufacturing productivity. This mode is very useful for making large quantities of the same piece.

Mirror Mode, which prints the model and its symmetrical part at the same time (needing only the original design), thus increasing the working speed and saving valuable design time.

Image 3: Different printing modes of Sigma D25. Source: BCN3D.

In addition to duplicating and mirroring modes, the Epsilon W50 has the following print modes: Single mode, multi-media mode and soluble media mode.

The extrusion system used by Epsilon W50 is from the famous manufacturer Bondtech. Bondtech extruders are composed of two opposing hardened steel gears mounted on a CNC machined aluminium body. This combination provides a high traction of the filament, which flows to the nozzle without interruption and continuously, even at high printing speeds.

Image 4: BondTech Sigma BNC3D. Source: BNC3D

E3D-Online, creator of the famous nozzles and HotEnds v6, has been responsible for evolving the entire large range of HotEnd (brass nozzle: 0.40 mm, 0.60 mm, 0.80 mm and 1.00 mm) offered by BNC3D, which allows printing from small parts to large models  and abrasive materials thanks to a HotEnd with the Nozzle X of 0.60 mm diameter, ideal size to print all kinds of materials containing fibers (wood, ceramic, carbon, graphene) and materials for industrial use such as Nylon or PC. The Nozzle X is optimized thanks to its manufacturing materials, a tool steel that has been added a nickel plated to all the nozzle walls and a nano-coating inside, which increases the surface hardness and reduces the problems of jamming caused by materials containing carbon fibers or glass.

Image 5: HotEnd with Nozzle X. Source: BCN3D

Thanks to this whole range of HotEnd and the IDEX system (Double Independent Extruder) the user can use two different materials with different nozzle diameters, optimizing the time of 3D printing.

As for the printing base, it has been redesigned from Epsilon's predecessor models. The heat distribution has been improved thanks to an aluminium construction plate and a silicone heating pad, which distribute the heat evenly over the printing surface. The calibration process has also been refined through an optimised firmware calculation system that allows for a more precise levelling adjustment.

Epsilon W50 is also equipped with an XYZ autocalibration feature that can reduce set-up time up to 85 % at the push of a button, eliminates the need for user intervention, reduces room for error and ensures optimal first layer adhesion at all times. This calibration process is done by measuring multiple points to automatically adjust the printing surface height and (XY) offset between both nozzles.

The BCN3D Epsilon W50 incorporates a mechanical switch to detect the presence of filaments, thus avoiding one of the most common and frustrating causes of error. Should the user run out of filament during a print job, the printer will automatically stop and warn the user to load a new filament to resume printing, saving time and costs.

Image 6: Filament end sensor. Source: BCN3D

One innovation that the Epsilon W50 presents compared to previous BCN3D 3D printers is the Safety Pause. This new function stops the printing process every time the user opens the printer door, allowing the printing status to be checked in complete safety.

Continuing with the user's safety, Epsilon has a HEPA filter and an active carbon filter to keep the environment where the printer is located safe. The HEPA filter filters out harmful particles and the active carbon filter takes care of the harmful gases that can be produced when printing, especially when using industrial materials.

Image 7: HEPA filter and active carbon. Source: BCN3D

The BCN3D has equipped this printer with a connectivity system so that users can easily send print files over a WiFi network using its new online platform, the BCN3D Cloud. This system also allows the firmware to be updated via OTA (Over The Air), which not only puts manual updates behind it, but also keeps the printer always with the latest firmware automatically.

Furthermore, now Epsilon W50 can access the local network via the local IP address, which allows for sending files and managing the printing process remotely. This is especially useful for any Epsilon W50 users in the corporate world.

Image 8: Remote start of printing. Source: BCN3D.

The BCN3D has a lamination software for Epsilon, called BCN3D-Stratos, which is based on the well-known Cura3D software with the specific configuration for its 3D FDM printers, giving the user a great facility to take advantage of the full potential of the Epsilon.

Image 9: BCN3D-Stratos. Source: BCN3D

The key parts of this professional 3D printer are in its aluminum housing that guarantees precision and rigidity, its enclosure, its print base capable of reaching 120 ºC, its multilingual touch screen of 5 " with advanced features, its extrusion system powered by Bondtech and complemented by a filament sensor; and its range of HotEnds developed and manufactured by E3D-Online. All this together with the large volume of printing (420 x 300 x 400 mm), make the BCN3D Epsilon a 3D FDM printer capable of making parts quickly and accurately with conventional materials (PLA, ABS or PTEG), technical materials (Nylon PolyMide CoPA, Nylon-Fibra Carbon CF15, PA6 GF30 Ultrafuse, PP GF30 Ultrafuse, XSTRAND GF30-PC, etc.) or even some advanced material (PETG with Carbon Fiber, PETG with Aramida Fiber, ABS ESD, etc).

The upgraded ventilation system of the Epsilon W50 printer reduces the risk of turbulence in the interior of the printer that could result in occasional inefficiencies. Instead of introducing cool air inside fans with extraction towards another grid, the new ventilation system extracts the hot air flow from the interior and lowers internal pressure to let the interior absorb air from the outside.

Furthermore, the Trinamic TMC2130 motor has been replaced with the TMC2226, which translates into more quiet operation, greater efficiency, less heating and better engine torque. Another update included in the Epsilon W50 printer is the new main board made with custom-made components specially designed for BCN3D, concentrated into one single board, resulting in more efficiency.

Smart Cabinet

With this new version of Epsilon printers, BCN3D also offers the option of accompanying the printer with a Smart Cabinet, a solution that has been specially developed to improve the user experience during the 3D design and printing process. This option would be the Epsilon W50 SC.

Smart Cabinet (SC) completes the Epsilon ecosystem, offering a perfect interaction with the Epsilon W50 printer. This cabinet increases the printer's performance, keeping the materials in optimal conditions and significantly improving the quality of each print.

Smart Cabinet works by controlling humidity, keeping the filaments in optimal conditions. The dehumidifying area admits up to 8 small reels (between 750 g - 1 kg) or 4 large reels (up to 2.5 kg).

Image 10: Operation of the Smart Cabinet filament dryer. Source: BCN3D

To improve the printing and post-processing experience, Smart Cabinet has a toolbox that includes all the tools needed, as well as additional storage space to keep the workspace tidy and with all the tools within reach.

Image 11: Smart Cabinet details. Source: BCN3D

Smart Cabinet also has an uninterrupted power supply system that protects the printing process at all times, avoiding the risk of failure due to power cuts.