BCN Omega I60 - FDM 3D printer

In order to respond to the customers' needs for faster printing speed, a bigger production volume, and an open material system, BCN3D has developed the industrial 3D printer Omega I60 that offers all that and more. Omega I60 amazes with its printing speed of up to 300 mm/s, an actively heated build chamber of up to 70 ºC, and multiple upgraded hardware and software features that make it a high performing 3D printer.

Video 1: The BCN Omega I60 industrial 3D printer. Source: BCN3D.

Omega I60 was designed and developed from ground up for advanced applications on the production floor. It has been given a brand new architecture, a new extrusion system, and new kinematics, all modernized and optimized to provide features so crucial for efficient industrial additive manufacturing: ultraprecision, reliability, repeatability, part strength and productivity.

New architecture

The massive build volume of 450 x 300 x 450 mm (60 l) is one of the largest not only in the BCN3D portfolio but also in comparison with competition. The large construction volume combined with the actively heated chamber gives BCN3D Omega I60 a significant advantage when it comes to manufacturing large parts with demanding engineering polymers. Omega I60 maintains an ideal temperature within the chamber throughout the printing process, thus ensuring the uniform construction of the part and minimizing the risk of internal stresses forming and the parts deforming or cracking.

Image 1: The actively heated build chamber of the Omega I60 3D printer. Source: BCN3D. 

Once the printing is finished, the part undergoes a controlled cooling procedure, which guarantees optimal precision, mechanical strength and durability of the printed component. The heated chamber of the BCN3D Omega I60 has the capability to achieve temperatures of up to 70 ºC, making it a suitable choice for printing various materials like ASA, PA, ABS, and reinforced PA, among others.

Image 2: The Material Operating System is especially benefical for engineering materials. Source: BCN3D.

Another major enhancement is the integrated Material Operating System (MOS). The remarkable success of the BCN Smart Cabinet inspired the manufacturer to employ a similar system in the Omega I60 printer. The MOS provides control over humidity (RH below 10 %) and temperature (up to 75ºC), offering two significant benefits: the capability to recover compromised material and preheating filament prior to printing, crucial for engineering materials with higher heat deflection temperatures. Additionally, the MOS enables automatic filament loading and unloading.

New extrusion system

The enhanced extrusion system enables the renowned BCN3D IDEX technology to operate at a heightened speed and enhanced precision. This is made possible by the implementation of a lighter static X motor, enabling both printheads to function concurrently. Consequently, productivity is doubled through mirror mode or duplication mode, while also enabling the printing of intricate designs with support filament.

Image 3: The BCN Omega I60 print heads. Source: BCN3D.

The modernized extrusion system features customized cutting-edge components, namely a 1.75 mm direct drive Bondtech LGX Pro extruder and E3D Revo hotends. These two components ensure not only higher and smoother filament flow and better material grip, but also even more precision and quick nozzle changes. Being able to change the nozzle without tools or waiting for the printhead to cool down significantly reduces downtime and boosts productivity.

New kinetics

With the optimized kinetics comes the improved XYZ calibration with the help of piezoelectric sensors, thus eliminating the need for human intervention. A dedicated calibration zone situated outside the printing surface is utilized for toolhead alignment. Through measuring multiple points, the height (Z) of the printing surface and the (XY) offset between nozzles are precisely calibrated. For IDEX extrusion precise XYZ alignment is of utmost importance to avoid poor first layer adhesion or crossovers or layer shifting in duplication mode.

Image 4: The modernized kinetics ensure precise calibration and leveling. Source: BCN3D.

The Omega I60 printer features advanced electronic components and custom Marlin 2.1 firmware. The high-end electronics include a 32 bit ATSAME51 microcontroller designed for high-performance applications that require low power consumption, advanced connectivity, and a rich set of peripherals. All this allows Omega I60 to reach printing speeds of up to 300 mm/s, with an acceleration of 10 m/s² and input shaping calibration thanks to built-in accelerometers.

Another priceless upgrade is the HAQ-XY platform designed with IDEX in mind. HAQ-XY guarantees absolute precision and repeatability in every print by offering a lightweight, robust and precise approach with optimized pulley placement. Consequently, Omega I60 provides a noteworthy decrease in torsional moments along the X axis throughout the printing procedure. These undesired torsional forces can adversely affect the system's performance and potentially result in unwanted distortions along the X axis, directly affecting the overall quality of the printed parts.

Safety and ease of use

Apart from the enhanced body, extrusion and kinetics, Omega I60 has a truly comprehensive safety system in place. A built-in camera allows the users to monitor prints through the Cloud or Stratos laminating software. The printer is managed via a 7" capacitive touchscreen with intuitive features and quick responsivity, and the connectivity options are Ethernet and WiFi. The flexible build plate facilitates part removal, the filament runout sensor (FRS) notifies of any filament event, and the uninterruptive power supply feature (UPS) makes sure that the 3D printing can be resumed once the power is back on.

Image 5: The BCN Omega I60 features a 7-inch capacitive screen. Source: BCN3D.

Furthermore, Omega I60 has inbuilt barcode sensors for spool and components recognition (helpful when working with BCN materials), a HEPA and carbon filter (also featured in the Epsilon serie) for a safer working environment, a safety pause and emergency stop buttons on the door (ideal for factory floor), easy to access electronics for more efficient maintenance, as well as ANDON lights for improved diagnostics.

Applications

Every single detail and functionality of the Omega I60 industrial 3D printer has been thoroughly thought through and meticulously designed to ensure efficient and reliable performance with advanced materials. Omega I60 is the perfect equipment for the additive manufacturing of tooling, jigs, fixtures, masking, prototypes, end use parts or replacement parts. Omega I60 will perform excellently in short run production even with very big parts, and at speeds that will double ot triple productivity. Thanks to the numerous solutions for user safety and malfunction notification, the user can fully rely on Omega I60 to deliver highest quality in a satisfying timeframe.

To answer the needs of the sector, Omega I60 was designed to deliver excellent quality with materials most commonly used for prototyping, engineering applications as well as advanced projects: PLA, ABS, PETG, PP, ASA, nylon, PC and carbon fiber reinforced filaments. Omega I60 offers three options for material sourcing: BCN3D filaments, custom-developed materials, or Open Filament Network. With the Open Filament Network, BCN3D collaborates with material manufacturers such as BASF, Essentium or Fillamentum to create specialized printing profiles to enable the use materials with flame retardant or ESD-safe properties, or food safe filaments.

In other words, Omega I60 will let you 3D print big and strong parts in technical materials even faster in-house, helping you reduce costs, increase throughput and explore new manufacturing potential.