Felix BIOprinter 3D printer

FELIXprinters is a Dutch designer and manufacturer of professional 3D printers for innovative applications in education, R&D, production and product development. One of their special edition products is the flexible and adaptable BIOprinter designed specially for the extrusion of a wide range of material types (e.g. bio-inks) and viscosities (up to 64 000 Centipoise) for bioprinting research purposes.

The BIOprinter was developed in association with a team of Early Stage Researchers from training4crm and the European Commission, in collaboration with Technical University of Denmark, and funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network and Grant Agreement No. 722779.

Video 1: Presenting the revolutionary BIOprinter. Source: FELIXprinters.

The unique design of the BIOprinter makes it possible to print with two different material types simultaneously within the same part thanks to the easily changeable 2 printheads (dual head dispensing). Each printhead can use any standard 5 ml Luer lock syringe instead of costly branded products, which significantly lowers operating costs. Correct material flow and dosage, as well as no material leakage are ensured by the precise retraction mechanism with a high quality linear stepper motor. The extruder that is not in use lifts to prevent the needle from colliding against the printed object which prevents print failure and cross-contamination. BIOprinter can also be easily accomodated to work with standardised Petri dishes, well plates and culture plates, ensuring no limitations on type of instruments and materials to be used.

Image 1: The dual dispensing printheads are easy to swap and compatible with any standard 5 ml Luer lock syringe. Source. FELIXprinters.

In addition to being open-system (compatible with any type of labware and equipment such as syringes and Petri dishes), the BIOprinter is also open-material. Some of the bio-inks and gelatins compatible with the BIOprinter by FELIXprinters are the BIO INX materials ideal for applications in regenerative medicine or drug and cosmetic screening, or the advanced Claro gelatins for tissue engineering.

Video 2: A matrix structure 3D printed with the BIOprinter and a Claro bio-gel. Source: FELIXprinters. 

The BIOprinter's syringe and print bed can reach temperatures of 4-75 ºC (efficient and fast cooling/heating) and the optional high power UV curing module (365 nm) fulfills the double role of sterilizing the print area (the printer itself is fully sterilizable) as well as curing photosensitive material to a desired consistency. For additional protection, an optional UV blocking PC/PETG cover unit can be purchased. The print bed and nozzles are automatically levelled and calibrated with high accuracy to ensure a perfect first layer at all times, and the printer notifies when the material in the nozzle has run out. The build plate of the BIOprinter is an aluminum sandwich plate with a steel flexplate but it is also possible to purchase an optional homogenous temperature-controlled bed unit (3-45 ºC).

Image 2: The printheads, build plate and UV module of the BIOprinter. Source. FELIXprinters.

The BIOprinter offers a build volume of  130 x 210 x 130 mm, a building speed is 20 mm/s (depends material viscosity), a resolution of 1.6 microns (XY) and 0.15 microns (Z), a layer resolution is up to 50 microns, and a typical print accuracy is ± 0.05 mm for parts below 20 mm in size. With the BIOprinter it is possible to achieve great detail even in very delicate and small parts.

Image 3: The simple but powerful user interface of the BIOprinter. Source. FELIXprinters.

BIOprinter is fully compatible with industry standard and market-leading laminating software - Simplify3D (software included upon purchase with preconfigured settings) and STL, OBJ and 3MF files. The BIOprinter is controlled via a handy but powerful touchscreen with a friendly user interface and an embedded print server. Thanks to this feature files can be monitored, synchronized and shared between various users remotely via wireless connectivity, making the BIOprinter ideal for applications on 3D printer farms. Advanced control and the creation of timelapse videos is also possible thanks to the 2 MP camera module accessible via a smartphone or a PC. During the print, the printer's screen displays the duration of the print, an estimated time of completion, calibration information as well as quick tutorials.

To make the BIOprinter even more versatile, FELIXprinters made sure to make the whole ecosystem as upgradable, flexible and adaptable as possible. This, combined with the industrial grade materials used in its construction, makes the BIOprinter a highly sustainable piece of equipment that can last a lifetime and meet the needs of a wide range of research applications without generating unnecessary costs. With the BIOprinter, it is possible to print delicate objects with great accuracy and conduct truly groundbreaking research with no limits or excessive investment.