Last year we took a look at the Piocreat G5, which was, in our opinion, the first proper attempt at bringing pellet printing to people’s desktops.
Shenzhen-based company Piocreat3D have now unveiled their latest iteration of the series, dubbed the Piocreat G5 Ultra.
Let’s take a look at how the company has seriously improved pellet printing capabilities with their new desktop pellet machine.
G5 Ultra
Often recognized for its cost-efficiency, granule printing, also known as Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF), has been typically used in industrial printing. Its high-cost granule extruder systems, however, have limited its use among hobbyists and prosumers. The original G5 ensured a demystified and accessible approach to pellet printing, while the newly released G5 Ultra amplifies this experience.’
For better, quicker printing, and tighter integration with Klipper, the G5 Ultra printer is released. Despite maintaining a similar build volume to the first version (500×500x400mm), it has improved speed, especially in print speed and material deposition rate.
While the original G5 offered a printing speed of 100 mm/s, the new G5 Ultra considerably improves upon this by melting plastic at a notable rate of 260mm/s. Furthermore, when it comes to the flow rate of the materials, the G5 Ultra can deposit an impressive 1kg per hour.
Feeding and Extruding
The next generation extruder (with segmented heat zones) can accommodate nozzles with diameters varying from 0.4mm up to 3mm, while it prints pellets/granules measuring 2-5mm in diameter. There’s a 3 liter hopper to supply the feedstock for its enormous deposition rate. It can heat up to a comfortable 400°C, so it can print a broad array of materials.
What is the plan if the print material runs out during a job? Piocreat thought about this and came up with a novel material level sensor. The sensor detects when the material is about to run out and sounds an alarm, prompting users to refill the hopper. Meanwhile, the printer stores the progress of the interrupted print job in memory and resumes the print exactly where it left off, once the hopper is refilled with pellets.
piocreat material sensorWorry no more about running out of pellets, thanks to the material sensor. (Image Credit: Piocreat3D)
Another upgrade to the G5 Ultra is the firmware. While the original G5 was based on Marlin, the G5 Ultra is installed with Klipper, allowing a whole bunch of new features, including the ability to send files and monitor prints via WiFi.
And of course, as well as the new capabilities, the G5 Ultra retains several features from the original machine, including dual Z-axis lead screws with dual tie rods, all mounted to its sturdy metal frame, to provide extra stability while printing.
Pellets – The Feedstock of the Future
So, we have seen how the G5 Ultra is a serious upgrade to the original machine.
Let’s just have a quick reminder as to why pellets are indeed the future, and why we should all be moving away from filament as quickly as humanly possible.
- Cost – First up, the price of pellets is vastly cheaper when compared to the price of filaments. Filaments come from pellets after all, and require processing to get to the filament state. Filaments are more costly to store, and transport, and all of these extra processes add up, and ultimately, hit the customer’s pocket. Pellets are cheaper. That’s a fact.
- Environment – Pellets are less energy intensive to produce, easier to transport in bulk (meaning lower transport emissions), and don’t come in wasteful plastic spools. In addition, there are many recycled pellets on the market, and if you have the means to shred your own plastics, you can also recycle your own waste into feedstock.
- Material variety – With its ability to heat up to 400°C, the G5 Ultra Pellet 3D Printer excels in processing a wide range of thermoplastics and composites. This flexibility allows for experimenting with various pellets, including PA-CF, PA-GF, PC-CF, PLA, rPLA, PETG-GF, ABS, PS, GPPS, PP-GF, and more.
Piocreat recommends using original materials for optimal material properties, ensuring enhanced performance of printed components with superior quality.
In conclusion, the Piocreat 3D Ultra G5 offers cost-effective printing, is eco-friendly, and its significant build volume and flow rate enable the quick printing of large items. What’s there not to appreciate?
Moreover, if the G5 Ultra doesn’t meet your pellet printing requirements, make sure to visit our write-up about the Piocreat G12, which boasts an industrial-grade build volume of 1200 x 1000 x 1000 mm.
To learn more about the Piocreat G5 Ultra or the vast G40 industrial printer (featuring a print volume of 3725 x 2500 x 1330mm), don’t hesitate to head to Piocreat3D.com. You can drop a message and a sales representative will contact you.
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