Tech Watch: EVO Tries to Evolve 3D Printing

Airwolf 3D (www.airwolf3d.com) makes 3D printers. In fact, it’s made four generations of them. But for the fifth, the company no longer wants its customers to think of the product as a printer, but an additive manufacturing center. To be sure, that claim surely has more than a tinge of a marketing speak. But several of the features embedded in the new EVO desktop system are definitely intended to remove some of the technical blemishes found in many a 3D printer. 

The machine includes a feature called PartSave, or as the company would prefer to call it, “Zombie Mode.” If someone unplugs the cord, or if power is otherwise lost, PartSave can resume printing where it left off and complete the part, according to the company. 

The EVO also includes features such as auto-leveling, a 12 x 12 x 11-inch enclosed build volume, high-temperature multi-material printing and compatibility with water-soluble Hydrofill support material. 

The company claims another industry-first feature, “FailSafe,” for those times when filament runs out or if there’s a jam during production. This function allows operators to set the print head at the height where the stoppage occurred and the system will complete the job.

“The EVO is faster, stronger and more accurate than any desktop 3D printer—it delivers a premium 3D manufacturing experience at less than half the cost of machines that offer equivalent performance,” claims Erick Wolf, co-founder and CEO. “Plus, it’s packed with new technology that dramatically changes the way we manufacture, including the ability to work in metals.”

The EVO Additive Manufacturing System is priced at $6,995.