Ulendo and Rev1 Technologies Collaborate on Software Upgrade That Increases Speed of Industrial Extrusion-Based Printers

Sample part printed on the Ulendo-enabled CreatBot F430 at 250 mm/sec and 3,000 mm/sec² which is 5 times the speed of the stock firmware for this same quality. Source: Ulendo

Ulendo and Rev1 Technologies have partnered to offer a software upgrade for CreatBot’s F430 3D printer which is designed to significantly improve the speed and acceleration for the extrusion-based fused deposition modeling (FDM) industrial 3D printer.

The company says the software is an easy-to-implement upgrade featuring Ulendo’s patented vibration compensation algorithm — commercialized as Ulendo VC (vibration compensation). The software is based on research conducted at the University of Michigan by Ulendo Founder Chinedum ‘Chi’ Okwudire.

According to the partners, vibration has long plagued FDM printers, limiting speed and build quality. Vibration-driven quality issues such as “ghosting,” “ringing” and “layer shifting” are amplified on large industrial FDM printers, thereby significantly limiting their performance. While previously available solutions such as “input shaping” may be sufficient for hobbyist desktop printers, it is said they cannot solve the challenges faced by professional users operating industrial FDM printers at high speed. Ulendo VC solves this challenge through a patented software algorithm that counteracts vibration in real time, leading to significantly higher speeds and high-quality results on every build.

Rev1 Technologies is the exclusive after-sales support provider for CreatBot across the U.S., offering Ulendo software as an upgrade to newly purchased printers, as well as printers that are already being used in production.

The first 3D printer to be Ulendo-enabled through this partnership is the CreatBot F430. The partners say users of the F430 can apply the upgrade and quintuple the throughput of the printer without sacrificing quality. This means that manufacturers and 3D printing service bureaus can significantly expand their printing capacity without purchasing additional printers. It also enables faster printing turnaround times, lower printed part cost and less trial-and-error guesswork for optimizing builds.

Later this year, Rev1 and Ulendo will offer a similar software upgrade for other printers in CreatBot’s large-size and high- temperature series.

“Today’s users of 3D printers expect higher speeds and higher quality to improve their printing operation,” says Ulendo CEO Brenda Jones. “With the Ulendo VC software upgrade, these users can achieve these speed and quality goals without the expense of purchasing additional printers.”

Rev1 says it is enthusiastic about the partnership with Ulendo to offer this software upgrade for the CreatBot F430. “By quadrupling the printer’s speed while improving quality, we are not only addressing a long-standing challenge in the 3D printing industry but also enabling our customers to dramatically expand their production capabilities,” says Ben Hartwig, Rev1 Technologies president. “We’re excited about future projects with Ulendo and the potential to push the boundaries of what’s possible in 3D printing.”