The 3D PotterBot Scara Elite is our second largest model for 3D ceramic and pastes printing. It is capable of printing multiple large objects non-stop. It can even be combined with a Continuous Flow hopper to even print structures and walls.

Scara Elite V4020

The Scara Elite V4020 is our refined viable large-scale ceramic 3D printer using real clay with a much larger build volume than the Scara Standard. The advanced design and substantial construction can handle onboard loads like the 3D Potter 3600 ml clay extruder or a hose assembly. But where it shines is when it is coupled with our large new capacity continuous high-pressure hose extrusion system. We can now deliver clay loads between 85 - 250 lb continuous extrusion.

Speed and noise

The Scara Elite is capable of extreme speeds however speed is relative when it comes to ceramic 3D printing. Realistically you probably do not want to exceed 130 mm/s. Many factors determine the speed like nozzle size, layer height, and achieving a good adhesion on the interlayer of the clay. Even with a fast-printing speed, it maintains low noise, so it can be operated in any area without disturbing the surrounding environment.

Construction and design

We were able to achieve high precision and accuracy with this large Scara arm robot only through diligent design and robust construction techniques. Most of this structure is out of heavy aircraft grade 6061 aluminum utilizing CNC and welded components for maximum strength and rigidity. The main rail components are from IGUS* which is one of the leading German manufacturers of precision guide rails. The drive motors consist of very sophisticated hybrid closed-loop stepper motors. These have onboard computers with telemetry that continually update their position for zero error positioning. 

Drive mechanisms

This is no souped-up 3D printer; this is a dedicated heavy-duty purpose-built robot. The main drives are sophisticated harmonic drive units**. These are the same drives used on large industrial robots like the ones that are now in most of the large manufacturing facilities. These drives are extremely heavy duty and capable of precision movement down into the fractions of a second of a degree. This means very precise prints with no backlash or jittery movements at realistic speeds. These drives are designed for maximum rigidity with extreme accuracy.

Space needed for setup.

The real advantage is this machine can be positioned on a substantial tabletop and you can start printing right away within a limited envelope area. Or you can give it its own dedicated space for a partial or full envelope. The space needed is determined by the end-user and how much of the print envelope they choose to use. Whether on the tabletop or the floor, the Scara Elite will require direct mounting for maximum stability. This is achieved with multiple screws to secure the printer to the surface it is on. If you choose to use a tabletop it must be of substantial construction, the minimum is 1.5" thick heavy plywood or wood construction. If an inadequate table is used, the results from the printer will be diminished depending on the build envelope and speed at which the prints are created.

Software requirements

None! The only requirements are a web browser interface.

For object generation, the Scara Elite is like the rest of the 3D Potter line ceramic printers. It’s just like any other 3D printer which requires an STL file to be sliced by a third-party program. We recommend Simplify3D and then loading the file to the SD card in the printer, which can be done over Wi-Fi.

Build envelope!

The Scara Elite offers 68 inches in Z height and 112 inches in diameter.

The building envelope is quite unique because it is capable of printing 360 degrees with continuous rotation. This means you can create a huge vessel with the printer initially residing inside the vessel or structure. This opens a whole other opportunity to print small habitat structures (houses). Larger printers are available for this potential habitat project.

Another unique ability is printing multiple objects within the specified envelope in a sequential mode. For instance, you could print a particular vessel starting on the far-left side and continue to print these vessels until there is no more space left.

What is included:

1. Scara Elite V4020
2. Closed-loop stepper on X, Y, Z, extruder
3. 3600ml extruder, 2 tubes
4. 5 anodized aluminum nozzles (standard sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8mm)
5. Parts Box: Alan key set, grease, Acme driver tool, tie wraps, extra screws
6. Power Supply, USB cable

Specifications:

Average speed: 1.2’’ to 3.9’’/s (30 to 100 mm/s)
Power Supply: Output - 24V ~15 amps, Input - 110-220V, 50-60 Hertz (No 220V power plug supplied for customers outside of USA).
Power consumption: 24V ~10 amps, ~240 Watt
Main controller board running Duet3D with Atmel SAM4E8E: 120MHz ARM Cortex-M4

Full control through the web interface, no apps or software installation. Non-Wi-Fi versions are available, please contact us if you would like this type of connection (Ethernet connection).