Hybrid stuff – More-in-One’s

Vacuumformers at the end of this page

Hybrids or More-in-Ones are a novelty at Kickstarters.
Basically they are a Cartesian frame with interchangeable toolheads.

First the BOXZY, which combines a CNC-mill, a 3D printer and a laser engraver. Aiming for $50k, they rounded up $ 1.2 mio in 2015. They call it “BOXZY, the quick-change fablab: Mill, Print, Laser”.

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With its 6 mm aluminium frame it is primary a CNC-mill, where the spindle can be exchanged for a 3D print head, or a a laser cartridge. The bed is 17 x 17 cms. The laser is only 2 watts and will engrave many materials, but cut only balsa, thin cardboard and paper. So is not a real lasercutter as you will find in a fablab. $3599

boxzy[By the way: if you want to experiment with a 2W blue laser on your Ultimaker, try the L-CHEAPO Laser Cutter Attachment. starting at $ 200.  The new MK4 5.6W laser and its predecessor, the MK3 3.5W L-Cheapo, are available to buy from the Endurance Lasers website. And use the goggles !!!]

A me-too is the Northype Adam, which also can be equiped with a scan-head. Not doing well on its Kickstarter. Most fablab tools are box-shaped XYZ mechanisms.

Then there is the MOOZ. Modular, with interchangeable tools. Rounded up $500K. A family of three, reasonably priced. By DOBOT.

Then there is the DIABASE H-Series in both an Additive and a Hybrid Subtractive form. With a remarkable turret for quick toolhead changes and a ditto contactless heated bed plus a software probe for bed-levelling. Additive starting at $5000 an Hybryd at $6900.

Fablab promotes out-of-the-box thinking. Well, then think out of those boxes. Let a robot-arm do it all. With a very small footprint, but with a buildvolume of 80x40x25cm

makerarmThe MAKERARM is a Kickstarter project for a robot arm with interchangeable toolheads. Scroll deep down on that page to see its possibilities. Note that it will also use a web based operation as we saw for the Glowforge.
$2499 with three toolheads. Ships fall 2016.

zmorphThe ZMorph 2.0S personal fabricator from Poland sports 10 different toolheads: extruders for filament, chocolate and thick paste, a cnc mill head and a 2W bluelaser head.The Essential Set machine with 2 extruders, mill and laser costs € 3295. CNC-only set € 1799

Interesting is their 5-axis experimental toolhead. It can be used as a milling machine for production of precise jewellery or dental models, or 3d scanner for easy copying of physical objects. 3d scanning feature uses this advanced kinematics to gather the data about the geometry, and very precisely turn it into digital form, that later on can be 3d printed on the same machine (with basic plastic extrusion toolhead).

fabtotumFABTOTUM, a multipurpose device that can operate a wide range of Computer controlled (CNC) manufacturing and 3d-scanning processes. Print, Cut, Mill, Scan, Manipulate. Rinse and repeat! At Indiegogo they rounded up $ $589,564 from a goal of 50K . Available for € 1299 plus printhead €204 and mill head € 204. And tax.

The CIRQOID is a CNC mill for PCB prototyping. The machine accepts various operation specific heads: spindle, solder paste syringe or pick-and-place head. Starts at €2000.

07075b_50a3b25c0f9542c1997ab0458da9618fZEUS, a device that allows users to 3D Scan, Print, Copy, and Fax objects with a touch of a button. Rounded up $111.111 from a $ 100k goal. Available for $ 2499

The MIGO is a fine inexpensive $249 3D printer - heated bed, autoleveling - with an optional CNC head. I ordered one for curiousity.

Layer One’s Atom 3 3D Printer both FDM and SLA - just announcement, no details yet.

Want to assemble your own? Start with a hybrid frame kit from GoodEnough CNC and experiment with toolheads, for instance a plasmacutter.

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Or add an Endurance 10W laser head (just using the FAN pinouts from your controlboard)

And have a peek at the versatile open hardware FR4 machine shield

The EVY and the TiZYX K25 from TiZYX in France come as  kits under $750.

 

The Snapmaker 2.0 is a modular 3-in-1: printing, engraving and carving. Their Kickstarter rounded up $7,85Mio. Can be pre-ordered, announced for early 2020.

The Mayku FORMBOX is a vacuum former capable of 20x20x13 cm.  A machine often overlooked in the fablab world as a tool for fast making of prototypes. € 699. Sheets are not cheap.