gCreate releases 2 new 3D printers

The original gMax 3D printer was the first crowdfunding project Technical.ly Brooklyn covered. We introduced you to the home/factory of the couple that launched the company, as the printers came nearer to shipping. One year later, and gCreate has just released two new models of their printer, the gMax 1.5 and the 1.5 XT.

The main update from 1.0 to 1.5 seems to be the build volume versus footprint. With the same footprint, the 1.5 manages to squeeze in another 250 cu. in. of print volume (from 2,304 to 2,560 cu. in.). The XT is vastly larger, with a total print volume of 4,608 cu. in.

“We are purposely calling this printer 1.5 because it isn’t so much about groundbreaking advancements as it is about launching a large series of upgrades to the gMax 1.0,” Anna Lee, gCreate’s cofounder told us via email. Much of the updates come from suggestions from the gMax community.

There’s been a variety of other design updates, including a redesigned extruder, for greater efficiency and better cooling. It’s also somewhat better with overhangs. The new chassis has a different orientation and is built with sturdier parts, as well, which reduces the need for calibration.

Upgrade kits will be available soon for existing customers who want to incorporate design refinements without buying a new unit. As an open-source printer, designs will also be released soon, according to a press release.

One thing to note about these printers is that, as Gordon LaPlante explained to us, he wants them to be hackable printers. They are made to be taken apart and reconstructed, the extruder is removable and the long-term vision is to put other machines where the extruder goes (like BotFactory does with the Squink).

Also notable: the printers all work with OctoPrint, the system for 3D printing over wireless networks.

The company has moved to a new office/factory in Industry City. Assembly and shipping is taking place there now, rather than in the founders’ home in Bed-Stuy. We listed the gMax a key player in Brooklyn’s additive manufacturing ecosystem.