The Method series of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers from Makerbot (now called UltiMaker after its 2022 merger) has been the go-to desktop machine for anyone needing reliable prints in engineering-grade materials at an affordable price (sub $10k).
But now, the new Method XL, which offers five times the print volume of the previous versions while maintaining the printing precision, can address a new customer, UltiMaker’s VP of Product Johan-Till Broer tells All3DP.
“The Method XL is more in the space where industrial printers play today, appealing to a more mature user,” says Broer.
UltiMaker is aiming the XL at companies that want to adopt 3D printing but may not yet have an established business case, or the full buy-in yet from their organization to invest in a six-figure industrial solution. The XL provides the reliability, materials, and ease of use to help companies uncover cost savings and integrate 3D printing into their workflows and processes, according to UltiMaker.
“Our mission is to drive the adoption of professional 3D printing,” says Broer. “And one way to do that is by developing very application-specific solutions. So you will see more of that kind of thinking and those kinds of products coming out of UltiMaker.”
FDM for the Industrial Early Adopter
The Method XL is focused on engineering applications for both functional prototyping and end-use parts with injection molding plastics, such as ABS.
“Engineers that are working on or developing products that are made out of these plastics need to do functional prototyping before they go into a costly tooling process,” says Broer. “And when you do that, you want to make sure that your prototype with the same plastic that you’re using in production.”
Carbon-fiber-infused ABS is among the materials the Method XL was made for, the company says. The printer’s heated chamber (up to 100°C) with a new heated bed (up to 105 °C) coupled with an external, moisture-controlled filament case, ticks all the boxes for producing injection-molding quality prints.
Positioned as a rival to industrial FDMs at a fraction of the cost, UltiMaker says the Method XL can print solid ABS parts and is also easier to use. There’s a web browser-enabled CAD-file-to-print workflow enabling you to upload, monitor, and track print jobs from anywhere.
Like the Method X Carbon Fiber but Bigger?
Most of the features and materials fans of the Method series favor are all packed into the XL version. There’s the RapidRinse water-soluble support material that makes printing with ABS an even simpler and smoother process, UltiMaker says. The XL also has dual modular extruders and 1.75 mm filament compatibility.
New to the Method series and found only in the XL is the aforementioned heated bed and filament chamber, plus a built-in HEPA filter.
You won’t find tech from the company UltiMaker merged with, Ultimaker with a small “m” known for the S series of FDM printers since the Method XL was already in the pipeline before the two companies hooked up.
“We have a very strong technological differentiation between the S line and the Method,” notes Broer. “The Method’s heated chamber enables you to print with injection molding plastics, whereas with the S line, you have the most flexibility in terms of materials with over 250.”
Method XL Materials
Out of the gate, the Method XL has print profiles for a select number of materials, with more to come down the road, Broer says.
To ensure the maximum level of print consistency and reliability, the company says, the core materials are limited to ABS-R, ABS Carbon Fiber, and RapidRinse, which is UltiMaker’s water-soluble support material. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. The Method XL is an open material platform, so you can print with practically anything as long as your using the optional LABS Experimental Extruder.
UltiMaker says it has “pre-tuned” the LABS extruder for three other materials:
- Jabil SEBS, a soft material with flexible, rubber-like properties
- Polymaker PolyMax PC, a polycarbonate material that combines strength, toughness, and heat resistance
- Lehvoss PAHT 9891, a carbon fiber-reinforced nylon able to withstand high temperatures.
The difference between the core materials and others is the assurance of reliability UtliMaker says you can count on.
A cornerstone of this reliability is dimensional accuracy. The XL boasts the same +/- .2 mm accuracy as the other Methods in the series, which is impressive considering its larger print volume. Maintaining accuracy is a combination of mechanical, environmental, and software factors that UtliMaker says are all aligned in the new XL.
If you have ever wondered where spec sheet dimensional accuracy figures come from, Broer explains it like this: “The way that we measure the dimensional accuracy is to print a suite of prints across many machines many times, and then our engineers have a machine that measures the dimensions of each part and compare it to the dimensions in the CAD model.”
Tech Specs & Price
- Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
- Architecture: Dual Extruder
- Print Volume: 305 x 305 x 320 mm
- Extruders: 2, with swappable print cores
- Nozzle diameters: 0.4 mm
- Nozzle temperature: 300 °C
- Heated build plate: 105 °C
- Min. layer resolution: 100 mm
- Touch Screen: 5-inch full-color touchscreen
- Supported files: STL, OBJ, X3D, 3MF, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG
- Price: UltiMaker isn’t releasing the price at launch, but All3DP’s estimate is $12,000 to $14,000
The Method XL is available now at various resellers.
License: The text of "UltiMaker’s New Method XL 3D Printer Poised to Rival Industrial FDMs" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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