Stylish Cubicon 3D printers put 3D prints in the literal and proverbial spotlight
The Cubicon range of 3D printers, designed by Korean firm HyVision, is aimed at novices and experts alike, boasting impressive aesthetics and technical specs. HyVision recently unveiled its latest 3D printer in the series.
That most recent model, the elegant Cubicon Style (3DP-210F), is a desktop 3D printer designed with flexibility, portability and aesthetics in mind. A dedicated design team was employed to ensure that the 3D printer was as attractive as it was functional. “I believe the design [of the printer] should make its users feel touched and happy,” said Mr. Lee, Cubicon Design Lead. “The Cubicon Style was designed to incorporate user-convenience, aesthetics and emotion. It is most suitable for school and home applications, based on the design concept of ‘hidden and open space’.”
The ABS/PLA/TPU compatible 3D printer certainly looks the part when stationary, but has a few more tricks up its sleeve when powered up. “Three sides of the 3D printer are of black translucent material, as is the top,” Mr. Lee explained. “It appears to give the look and feel of general consumer electronics at first, but once it starts printing, lights inside the chamber start to illuminate the printed target so the users can spatially observe the printed objects from all four sides.”
The Style has not sacrificed strength in the name of style, however. “The use of an extruded aluminum frame adds strength to the beauty of Cubicon,” Mr. Lee continued. “A black matte color anodized surface also contrasts with the bright acrylic based material, which is very playful.”
The Style 3D printer features a 15x15x15cm build volume, and can print at a layer thickness of up to 0.1mm at speeds of up to 300mm/S. Its enclosed build area helps to keep temperatures constant, and an auto-leveling, distance-sensing build plate provides total accuracy and removes the need for manual bed adjustment. “It is a truly special bed which eliminates the possibility of mistakes during the first printing attempt,” said Mr. Do, Mechanical Lead.
As well as looking the part and boasting some impressive technical specs, the Style has also been designed for convenient use in quiet places such as homes and schools. “We have put in a lot of effort to reduce the noise level,” said Mr. Lee, HW Lead. “Absence of noise means an absence of vibration in the product, which positively affects the quality of the printer.”
The other, more established Cubicon 3D printer (3DP-110F) is the Cubicon Single, a large-format industrial 3D printer designed to handle serious 3D prints at a professional standard. The ABS/PLA compatible printer possesses a larger build volume than the Style, with 3D prints of up to 24x19x20cm possible. The Single was purportedly “the first product in Korea to design and mount its own replaceable extruder”, and boasts auto-leveling technology similar to that of the Style.
The two Cubicon 3D printers are built by Korean technology firm HyVision System, which was founded in May 2002 and whose major product is the CCM (Compact Camera Module) test system. The company’s move into the 3D printing world signals their desire to get on board with one of the fastest growing product markets in the world, and it looks like their contributions to the scene could provide healthy competition to rivals. The retail price for the Style is $1,990, with the Single costing ₩2,900,000 (~$2,400).
