Exclusive interview with the creators of the 3D printer with 6-axis

Last week, we presented you with a 6-axis printer that was created by two Swiss students from the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich, Switzerland. This printer allowed you print without having any material support. We wanted to know more about this ambitious project, so we decided to meet with Oliver Tolar and Denis Herrmann, the two masterminds behind this new innovative machine.

3DN: How did you discover 3D printing?

Oliver Tolar

We used a 3D printer for the first time when we were enrolled in a systems-engineering course at the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich. We had to run a 3D printer and make different parts, but we were never happy with the results and so, assisted by one of our teachers, we decided to develop our own printer in the third year of our degree that was capable of using several materials like PLA, ABS and TPE. The printer is still being used by the Institution of Mechatronics Systems in Zurich, where we work part-time. We also print prototypes for the R&D department of the institution.

3DN: What was the idea behind a 6-axis 3D printer?

Denis Herrmann

Our goal was to go further in Fused Deposition Modeling. The technology in its very form is now well developed, and so we have further focused on the movement of the axis and print media. Geometrics need to be designed so that they can be printed without support, but the problem is that the support often leaves unattractive traces on the printed object. Professional machines have supports that can be removed very well in a water-soluble solution. But for personal 3D printers, it’s a challenge and removing it represents an extra expense. It is thus more desirable to avoid this problem by orienting the printing plate.