Overview

Welcome to Hyrel!

With literally thousands of materials to print on the Hyrel Printer, we have broken down the list of materials into logical groups based on their printing temperature and type of head used to print them.

A quick intro to many of the functions of a Hyrel printer can be found here.

If you are planning on using the heads which photoinitiate crosslinking, make sure you specify the correct wavelength of LED for your material.

A standard material printing data sheet has been created for many of the materials that have been internally tested; you can access this data by clicking here.

Always be sure of what material you are using, and what will be off-gassed.

Our current price list can be found here.

Software and Firmware

Our equipment runs our proprietary Repetrel software and firmware. This was not done to be difficult, but because we didn't want to be restricted by the limitations of other printers. This is how we have the ability to adjust things like the Z position and material flow rate during a print. For a more in-depth look, please see the Repetrel page. To download and install, please see the Software page.

Hardware

There are two categories: Printers and Heads (or Accessories).

Printers

As of May, 2017, Hyrel Printers are available in the following models: Hydras are our larger, gantry models; Systems are our tabletop, enclosed models; and Engines are the smaller, unenclosed models - available in Standard Resolution (SR) and High Resolution (HR, for bioprinting) versions.

All models use our Repetrel software and any slicer (Slic3r support provided). Each model comes with a Windows PC, either tablet or full desktop style. We operate our print heads via CANbus.

Comparison

The following chart compares and contrasts the various models:

Printer Model Comparison

Designation	Hydra 16A Freestanding Heated		Benchtop, Enclosed Heating Optional	Desktop, Unenclosed	Desktop, High Precision Unenclosed
	16AS Hydra Standard	16AT Hydra Tall	System 30M	Engine SR	Engine HR
Target Users	Industrial Manufacturing		Laboratory Research	Budget Research	Biological Research
Image
Placement Mechanism	Freestanding (Floor) Model Gantry Design		Benchtop Model Knee Design	Desktop Model Knee Design
Exterior Dimensions, XxYxZ (closed)	48x35x50 in 120x88x125 cm	48x35x60 in 120x88x153 cm	34x16x32 in 565x405x810 cm	13x21x22 in 330x530x560 cm	13x24x22 in 330x600x560 cm
Power Requirements	15A / 110VAC / 60 Hz 8A / 220VAC / 50Hz		10A / 110VAC / 60 Hz 5A / 220VAC / 50Hz
Build Volume	16x12x10 in 400x300x250 mm or 24x16x10 in 600x400x250 mm	16x12x20 in 600x400x500 mm or 24x16x20 in 600x400x500 mm	8x8x8 in 200x200x200 mm		4x4x4 in 100x100x100 mm
Bed Temperatures	120°C - 200°C option - sub-ambient option Note that 200°C beds larger than 400x300mm require 230VAC for optimal heating.		75°C		75°C - sub-ambient option
X/Y Printing Speeds	Up to 60 mm/sec		Up to 30 mm/sec		Up to 15 mm/sec
Enclosure	Heated to 55°C		Enclosed *Opt Heated to 55°C	Unenclosed
Motion Control	3-Phase with Closed-Loop Feedback		0.9° Stepping Motor
Positional Resolution X/Y/Z in µm	6 / 6 / 1		5 / 5 / 1		1.25 / 1.25 / 1
Positional Accuracy X/Y/Z in µm	60 / 60 / 10		50 / 50 / 10		12 / 12 / 10
Positional Repeatability X/Y/Z in µm	60 / 60 / 10		50 / 50 / 10		12 / 12 / 10
Precise X/Y Output for Bioplots	100 µm lines 200 µm spacing				50 µm lines 100 µm spacing
Precise Z output for Bioplots	25 µm layers
Tool Positions Optional	Five Ten		Four		Five
Cold Flow Options	All EMO, COD, SDS, CSD, DSD and SMH Heads
Warm Flow Options	All VOL, VCD, KRA and KCD Heads
Hot Flow Options	All MK1-250, MK2-250 and MK1-450 Heads
Low Power Laser Options	6w, 450nm, GaN Diode and 2w, 450nm GaN Diode
High Power Laser Options	40w ~10 µm, CO2		Not Applicable
Spindle Tool Compatibility	Standard Three-Phase		Standard		Not Applicable
Max Axes	X, Y, Z, A, B, C		X, Y, Z
Pick & Place Compatibility	Yes		No
Other Options	Quiet Storm Fan, Microscope

The Hydra Series

The Hydra 16A models have hard resolution (with encoder feedback) of 20 microns in the X and Y, and 0.8 microns in the Z in standard mode. In microstepping mode, we can achieve soft resolution of 4 microns in the X and Y. It comes standard with two tool positions, but can take additional yokes to handle more.

There are three models, as detailed above. The differences are:

• The Hydra 16A-S (standard) has a 250mm Z and stands on the floor, with the following options:
  • Can take a bed at 400x300mm or 600x400mm at 120°C or 200°C, or a sub-ambient bed;
  • Can take the 40W CO2 laser and 5W, 450nm diode laser;
  • Can take the Pick and Place setup; and
  • Can take the 3-Phase and 1-Phase spindle tools.

• The Hydra 16A-T (tall) has a 500mm Z and stands on the floor, with the following options:
  • Can take a bed at 400x300mm or 600x400mm at 120°C or 200°C, or a sub-ambient bed;
  • Can take the 5W, 450nm diode laser (NO CO2 LASER);
  • Can take the Pick and Place setup; and
  • Can take the 3-Phase and 1-Phase spindle tools.

• Overview of the Hydra line

The System 30M, 30, and 23

Systems are enclosed Detailed information is on the Systems page. The System 30M replaced the System 30, which replaced the System 23. For you history buffs and Kickstarters.

• Overview of the System 30

The Engines

Engines are open-air models. Engines can take up to four heads at once, either working cooperatively on a one print, or making duplicate copies of a small print at the same time. Build volume is 200mm x 200mm x 200mm (X/Y/Z). Detailed information is on the Engines page.

Modular Heads

Comparison

The following chart compares and contrasts the various heads:

Print Heads Comparison

Designation	Material	Viscosity	Gear Ratio	Volume	Reservoir	Temperature	UV LEDs?	Other
MK1-250	1.75mm Filament	Standard	n/a	n/a	n/a	Up to 250°C	n/a	For Standard Material
MK1-450	1.75mm Filament	Exotic	n/a	n/a	n/a	300 to 450°C	n/a	For High-Temp Material
MK2-250	1.75mm Filament	Flexible	*Extra Torque	n/a	n/a	Up to 250°C	n/a	For Flexible Material
HT-250	1.75mm Filament	Standard	*High Torque	n/a	n/a	Up to 250°C	n/a	For Standard Material
HT-450	1.75mm Filament	Exotic	*High Torque	n/a	n/a	300 to 450°C	n/a	For High-Temp Material
SDS-05	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	05cc	Polypropylene	Ambient	Optional	n/a
SDS-10	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	10cc	Polypropylene	Ambient	Optional	n/a
SDS-30	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	30cc	Polypropylene	Ambient	Optional	n/a
SDS-60	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	60cc	Polypropylene	Ambient	Optional	n/a
DSD-50	Two-part Mixtures	Low	3:1; 1:1 Ratio	25cc each part	Polypropylene	Ambient	Optional	n/a
SMH-2	Two-part Mixtures	Low	3:1; Variable Ratio	Up to 60cc each part	Depends on feeding heads	Ambient	Optional	n/a
HSD-10-Ardes	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1 ?	10cc	Polyamide	Up to 100°C	Optional	n/a
HSD-30-BD	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	30cc	Polypropylene	Up to 50°C	Optional	n/a
RSD-30-BD	Liquid, Gel	Low	3:1	30cc	Polypropylene	Down to 5°C	Optional	n/a
EMO-25	Liquid, Gel, Paste	Low to Medium	19:1	25cc	Aluminum	Ambient	Optional	n/a
VOL-25	Liquid, Gel, Paste	Low to Medium	51:1	25cc	Aluminum	Up to 100°C	Optional	n/a
KR2-15	Paste, Clay, Hot Glue	Medium to High	100:1	15cc	Stainless	Up to 150°C	Optional	n/a
TAM-15	Paste, Clay, Hot Glue	Medium to High	100:1	15cc	Stainless	Up to 250°C	Optional	n/a
Lasers, 808nm	Dark, Opaque	Laser	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5w, 808nm
Lasers, 450nm	Opaque	Laser	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6w, 450nm
Lasers, 10μm	Translucent	Laser	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	40w, 10μm
ST1	Waxes, Plastics	Spindle Tool	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5,000 rpm with no load

Note, for crosslinking heads, just see the standard heads and add the UV LED mechanism.

Reservoir-based Printing

Reservoir-based printing uses a reservoir of material (either chilled, ambient, or heated) and deposits the material much like a typical filament-based head. We sometimes use "Cold Flow" for printing materials at ambient (unheated) and sub-ambient (chilled) temperatures, and "Warm Flow" for printing materials at elevated temperatures, with or without UV Crosslinking.

For more details, see the Reservoir_Heads page.

Unheated Reservoir Materials

The following materials can be printed from Cold Flow (Unheated) reservoir-based heads. Note that more viscous materials may not be suitable for plastic syringes or smaller luer tips.

• 3P Quick Cure Clay
• Adhesives
• Clay, Generic
• Epoxy, Two-part
• Fimo
• Glue
• Kato
• Metal Clay, including Precious Metal Clay (PMC)
• Modeling Clay
• PEG PolyEthylene Glycol
• Porcelain
• Plasticine
• Play-Doh
• Resins
• RTV Silicone
• Sculpey
• Sugru

Heads for Unheated Reservoirs

Cold Flow is available through the following heads:

• 

  EMO-25

• 

  COD-25

• 

  SDS-5, SDS-10,
  SDS-30, SDS-60

• 

  CSD-5, CSD-10,
  CSD-30, CSD-60

• Overview of the EMO and COD Heads
• Overview of the SDS and CSD Heads
• Overview of the SMH-2 Head

The following table compares the properties of the various Cold Flow heads:

Cold Flow Head Properties

Head	Container	Capacity	Nozzle	UV Crosslinking
EMO-25	Aluminum	25cc	1.5mm, 2.0mm, Luer	No
COD-25	Aluminum	25cc	Luer	Yes
SDS-5	Syringe	05cc	Luer	No
CSD-5	Syringe	05cc	Luer	Yes
SDS-10	Syringe	10cc	Luer	No
CSD-10	Syringe	10cc	Luer	Yes
SDS-30	Syringe	30cc	Luer	No
CSD-30	Syringe	30cc	Luer	Yes
SDS-60	Syringe	60cc	Luer	No
CSD-60	Syringe	60cc	Luer	Yes

Materials for Heated Reservoirs

The following materials can be printed from Warm Flow heads. Note that more viscous materials may not be suitable for plastic syringes or smaller luer tips, or may print more easily at higher temperatures.

• Adhesives
• Fimo
• Kato
• Glue
• PCL
• Plasticine
• Resins
• Sculpey
• Wax

Heads for Heated Reservoirs

Warm Flow is available through the following heads:

• 

  VOL-25

• 

  VCD-25

• 

  KRA-15

• 

  KCD-15

• Overview of the VOL and VCD Heads
• Overview of the KRA and KCD Heads

The following table compares the properties of the various Warm Flow heads:

Warm Flow Head Properties

Head	Max Temp	Container	Capacity	Nozzle	UV Crosslinking
VOL-25	100°C	Aluminum	25cc	1.5mm, 2.0mm, Luer	No
KRA-15	150°C	Stainless	15cc	1.5mm, 2mm, Luer	No
TAM-15	250°C	Stainless	15cc	Luer	Yes

Filament-based Printing

Hot Flow is a term we sometimes use for filament-based materials which are deposited at up to 450°C, depending on the head. This process has also been referred to as FFF for Fused Filament Fabrication, or FDM for Fused Deposition Modeling. Presently, our Hot Flow heads are only for 1.75mm filaments; we expect to introduce heads for 3mm filaments by the end of 2019.

• Overview of the MK-250 Head
• Overview of the MK2-250 Head
• Overview of the MK1-450 Head

For more details, see the Filament_Heads page.

Filament Materials

The following materials can be printed from Hot Flow heads. Note that depending on the characteristics of your material, one head will be a better match than the others. See the "Recommended For" column in the table below.

• ABS, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
• BendLay
• FilaFlex
• Flex45
• LayBrick
• LayWood
• NinjaFlex
• Nylon
• PC, PolyCarbonate
• PEEK, PolyEther Ether Ketone
• PET, PolyEthylene Terephthalate
• PETG, PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified
• PLA, PolyLactic Acid
• PlastInk Rubber
• PP, PolyPropylene
• PVA, PolyVinyl Alcohol
• T-Glase

Heads for Filaments

Hot Flow is available through the following heads:

• 

  MK1-250

• 

  MK2-250

• 

  MK1-450

The following table compares the properties of the various Hot Flow heads, including which heads are recommended for which materials. The MK1 heads drive matieral from one side, with a spring-loaded bearing system to maintain pressure and positioning. The MK2 heads drive the material from both sides, and are designed for more flexible filaments.

Hot Flow Head Properties

Head	Min Temp	Max Temp	Filament Type	Nozzle	Recommended For
MK1-250	150°C	250°C	Standard	.35mm, .50mm, .75mm, 1.0mm	ABS, LayBrick, LayWood, Nylon, PET, PETG, PETT, PLA, PP, PVA, T-Glase
MK2-250	150°C	250°C	Flexible	.35mm, .50mm, .75mm, 1.0mm	BendLay, FilaFlex, Flex45, NinjaFlex, PlastInk Rubber
MK1-450	300°C	450°C	Engineering	.50mm	PC, PEEK

Other Accessories

Accessories other than print heads are available, some of which take a tool position.

For more details, see the Other Accessories page.

Tool Position Accessories

Lasers

Hot-swappable Lasers are available in the following configurations:

• The LA5-808 is a diode laser, 5W at 808nm, and due to its wavelength, it is best suited for darker material.
• The LA6-450 is a diode laser 6W at 450nm, and performs well on opaque material of any color.
• The LI40 is an integrated 40w CO2 laser, and performs well on translucent as well as opaque material; available on our Hydra models only.
• The LI80 is an integrated 80w CO2 laser, and performs well on translucent as well as opaque material; available on our Hydra models only.

• Overview of the LA5-808 and LA6-450 Lasers

The Reflectivity and Transparency or Translucency of your material will have a great impact on the effectiveness of the laser. Safety glasses are included with each laser.

Spindle Tools

• 

  ST1

The ST1 is intended for light drilling and routing operations (especially circuit board work), and provides between 500 and 5000 RMP (depending on load) to a 1/8" chuck. Our Repetrel software can process Gerber and DRL files for the Spindle Tool and/or the Lasers.

The ST3 is presently in testing, but provides more power; available on our Hydra models only.

Other Tool Position Accessories

The following accessories each take up a tool position while performing more passive functions:

• The Inspector microscope provides magnification.
• The Quiet Storm fan provides additional cooling.
• The Tramming Tool, provided with every printer, is used to level the build surface.

Non-Tool Position Accessories

The following non-head accessories are also available:

• The Feed Chamber Cooling Fan mounts on Hot Flow heads to provide additional cooling to the feed chamber. This is desirable with low temperature filaments like PLA.
• The Printer Support Kit is included with every printer, and includes a build plate, blue tape, and a variety of handy tools like tweezers, razors, and a spatula.
• The SDK | Software Developer's Kit provides hardware, software, and the source code for developing your own firmware for your own compatible heads.
• The LTK | Luer Tip Kit provides an EMO to Luer adapter and a variety of luer lock needles.
• The Syringe Kit provides syringes in quantity.
• The Drill Bit Kit provides an assortment of drilling bits and end mills for the Spindle Tool.
• The Filament Kit provides a variety of filaments to get you started with your printer.