CD400 and CD400HT for engineering-plastic parts, plus the FILO drying cabinet for material preparation
Two printers and a drying cabinet
Two independent IDEX heads: two materials or two colors in one part.
Chamber up to 90 °C — large parts warp less.
Indicative price depends on configuration and delivery terms. Not a public offer.
The chamber holds the temperature superpolymers need: we print PEI at 145 °C.
Two IDEX heads: the part and its support in different materials.
Indicative price depends on configuration and delivery terms. Not a public offer.
Up to 12 spools of 3 kg per load.
Drying up to 130 °C with forced ventilation.
Indicative price depends on configuration and delivery terms. Not a public offer.
Filament from any supplier, not tied to our spools.
ProtypeOS on the printer, ProtypeHub on phone and Mac, secure remote access.
We design and build the printers ourselves. Spare parts from our own warehouse, remote diagnostics and engineering support.
Prices for every model are on the site.
Engineering differences between passively enclosed printers and industrial IDEX systems
| Parameter | Passively Enclosed Printer | Protype CD400 (Engineering IDEX) | Protype CD400HT (High-Temperature IDEX) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build chamber heating | Passive heat from the bed (45–60 °C), temperature gradient across part height | Active forced-convection chamber up to 90 °C, bed up to 150 °C | Actively heated chamber (PEI printed at 145 °C), nozzle up to 500 °C |
| Extruder kinematics | Single toolhead or two nozzles on a shared carriage (risk of nozzle drag on the part) | Two independent IDEX heads: Copy, Mirror, and soluble-support printing | Two independent IDEX heads: Copy, Mirror, and high-temperature breakaway/soluble supports |
| Supported plastics & composites | PLA, PETG, small ABS and ASA parts | ABS, ASA, PC, PC-ABS, PA6, PA12, carbon-filled PA-CF and PETG-CF, TPU | PEEK, PEI (ULTEM 9085 / 1010), PPSU plus all CD400 engineering materials |
| Large-part dimensional stability | Warping, bed detachment, and layer delamination on large PA and PC housings | Dimensional stability on jigs, fixtures, nests, and enclosures without delamination | Repeatable geometry on high-load parts for hot zones and aggressive chemicals |
| Filament drying & feeding | Open spool holder or desktop box for 1–2 spools | Onboard drying chambers + direct feed from Protype FILO cabinet (up to 12×3 kg, up to 130 °C) | Onboard drying chambers + direct feed from Protype FILO cabinet (up to 12×3 kg, up to 130 °C) |
| Material openness | Open filament or vendor-chipped spools | Open 1.75 mm system — filament from any supplier without chips or license locks | Open 1.75 mm system — filament from any supplier without chips or license locks |
| Fleet management & networking | Single-printer local web UI or consumer cloud | ProtypeOS + ProtypeHub (iOS, Android, macOS); no port forwarding or public IP needed (Secure VPN) | ProtypeOS + ProtypeHub (iOS, Android, macOS); no port forwarding or public IP needed (Secure VPN) |
Comparing manufacturing methods across fixtures, replacement parts, and production runs
| Criterion | 3D Printing (Protype CD400 / CD400HT) | CNC Machining | Injection Molding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimal batch size | 1–100 pcs (one-off spares, shop-floor fixtures, pilot and short runs) | 1–50 pcs for structural metal components and tight bearing fits | 1,000+ identical parts per run |
| Lead time to first part | Hours to 1–2 days straight from CAD | Several days to 2–3 weeks including CAM programming and machine queue | 4 to 12 weeks to design, machine, and sample the mold tool |
| Upfront tooling cost | $0 — job starts directly from a STEP, STL, or 3MF file | CAM setup, cutters, stock billet, and multi-axis workholding | High capital outlay for steel or aluminum mold tooling |
| Geometric freedom | Internal channels, lattice infills, and complex overhangs with IDEX soluble supports | Limited by cutter reach and setups; high material waste in chips | Requires draft angles, uniform wall thickness, and parting-line clearance |
| Design revisions | Zero tooling penalty: print the updated CAD file on the next shift | Requires CAM reprogramming and new setup verification | Expensive mold rework or cutting a new cavity |
In a passively enclosed printer, air is warmed only by the build plate (typically 45–60 °C), causing large parts in nylon (PA), polycarbonate (PC), and ABS to accumulate thermal stress, warp, and delaminate between layers. Protype CD400 uses forced-convection active heating up to 90 °C (and CD400HT prints PEI at a 145 °C chamber), preventing shrinkage and warping on full-bed industrial fixtures and enclosures.
Unlike a single printhead carrying two nozzles, IDEX (Independent Dual Extruder) drives each head independently along the X axis. The inactive nozzle parks outside the build area so it never drags across the print. This enables clean soluble supports for complex internal geometry, multi-material parts combining rigid and flexible polymers, and simultaneous printing of two parts in Copy and Mirror modes.
Protype CD400 (chamber up to 90 °C, bed up to 150 °C) covers up to 90% of shop-floor applications: drill jigs, assembly nests, guards, brackets, and housings in ABS, ASA, PC, PC-ABS, PA6/PA12, and carbon-filled PA-CF. Protype CD400HT (actively heated chamber, nozzle up to 500 °C) is built for parts operating above 150–200 °C or in harsh chemical environments that require high-performance polymers such as PEEK, PEI (ULTEM 9085/1010), and PPSU.
Industrial 3D printing wins on batches of 1 to 100 parts, custom shop-floor tooling (jigs, fixtures, grippers), and urgent replacement parts: jobs go straight from CAD to the build plate in hours without mold tooling costs, CAM programming, or a two-week machine-shop queue.
We design and build industrial FDM 3D printers ourselves.
The lineup has two printers. CD400 prints engineering plastics and composites: ABS, PA-CF, PC-ABS and others. CD400HT is for high-temperature PEEK and PEI; we print PEI at a chamber temperature of 145 °C. The FILO drying cabinet connects to three printers and feeds dry filament straight to the extruder. The printers run ProtypeOS; the fleet is managed through ProtypeHub.
Two independent IDEX heads and an open material system: filament from any supplier.
Tell us about your task — we'll suggest the optimal equipment configuration