CraftBot Flow IDEX Dual Extrusion 3D Printer

The CraftBot Flow IDEX is a professional dual extrusion FDM 3D printer developed by CraftUnique. The printer has been launched along with the single extrusion Flow and Flow XL printers and the larger Flowx IDEX XL. Designed on the basis of the renowned award-winning CraftBot 3 and Plus, the Flow generation boasts some quality enhancements inspired by users’ reviews. Their structure is entirely made of reinforced steel for better stability and reliability. Also, they adopt brand new metal hotends and a powerful motherboard with a Raspberry Pi engine.

As a plug-and-play 3D printer, the Craftbot Flow IDEX comes already assembled, ready to print in seconds. It is engineered with an Independent Dual Extrusion System for multicolor and multi-material printing. It sports all-metal hotends for smooth extrusion and quality results free from jamming issues. It employs a layered heated bed, which results in optimum adhesion and easy print removal. The thoughtful pause and recovery function lets you stop a print job and recover it at any time. It also prevents accidental failures caused by blackouts. The filament monitoring sensor alerts you in case of any material problem or damage. The onboard camera and LED status indicator enable unattended 3D printing.

Easy-to-use and user-friendly, the CraftBot Flow IDEX can be used by beginners, hobbyists, makers and professionals alike. Continue reading for a complete review.

Here are some examples of the results achievable when printing with a professional CraftBot 3D printer.

Credit: @3dgooroo / Instagram

Credit: @3dgooroo / Instagram

Specifications:

• Print quality
• Materials
• Build volume
• Printer controls
• What’s in the box
• Look and feel
• Price

Print quality

The CraftBot Flow IDEX is a professional FDM 3D printer that can print layers at 50 microns. It features an XY accuracy of 12.5 microns and a Z-axis accuracy of 5 microns. This lets you produce parts with smooth exterior surfaces as fast as 200 mm/s. The rock-solid frame along with the high-temperature metal hotends make for top-notch accurate printing results.

Credit: @ossumdesigns / Instagram

Thanks to the IDEX system, the two print heads can work independently printing two different parts or the same part symmetrically at once. The perfect solution for doubling your productivity. 

The CraftBot Flow IDEX comes with a couple of 0.4-mm nozzles, giving you the best balance between speed and detail.

The printer features strong extruded aluminum profiles along the Z-axis. The print heads run on linear rails, which makes printing reliable, fast and precise.

Materials

The operating nozzle temperature of 300°C along with the metal hotends lets you print with a broad range of standard and specialty filaments, including PLA, ABS, PET, Nylon, Carbon-fiber reinforced composites, wood, and brass.

Credit: @lemiasz / Instagram

The CraftBot Flow IDEX is equipped with a multilayered heated bed composed of metal, tempered glass, and Kapton sheets. It provides optimum bed adhesion and lets you reliably print with ABS-type materials. The platform can heat up to 110°C. The top layer can be bent to easily remove the printed parts.

To ensure high reproducibility, we recommend installing an enclosed print chamber. This way the print quality would not be affected by temperature fluctuations as a result of drafts and other factors.

Thanks to the open platform, the CraftBot Flow IDEX can print with any type of 1.75 mm filament. This expands your design possibilities letting you print with the material you prefer.

Build volume

The CreatBot Flow IDEX has a print area of 16.7 x 9.8 x 9.8 inches (425 x 250 x 250 mm). Larger models can be printed in parts and then assembled. Otherwise, you might go for the Flow IDEX XL version (425 x 250 x 500mm).

Printer controls

The Flow IDEX 3D printer features a built-in large color touchscreen, which lets you comfortably operate the devices. Its responsive interface can be easily connected to an external PC via an intranet connection.

The printer is equipped with a 4GB internal storage for standalone operation. The onboard camera and the LED status indicator keep you always updated on the printing process and printer status.

Credit: @craftbot3d / Instagram

The CratUnique Flow IDEX 3D printer comes integrated with the proprietary slicing software, CraftWare. However, it is also compatible with third-party slicers. The own-brand program lets you easily manage all the printing settings and quickly generate print-ready G-Code files. It also supports STL and OBJ 3D file formats. It works on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems.

What’s in the box

• CraftBot Flow IDEX 3D printer
• 5-year (or 5,000-hour) warranty
• A maintenance kit 
• A nozzle kit

For some items, package content may change. In case of any questions, please get in touch.

Look and feel

The CraftBot Flow IDEX shows a sleek white metal structure. Its stylish look makes it ideal for engineering, rapid prototyping, industrial design, and small-scale manufacturing.

The printer dimensions are 25 x 17.7 x 21.2 inches (635 x 450 x 540 mm). It weighs 70.5 lb (32 kg). The spool holders are mounted on the sides.

Price

The price of the CraftBot Flow IDEX is $3,299.00, which is reasonable considering its functionality and multi-material capability.