Josef Prusa posted a picture of what he called a “special” Benchy earlier this week
Admittedly, there’s not much to say here, but based on the look of the print, it seems like it could be printed from PEEK, PEI, or one of the other amber polyether-derived materials.
PEEK is a “high performance” material with excellent temperature resistance, chemical resistance and mechanical strength, as well as properties that make it in some ways stronger than steel – find out more in our PEEK guide. The material has a high melting point, making it off limits for consumer machine users. Even Prusa Research’s current range of machines is not suitable for printing with materials such as PEEK and PEI.
Could this “special” benchy mean that Prusa will release a PEEK filament (or similar Prusament filament) that can print at ~300°C? Such a material would reportedly be compatible with many Prusa devices, including the Prusa XL – the OEM’s most powerful (and most expensive) printer. However, printing with PEEK requires a closed build chamber to maintain a constant temperature – something the XL does not currently have. Could Prusa fix this too?
On the other hand, that’s a lot of steps for a new filament. So perhaps Prusa is on the verge of introducing an upgradeable hot end that can reach the high temperatures required for PEEK printing (typically between 370 and 450°C). This would certainly be an easier step, although it still doesn’t address the XL 3D printer’s lack of a heated enclosure.
Another one of our favorite theories? Haribo Prusament. Yes, you read that correctly. We all know Prusa’s tradition of including a package with the legendary German gummy bears in shipments. Could the OEM have mastered the secrets behind printing for home use? If so, then better in red. That’s the best taste.
Whatever Prusa’s upcoming announcement may be, it seems we’ll have to wait a few more weeks. The article refers to the Formnext trade fair, which takes place from November 7th to 10th in Frankfurt, Germany. There, it seems, everything is revealed.
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