BigRep launches ONE.5X with automated calibration, relay printing, and vibration compensation

BigRep has launched the ONE.5X, a major upgrade to its ONE large-format 3D printer, targeting unattended factory-floor operation. The system retains a roughly one-cubic-meter build volume but adds XYZ auto-calibration, adaptive bed leveling, relay-mode switching between extruders, and automatic sequential printing that detects available bed space to queue jobs without operator intervention. New pressure-advance algorithms and vibration compensation enable print speeds up to 250 mm/s while reducing print time by 10% without sacrificing dimensional accuracy. BigRep America president Jeff Olson stated the ONE.5X condenses over a decade of industrial large-format experience into a machine designed for consistent results regardless of user experience level.

This launch addresses a persistent gap in polymer AM: the transition from desktop prototyping to production-capable large-format systems that can run unattended overnight. BigRep competes with Stratasys (F900, Fortus series), 3D Systems (Figure 4, EXT 800), and Chinese vendors like Creality and Bambu Lab in the prosumer-to-industrial range, but the ONE.5X targets the specific pain point of labor-intensive monitoring that has limited adoption in industrial tooling and jigs/fixtures. The upgrade fits the broader pattern of industrial polymer AM moving toward automation and reliability rather than raw build volume - a shift that matters most for automotive repair shops, aerospace MRO, and factory-floor tooling where operator attention is the bottleneck. BigRep is also integrating continuous carbon-fiber reinforcement via Endless Industries and pellet extrusion via Massive Dimension, signaling a platform strategy that layers material capabilities onto a common hardware base.

For buyers evaluating large-format FDM/FFF systems, the ONE.5X reduces the hidden cost of operator supervision that often makes desktop printers cheaper per part than industrial machines. The real test is whether the automated calibration and relay printing hold up across long production runs with engineering-grade materials like PEKK and ULTEM - the ALTRA 280 platform with a 180°C chamber addresses that for high-temperature polymers, but the ONE.5X's polymer-MEX process still competes against injection molding for volume. BigRep must now prove the ONE.5X can deliver repeatable part quality across multiple shifts without the calibration drift that plagues large-format systems.