HORI Releases Their Biggest 3D Printer Yet, the Supersized Z1000

Clare Scott 18 Jan 2017

Last month, we heard again from Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd., better known as HORI. The Chinese 3D printer manufacturer is a company that never sits still; they’re continually developing new printers, as well as introducing new upgrades and improvements to their existing machines. When we checked in with them in December, HORI revealed two new improvements to their 3D printer line: a filament detector system and an uninterrupted power system with an auto resume function. Despite the appeal of the new features, however, what really piqued our interest was the announcement that the company would be releasing a brand new 3D printer soon.

At the time, all information about the new printer was being kept tightly under wraps; HORI hadn’t even revealed the name yet. But now they’ve unveiled their brand new machine, and it’s their biggest one yet – by far. With a build size of 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm, the HORI Z1000 is a giant among printers, large enough to produce small furniture. It’s also a very solid, sturdily built machine, featuring a metal frame and a glass print bed, and is just as user-friendly as the company’s other printers. It’s designed for “ultrastability,” according to HORI, and also safety and ease of use, with a fully enclosed print chamber and auto-adjusting print bed.

The HORI Z1000 includes all of the features recently introduced by the company, including last month’s new filament detector and uninterrupted power/auto resume functions as well as the FLOW extruder, a newly redesigned extruder optimized to prevent filament clogs and to print with flexible filaments in addition to the rest of the wide range of materials most HORI printers can accommodate. While it’s designed to print best with PLA, the Z1000 itself is capable of printing with multiple filament options, including ABS, HIPS, PETG, PVA, PE, PP, nylon, carbon fiber, and more.

Here’s a look at the Z1000’s specifications:

Dimensions: 1520 x 1621 x 1556 mm
Weight: 400 kg
Nozzle temperature: 170-260°C
Build size: 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm
Layer accuracy: 0.05 – 0.4 mm
XY solution: 0.01 mm
Z solution: 0.0025 mm
Print speed: 300 mm/s
XY axis speed: 18000
Z axis speed: 1700

You can take a closer look at the new HORI Z1000 below:

Users can print with either a USB connection or an SD card, and the printer features a large, 7-inch full color LCD screen with instructions in Chinese, English and Russian for easy operation. While HORI offers their own 3D printing software, the printer is also compatible with Cura, Slic3r and Skeinforge. Like HORI’s other 3D printers, the Z1000 can be upgraded to a dual-extruder model, the Z1000D.

HORI was in attendance at CES 2017 a couple of weeks ago, and it was an unequivocally successful showing, with interested crowds and media consistently surrounding their booth.

We were able to get a quick look at their booth as we made our rounds of CES, and they definitely appeared to be staying busy as they showed off the capabilities of their multiple printer models. The Z1000 is the company’s fifth 3D printer model; factoring in the dual extruder versions of each printer as well as the basic models, HORI now offers a total of ten printer options.

As HORI continues to grow and expand their product line, working tirelessly to bring new models and features to their customers on a regular basis, the company is looking for global distributors and buyers for their products. If you’re interested in becoming a distributor, or would like more details about the HORI Z1000 or other models, you can contact the company here.

We’re excited to see this dynamic company extend their reach overseas, and we will continue to follow their progress as they develop new products and improve existing ones. Discuss in the HORI forum at 3DPB.com.

New Upgrades to HORI 3D Printer Line Make 3D Printing More Stress-Free Than Ever

Clare Scott 6 Dec 2016

A few months ago, we took an in-depth look at one of the rising stars in the Chinese 3D printing industry. Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd., better known as HORI for their extensive line of 3D printers, isn’t a new company, having been established back in 2005, but in the last few years they’ve been growing steadily and rapidly with the introduction of a new 3D printer or printer upgrade on a regular basis. Their 3D printer line has grown to nearly a dozen models, on both the industrial and desktop level, and they’ll soon be adding another.

In the meantime, HORI continues to improve their existing line of printers with upgrades and enhancements. In October, they introduced the FLOW extruder, a completely redesigned extruder updated to prevent filament clogs and to accommodate flexible filaments for the first time. Now, the company has announced two new upgrades to their printer line, designed to help their customers print with as little stress as possible.

The first update involves filament again – this time, solving the dreaded problem of running out of filament mid-print. If you print on a regular basis, you’ve undoubtedly run into the issue at least once – you’re busy with something else, half-listening as your 3D printer hums away in the background, anticipating a quality finished print in an hour or so. However, when you go over to check on it, you discover that you’ve been out of filament for half an hour, and your printer has been laying down nothing but air over your half-finished print. Now you need to start over from the beginning.

HORI addresses this issue with their new filament detector system. Now, as soon as your printer runs out of material, it will beep loudly, alerting you that you need to add a new spool. If you’re out of the home or office, not to worry – as soon as the filament runs out, the print head will move into the home position, ready to resume from where it left off as soon as more material is added. Check out a quick demo below:

The second update also safeguards against the loss of partially finished prints. The new uninterrupted power system, or UPS, allows your printer to go on printing even after the power is disconnected. It involves a double electricity system, of sorts, with an inverter that provides constant voltage and frequency. If the electricity is cut off for any reason, such as a power outage, the printer continues to print, uninterrupted, thanks to the backup battery.

Of course, a battery can only last so long, so again, if you’re away from home when your dog or cat steps on the power strip and shuts it off, or if your power outage lasts all day and night, you’re still covered, thanks to the auto resume function. The printer will remember the point at which it left off, and resume printing from that point when the power is finally restored. See below:

The new upgrades have been applied to every printer in the HORI line, both the desktop and industrial models. Unfortunately, because the updates involved structural modifications to the printers, they can’t be added to customers’ existing models, but they definitely add extra appeal for new customers. And speaking of appeal, HORI has a brand new 3D printer coming soon, and it’s an exciting one. While the name of the printer hasn’t been released yet, and we don’t know too much detail, we do know that it’s going to be big, literally, with HORI’s largest build area yet. We can’t wait to tell you more about it soon! Discuss in the HORI Upgrades forum at 3DPB.com.

Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co. Upgrades HORI 3D Printer Line With New and Improved Extruder

Clare Scott 27 Oct 2016

We’ve covered a lot of promising Chinese 3D printing companies this year, a sure sign that the 3D printing industry in the country is really picking up. One of those companies is Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd., probably more commonly known by the name of their successful 3D printer line, HORI. A couple of months ago, we took a look at the HORI line, which includes a variety of both industrial and desktop 3D printers. Over the past year, their business has really taken off, accompanied by the opening of a new factory and skyrocketing sales figures.

HORI 3D printers, which are especially popular among students, may be high quality, as their sales suggest, but Beijing Huitianwei hasn’t used their success as an excuse to slack off. There’s always room for improvement, even in the best-performing printers, and anyone who has ever 3D printed anything knows that a printer is only as good as its extruder. A new extruder is, in some cases, almost as good as a new printer, so HORI fans will be excited to learn that the company has developed a new extruder that should improve their 3D printing experiences even more.

The newly designed FLOW extruder is aptly named, as its design reduces the occurrence of filament clogs, letting it flow smoothly without the headache of under-extrusion. The throat of the extruder is designed with a groove that guides the filament smoothly through, preventing jamming or bending. In addition, it extends the material capabilities of HORI 3D printers, which were already versatile, capable of printing with PLA, ABS, HIPS, PVA, PE, PP, PETG, wood, carbon fiber, nylon and more. With the FLOW extruder, however, the printers are now also able to easily print with soft, flexible materials such as TPU.

The FLOW extruder not only prints better but is overall easier to use. Unlike many conventional extruders, the FLOW has a modular design that makes it easy to install and uninstall, as well as to assemble and disassemble for cleaning. A square throatchoke module ensures perfect integration and prevents issues such as looseness or poor positioning. According to Beijing Huitianwei, the FLOW is essentially a “plug and play” extruder – once it’s mounted, which can be easily done without a professional, it’s ready to start printing flawlessly. Another selling point is an external heat dissipation structure that prevents heat conduction, keeping materials from overly softening as they are extruded.

The design of the new extruder reflects Beijing Huitianwei’s commitment to making 3D printing easy. Home 3D printer users shouldn’t need professionals for setup, maintenance and troubleshooting, the company believes, so one of their philosophies is to design everything so that the average user can easily maintain their equipment without frustration and stressed-out calls to customer service or technical support.

Recently, Beijing Huitianwei made their official debut in the European market, showing off several of their HORI 3D printers at IFA Berlin, Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, in September. The show attracted 240,000 visitors, giving Beijing Huitanwei a huge audience for their technology – and, the company says, that audience was very impressed, giving a lot of positive feedback that bodes well for Beijing Huitanwei’s entry into the European market.

They’ve certainly caught our interest, anyway. We’ll continue to follow this exciting, fast-moving company as they reveal their new technology and additional plans for expansion into foreign markets. If you have questions about the FLOW extruder or Beijing Huitianwei’s other products and services, you can contact the company here. Take a look at the video below to get a closer look at the design and performance of the FLOW extruder:

Beijing Huitianwei Technology Takes Chinese 3D Printing Market by Storm with Fast-Growing HORI 3D Printer Line

Clare Scott 30 Aug 2016

One of the most interesting countries in the 3D printing industry right now is China. We’ve been following the country closely as new developments continue to roll out; recently Chinese researchers announced that they are hoping to perfect 3D printed skin in the next few years, and a brand new metal printing technology got everyone’s attention when it was revealed in July. Beyond the groundbreaking research coming out of Chinese institutions, there are plenty of promising companies manufacturing 3D printers for the commercial market, too.

Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 as a research and development, production, sales, and services company. In the last five years, they’ve also become a major supplier to the Chinese 3D printing market, and they’re growing fast. Recently they went international, exporting to more than a dozen foreign markets including India, France and Russia; within China, their distributor network has grown to over 100.

The driver behind the company’s success? The HORI 3D printer line, which has grown to a multitude of models in just a few years:

Desktop printers:

HORI H1+/H1D/H2 series HORI M2 (Mini) HORI MR300+ HORI Z300/Z300D

Industrial printers:

HORI Z500/Z500D HORI X500/X500D

Beijing Huitianwei’s entry in the industrial 3D printer market came just last year, and that’s when business really started to explode, with annual sales revenue doubling and sales volume increasing by five times. A new factory was opened, covering 10,000 square meters and churning out 7,000 printer units per month. Often in the 3D printing industry, quantity and quality don’t necessarily go together, but that certainly doesn’t appear to be the case with Beijing Huitianwei. The sales speak for themselves, and the HORI printer line has become the most popular brand among students.

It’s easy to see why HORI 3D printers have become so popular. The selection is broad, with both single- and dual-extruder versions of most models available, and they’re all designed to be user-friendly, high-precision, and versatile enough for multiple markets. All models are capable of printing with a wide variety of materials, including PLA, ABS, HIPS, nylon, wood, carbon fiber, and more. Beijing Huitianwei has a wide cross-market appeal, but education has always been a particular focus, with the HORI M2 specifically designed for schools.

Beijing Huitianwei offers a large selection of filament, as well, including PLA, ABS, nylon, PVA, wood, and PETG in a broad range of colors. The company is by no means finished developing new printers and materials, either – in fact, they’re just getting started. Beijing Huitianwei has a lot of energy, and the expertise to back it up, with an experienced staff working closely with a number of domestic and overseas research institutions. A dedicated research and development center keeps the innovation flowing; if the company keeps producing at this rate, they’ll quickly become one of the most prolific companies in the 3D printing industry.

For a company that has only been in the 3D printing market for five years, Beijing Huitianwei’s meteoric success is astonishing. They have a strong leadership team behind them, though, in co-founders Hongqiang Zhang and Guorui Zhao. CEO Zhang, a member of the Project Management Institute, is a savvy businessman with an MBA and years of experience in marketing and enterprise management. Zhao, a PhD in mechanical engineering, has worked in the fields of machine manufacturing, automation control and industrial design for over 40 years, with several patents attributed to him.

Beijing Huitianwei, for that matter, has no shortage of patents as a company. Although they may be relatively new to the 3D printing market, they’re certainly not a novice organization. Over the 11 years they’ve been in business, they’ve made quite a name for themselves in the software and electronics markets, with multiple invention and utility model patents, plus numerous software copyrights, not to mention CE, FCC and ROHS certifications. More than 20 patents and copyrights were certified in 2013 alone, in fact.

The focus now, then, is on expansion. A new overseas marketing team was established this year, and a strong presence has been established in the online market. If you’re interested in becoming a distributor, contact the company through their website or at their Shanghai or Beijing offices. You can also meet up with Beijing Huitianwei at one of several trade fairs over the few months; they’ll be at IFA Berlin 2016 September 2-7, Guangzhou International 3D Printing Industry Exhibition September 20-22, and ASEAN in Bangkok November 4-6. Stop by and say hello! Discuss further in the HORI 3D Printer forum over at 3DPB.com.

Chinese 3D printer Hori is ready for European Market

Jenny Shang 25 Aug 2016

Our team here at 3D Printing Industry recently profiled the CEO of the Chinese 3D printer brand, Hori and now, their printer, the Hori Z300 has been authorized by EU RoHS and is ready to enter into the European market.

EU RoHS is a mandatory legal standard set by the European Union. RoHS is short for Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and it specifies the material and process standards of electronic and electrical products for better health and environment protection.2Hori has been preparing to enter into the European Market for a long time in order to reach this strict standard. It is said that there has been a fierce domestic competition among Chinese 3D printers and what’s won would definitely be an excellent brand in the market.

To ensure the greenness of every spare part, Hori Z300 is disassembled from the whole and its spare parts are dissolved. It has gone through an entire environmental inspection with 380 tests. The result is that this type of printer qualifies the standard of the EU, which means European consumers will have one more choice for their 3D printer in the near future.

According to the result, the spare parts including the glass, sensor, on/off switch, spring, connector, touch net, battery, PCB, fan plastic shell, feed roller, heating plate, stepping motor, stand, and ball screw are all tested strictly with their hazardous substances under the specified value.

Hori is developed by Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd. Established in 2005, Beijing Huitianwei Technology is a comprehensive enterprise incorporating R&D, production, sales and service. Since 2011, Huitianwei Tech has been focusing on the innovation of 3D printing technology and has been committed to providing customers with convenient operation, cost-effective, high quality 3D printers.

Over the past few years, Huitianwei Tech has obtained patents of various models and software. The stability and precision of Hori 3D printers has been highly praised around the country.

Since 2014, Huitianwei has been focusing on the expansion of the online and international market. Until now, Hori 3D printer series has been successfully settled in B2C platforms such as Alibaba, Taobao, Jingdong, Suning, etc. In addition, the company has set up long-term trade cooperations with customers from Russia, France, India and ten other countries and regions.

We are looking forward to seeing its launch in the European market.

HORI 3D Printers are shifting industry standards in China

Alicia Miller 25 Aug 2016

When considering the advancements made through 3D printing technologies it is important to recognize the existing production market that can potentially see a real shift in the tides. In China, this market exists like nowhere else. With a reigning dominance on mass production and manufacturing, it’s quite interesting to watch additive manufacturing unfold as a real competitor in the field. As manufacturing processes move from outdated technologies to on-site production, industries are quickly adjusting. It may have taken a while but China will, unsurprisingly, eventually surpass the US in 3D printer sales as they steadily join the trend.

This leads me to one Chinese company who chooses to focus on the innovation of 3D printing technology as it gains market popularity in the real time. HORI, a 3D printer brand under Beijing Huitianwei Technology Co., Ltd, began developing their first 3D printer in 2011. Since then, their annual sales rate has increased by 5 times. The company has celebrated many additional milestones in the past five years thanks to a booming industry and an unwavering philosophy dedicated to pioneering the 3D printing field in China. After talking to HORI’s CEO, we learned more about where the company stands in the complex arrangement of emerging markets and aging ways of business. Read on below to find out more from our exclusive interview.

3D Printing Industry: Who are you? What’s your background?

Zhang Hongqiang: My name is Zhang Hongqiang, CEO of HORI. I have been working in electronic and IT systems for more than 15 years. Our key team members have worked together for 10 years. In 2005, we started in Zhongguancun, the Silicon Valley of China, in which we focused on software and electronic product applications. Since 2011, we have predicted the boost of the 3D printing market and developed our initial 3D printer and software.

3DPI: How did the idea of HORI 3D come to you?

ZH: Actually we noticed 3D printing long before our initial 3D printer was built up. Some of our IT tasks involved 3D designing. That is, until Mr Zhao – who has been in mechanical design and manufacturing for 30 years – came to me. After a short discussion, we realized that our research team is perfect for 3D printers. As more media reports, the concept of 3D printing expanded so fast. So we decided to begin our 3D printing business to meet strong demand in the future.

3DPI: What’s your ultimate goal, professionally and personally?

ZH: I like 3D printing very much, and always assemble and disassemble printers by myself. It’s interesting to find the products deficiencies we have. So personally, I want HORI to be the best 3D printing brand in the world. But professionally, I want 3D printers to be used everywhere in our daily life. As more kinds of 3D printers are designed and produced, our life will be changed by this magical machine.

3DPI: How many employees do you currently have and who are your key players?

ZH: As of now, we have almost 90 employees. They work in product designing and producing, IT programming, marketing, sales and after sales departments. Our factory covers more than 10,000 square meters with monthly production capacity up to 7,000 units. All those visible and invisible resources are controlled by our key members. This dream team will create more in the future.

3DPI: How will HORI contribute to the rapidly increasing 3D printing market nationally and globally?

ZH: HORI is a professional 3D printer manufacturer. Since 2005, we focused on 3D printing technology innovation, and are aiming to offer the best quality and high performance-to-price FDM 3D printers. We all know 3D printers are a tool, like computers. It allows people to realize their imagination. So this market was molded by how many people are using it in their daily life and work. To satisfy more kinds of demand, we developed seven series with different build sizes. Those models are applicable in education, design, art creativity, building modeling and so on. 3D printing techniques upgrade very fast. So our slogan is “Technique to the world”.

You should know that all the details of our 3D printers were designed and produced by HORI itself. We have the best research team, and we invest 60% of our annual profit into innovation. We’ve developed a slicing software, HORISS, which has been widely used. In the coming couple of months, we are going to release the new HORI nozzle system and new industrial models. Those continuously renewed products and software are our best contributions to the 3D printing industry.

3DPI: How do you think China differs from other contries who are affected by the rise in 3D printing products and services?

ZH: The 3D printing industry is young compared to traditional areas. China and other countries started almost at the same time to push this innovation. On the user side, they showed almost no difference. More and more Chinese users realize the creativity of 3D printing, and they have combined it with their work. It’s becoming especially popular with independent creators.

On the supplying side, China does have difference because China is the foundation of industry producing. The time has gone that “made in China” represents low quality. For the 3D printing market, there are many superior innovation teams in China, like HORI. They realize the importance of new techs and are willing to put them into practice. So the production ability of Chinese suppliers is stronger, and the quality and techniques are getting better and better.

3DPI: Does HORI face competition from mass producers in China? How are you combatting this?

ZH: Honestly, yes. But we should be clear about the structure of it. As a brand owner and manufacturer, HORI insists on researching and producing totally by ourselves. We have more than 20 products and design patents, and have independently developed slicing software. To some extent, most suppliers do not have such abilities and research teams. Our team members have worked together for more than 10 years. That’s why we can renew our hardware and software so fast, and it’s also the key to be a leading brand in 3D printing area.

3DPI: Do you think 3D printer providers like HORI are a significant theat to the large mass production market that China is know for?

ZH: Threat is not the role we want to play. Cooperation and close discussion with other providers is what we need. This is also the only way to expand 3D printing into more areas. HORI maintains good relationships with many suppliers. We are eager to learn more, to understand our deficiencies, and to listen to customers. We’d like to create more together with competitors, and would also like to share our experiences.

3DPI: Do you believe this change in production level will hurt or help China in the future? Why?

ZH: The change in production level will help China in the 3D printing industry. Let’s see, for example, the mobile phone market. Chinese brands are expanding so fast because of their good quality and new designs. But we all have to be careful about the vicious competition. Each brand owns a special spirit and company obligation. HORI aims to provide high performance-to-price 3D printers, which ensures better using experience and stability. We hope all the providers can insist on our special features, and make 3D printing a more popular and diversified market.