3D printing technology has come a long way since its inception in the 1980s. What started as an experimental process is now an accessible and practical manufacturing method used by hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and major corporations alike.
As 3D printers have gained popularity, the market has exploded with affordable options for home and business use. Hobbyist printers can now be purchased for just a few hundred dollars. However, on the other end of the spectrum lie incredibly advanced industrial 3D printers with price tags in the hundreds of thousands or even millions.
These state-of-the-art machines offer capabilities far beyond desktop models. They combine high-resolution printing, exotic materials, enormous build volumes, and fast print speeds. The companies that manufacture them cater to Fortune 500 corporations, major manufacturing firms, aerospace and defense contractors, and other clients with deep pockets.
For organizations that want to push the limits of 3D printing, cost is no barrier to acquiring these high-end powerhouses. Even the “entry-level” industrial printers start at six figures. The most advanced models boast price tags rivaling luxury cars, homes, or even yachts.
So which 3D printers currently hold the title for most expensive in the world? Let’s look at some record-holding options and what exactly makes them so pricey.
VX4000 – The Titan of Large-Format 3D Printing
When it comes to expensive 3D printers, size matters. Printers with enormous build volumes capable of printing large-scale parts command huge price tags.
The VX4000 from Voxeljet is currently the world’s largest commercial 3D printer. This behemoth has a build volume measuring 4 x 2 x 1 meters, capable of creating parts up to 4 meters in length.
To put that into perspective, the average desktop 3D printer build platform is around 200 x 200 x 200 mm. The VX4000 offers a build area up to 800 times larger.
With this colossal build volume, the VX4000 excels at printing large molds, industrial patterns, sand cores, and functional prototypes. A variety of industries utilize these capabilities, including automotive, aerospace, art and sculpture, and architecture.
The VX4000 can print in a number of materials, including silica sand, PMMA plastic, and ceramics. It uses binder jetting technology, printing layer by layer and selectively depositing glue-like binder onto thin layers of material.
This giant 3D printer comes with an equally giant price tag. Base models start at $1.4 million, with prices climbing to over $2 million for certain options and configurations.
But for companies producing massive parts or high volumes of smaller parts, the VX4000 offers rapid prototyping and production at scales unmatched by any other printer on earth. This makes the multi-million dollar investment justifiable for the right clientele.
Prodways ProMaker V9 – Leading in High Precision
Build volume isn’t the only feature that drives up costs for industrial 3D printers. Precision and print resolution capabilities also differentiate high-end printers and play a major role in determining price points.
One of the world’s most precise 3D printers is the ProMaker V9 from French company Prodways. The ProMaker series focuses on high resolution combined with a reasonably large build area.
The V9 model offers dual-laser exposure for astonishing print precision down to 35 microns – over 2x the resolution of the average desktop printer. It achieves this extreme precision via stereolithography 3D printing.
The build area spans 300 x 300 x 300 mm, substantially larger than most high-resolution desktop SLA printers. Prodways claims the ProMaker V9 provides both the largest build volume and highest precision in its printer class.
This advanced printer is aimed at industries like dental and jewelry that demand incredible detail. It also excels at rapid prototyping of precision parts for aerospace, medical, and other engineering sectors.
Such high capabilities come at a steep price – $250,000 to be exact. But with ultra-fine resolution fused with a sizable build chamber, the ProMaker V9 is in a league of its own for precision 3D printing.
UnionTech RS Pro 8000 – The Pinnacle of Laser Sintering
Laser sintering 3D printers utilize high-powered lasers to selectively fuse powdered material layer-by-layer. The technology is prized for its ability to print durable and functional parts in industrial thermoplastic materials like nylon.
Leading the pack for laser sintering capabilities and cost is the RS Pro 8000 from UnionTech. This top-of-the-line system offers unrivaled size and speed.
The build chamber measures an enormous 1000 x 800 x 500 mm. Despite the huge capacity, the printer still achieves rapid printing with speeds up to 35 mm per hour. The RS Pro 8000 fuses these capabilities with high resolution down to 100 microns.
With its robust metal body and dual interchangeable build chambers, the RS Pro 8000 achieves the build volume and production capacity needed for true rapid manufacturing. It offers industrial-strength performance for automotive, aerospace, medical, and engineering firms churning out end-use parts.
The RS Pro 8000 starts at a cool $1 million, but that investment buys unmatched laser sintering capabilities. For companies able to make use of its high-volume rapid manufacturing abilities, the printer pays for itself in enhanced productivity and streamlined workflows.
Stratasys Fortus 900mc – Top-Notch FDM for Top Dollar
When it comes to industrial fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, the Fortus 900mc from Stratasys is a powerhouse without equal. It has earned a reputation as the highest-end, most capable FDM printer on the market today.
The Fortus 900mc is built on Stratasys’s patented FDM technology. This allows it to output functional prototypes and end-use parts in high-performance thermoplastics like ABS, PC, nylon 6, and ULTEM 9085.
With a build volume spanning 914 x 610 x 914 mm, it handles large parts with ease. Dual extruders let users print with dissolvable supports for complex geometries. The system also utilizes soluble support material that helps achieve fine details and smooth surfaces without impacting accuracy or part strength.
Stratasys developed the Fortus 900mc for demanding manufacturing applications like airplanes, car interiors, and medical devices. Its balance of part strength, surface finish, accuracy, and build volume make it ideal for organizations with strict precision and performance requirements.
A fully loaded Fortus 900mc rings up around $700,000. For companies regularly producing large, functional thermoplastic parts, the upgrade in efficiency and quality over a basic desktop FDM printer can quickly offset the initial investment. But make no mistake – this is a high-end system geared toward major manufacturing firms, not casual hobbyists.
3D Systems ProX 950 – Unmatched Multi-Material Capabilities
Advanced multi-material 3D printing drives costs upward quickly. Combining various materials in a single print requires advanced hardware and calibration techniques that typical printers lack.
That’s what makes the 3D Systems ProX 950 stand out. This top-tier printer utilizes Multi-Jet Fusion technology to achieve unrivaled multi-material printing capabilities.
The ProX 950 build chamber measures 380 x 330 x 250 mm. It can combines over 360,000 voxels per layer to deliver exceptionally fine detail, smooth surfaces, and crisp edges.
Its party piece is mixing various materials voxel-by-voxel to achieve unique mechanical properties and material compositions within a single part. The printer can also create diverse colors, textures, and gradients that would be impossible on other systems.
Applications span sectors like medical, aerospace, computer/electronics, and industrial manufacturing. The ProX 950 allows these industries to produce complex parts with advanced materials requirements tailored exactly to their needs.
To access these cutting-edge multi-material capabilities, buyers must pony up just shy of $500,000. For organizations constantly pushing the envelope of rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing, the ProX 950 is an invaluable tool. But more casual users will struggle to justify the nearly half-million-dollar price tag.
EOS M 400-4 – Next-Level Metal Printing Capacity
Most commercial metal 3D printers carry astronomical price tags, and the EOS M 400-4 is no exception. EOS designed this industrial system for serial production of metal parts on a grand scale.
The M 400-4 builds upon the company’s patented Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology. Using high-powered fiber lasers, it fuses fine metal powder layer-by-layer with precision down to 100 microns.
Its build volume of 400 x 400 x 400 mm can accommodate hundreds of small components per build. The system supports an extensive materials portfolio that includes stainless steels, copper alloys, tool steels, titanium alloys, nickel superalloys, and more.
The M 400-4 delivers elite-level accuracy, consistency, detail, and material properties – everything users expect in an advanced industrial metal printer. EOS developed it for workhorse reliability and around-the-clock operation too.
With all these capabilities combined into a high-volume production platform, the M 400-4 commands a staggering price tag approaching $1.5 million. But with its rapid metal printing abilities, the system pays dividends for companies able to keep it constantly churning out parts.
Takeaway: Cutting-Edge Capabilities Command Premium Pricing
The most expensive 3D printers in the world occupy a completely different class than desktop devices used by hobbyists and small businesses. They combine massive build volumes, ultra-high resolution, exotic multi-materials capabilities, and other leading-edge features.
These incredible capabilities enable them to take rapid prototyping and 3D manufacturing to new levels not possible on standard equipment. But such performance comes at a steep price – sometimes up to seven figures.
For Fortune 500 companies and advanced manufacturing firms, that price tag is well worth access to cutting-edge production not available elsewhere. But for general consumers just getting started in 3D printing, these systems are absolute overkill.
So while the recent explosion of desktop 3D printing has opened new doors for small business and hobbyists, the high end of the market remains dominated by these elite but astronomically expensive industrial systems. The likes of GE, Ford, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin will continue shelling out millions to operate on the leading edge of 3D printing technology using these incredible printers.
