3D Designer at Total 3D Printing

Jodie is a cross-functional 3D designer and blogger. She has special interests in open source 3D printing for R&D and has spent a lot of time at different projects across the globe to learn more about 3D printing. Most of what she has learned is from hands-on experience.

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In our Intamsys FunMat HT review, we’re going to go over why this particular 3D printer is a solid choice for small businesses on a tight budget.

While there are many affordable 3D printers out there that are mainly aimed at hobbyists and for personal use, the cost of a 3D printer to print engineering-grade objects can often be very high.

One of the main reasons for this is that industrial 3D printers need to reach much higher temperatures than those that are used at home, and they generally need to be in operation much longer and more frequently as well.

The Intamsys FunMat HT is made in Shanghai, China, and for a small business, it offers a powerful 3D printer that doesn’t have the same high cost as some other models. Does that mean that it is as good as the 3D printers that have a higher price tag?

Let’s find out.

Intamsys FunMat HT – Key specifications

We’ll go more in-depth with the main features of this 3D printer later on but here are the key specifications of the Intamsys FunMat HT.

You may find our informative 3D printing glossary useful if you are new to 3D printers or if you are not sure what some of the terms mean.

Core features of Intamsys FunMat HT

The Intamsys FunMat HT comes with a wide range of features that you’d expect with a 3D printer that has been designed for engineering materials. We’ve compiled the core features of this 3D printer.

Design

This 3D printer has a pretty sleek and understated design, and it doesn’t take up a massive amount of space either. This is pretty useful for small businesses who perhaps don’t have a ton of room to store and use a 3D printer. However, one thing to note is that this printer is pretty heavy and weighs a lot more than you probably expect it to.

While the base model is highly effective at printing engineering-grade objects, there are some upgrades that you can get. This includes a significant upgrade to the extruder with an extruder connector kit, and the borosilicate glass can be upgraded to one made from a glass-ceramic construction.

High-temperature hot end

One of the big selling points to the Intamsys FunMat HT is the high temperatures that it can reach, and this is what sets it apart from the many of the other 3D printers that are mainly designed for home use.

The hot end is made from an all-metal construction, and it can reach temperatures of up to 450 °C, which is ideal for printing off high-end materials. This means that the filament types that this 3D printer supports, such as PEEK, Carbon Fiber-filled metal, PLA, ASA, and PETG, will print off to a high quality without any problems.

Heated filament chamber

Another fantastic feature of the Intamsys FunMat HT is the heated filament chamber.

This 3D printer offers a dedicated insulated chamber that is kept at a steady temperature of 90 °C, so this keeps your prints consistent. It is one of the benefits of a 3D printer in this price range, and you won’t usually find this on printers that are designed for home use.

High temperature bed

Like the high-temperature hot end, the bed can reach up to 160 °C (C Heated Build Plate).

If you have ever used a 3D printer that can’t reach high temperatures, you will probably have experienced curling and warping of prints on occasion. With the Intamsys FunMat HT, this won’t be a problem due to the high temperature that the bed can reach, and the two glass beds which have a magnetic connection mean that when the print has cooled, it can be easily removed from the print bed.

You can also upgrade the bed from the stock borosilicate glass to a ceramic glass model.

In chamber camera

A really good feature of this 3D printer is the in chamber camera.

A lot of 3D printers don’t give you the ability to monitor how your 3D printers are progressing in real-time. This means you can’t keep a close eye on how your print is turning out. You probably aren’t going to want to do this constantly because many 3D prints, particularly when you are printing engineering-grade materials, can take hours so you’ll want to go off and do something else.

That being said, the in chamber camera on the Intamsys FunMat HT is a really good feature that means you can watch your prints as they are developing. As a small but powerful addition, it will help you to create more accurate and high-quality prints on a consistent basis.

Back up power tool

Another core feature of this 3D printer is the fact that it has a backup a power tool.

In the event that you have a power cut, the last thing you want is for the print that has been processing for the last 3 hours to be ruined. With the Intamsys FunMat HT, if you suffer an unexpected power loss, the printer will not only save your print, but it will move the extruder to a neutral position as well.

So, when the power comes back, you can essentially start where you left off, and your print should still come out at the same high quality as if there was no interruption.

Software

There are a number of open source 3D printers out there that can utilize a number of software applications to operate the printer, and for the Intamsys FunMat HT it is recommended to use the manufacturer’s software called Intamsuite. You get a license for this software when you buy the printer.

You can also use Cura, which is an open-source slicer for 3D printers as well. In terms of operating systems, Windows, Linux, and Mac are all compatible with the software for this 3D printer.

How does the Intamsys FunMat HT perform?

This 3D printer has been created for high-grade engineering materials, so we’d expect it to perform to a higher standard than many of the other 3D printers we’ve reviewed that are not only cheaper but also designed for hobbyists and occasional use.

One of the best tests to find out how a 3D printer performs is the Benchy Test.

This is where we give the 3D printer a complex model to print to see how it comes out. Overall this is one the best performing 3D printers with the Benchy Test that we have come across. The model came out to an incredibly high standard with great precision, accuracy, and a very good time as well.

We kind of expected this given the market that this 3D printer is aimed at, but we were still a bit surprised at how well the model was printed.

Pros of Intamsys FunMat HT

This 3D printer has many plus points that make it a high-quality printer combined with an affordable price.

• High-temperature printing – Unlike most 3D printers that are designed for individuals, the Intamsys FunMat HT is aimed at small businesses, and because it is used to print off high-grade materials, it needs to reach a high temperature to do that. The fact that the hot end can reach up to 450 °C and the bed can reach up to 160 °C is a major pro for this model.
• In chamber camera – Being able to continually watch your prints as they progress isn’t a feature you get on a lot of 3D printers, but it does come with this one. The in-chamber camera is a great addition to an already well-rounded printer and is ideal for ensuring your prints come out accurately.
• Back up power tool – Similarly, experiencing a loss of power mid-way through a print can be devastating in most cases and results in poor quality prints or having to start the whole process again. The Intamsys FunMat HT has a safeguard procedure where the print is saved, and the extruder moved so it can start back up again as if nothing happened.
• Cost-effective model– Printing engineering-grade models and using engineering plastics usually means you need to spend a lot on a 3D printer. The Intamsys FunMat HT isn’t exactly ‘cheap’; however it costs much less than a lot of other 3D printers that do the same job so it can be a cost-effective model for small businesses or individuals with a bit of money to spend.

Cons of Intamsys FunMat HT

Even though this 3D printer offers a great entry route into using engineering-grade materials without having an extraordinarily high price, there are some drawbacks.

• Difficult upgrades – We’ll use the extruder upgrade as an example. It is possible to upgrade the extruder with an extruder connector kit; however, the process is certainly not easy. Accessing the circuit board is hard, and many people have damaged pins and parts of the printer trying to do so.
• Slow support – Compared to some other 3D printer manufacturers, Intamsys aren´t the quickest at getting back to you. They do offer phone support, which is a bonus, but email and their contact form can mean you need to wait several days for a response.
• It is a heavy printer – Most 3D printers aren’t exactly lightweight however the Intamsys FunMat HT is extremely heavy. Not that you’ll probably be moving it much, but if you do need to move it around, it won’t be easy.
• No WiFI connectivity – One big downside with this printer is that it doesn’t support WiFi connectivity. Even though you find WiFi connectivity on less expensive printers, they won’t print to the same high quality as this mode.

FunMat HT Alternatives?

Intamsys FunMat HT Enhanced

The FunMat HT Enhanced version offers some significant advantages. Namely, the HT Enhanced version sports auto bed-leveling 3D printing technology (build plate leveling), upgraded software bed motion automation, and a removable build plate / build platform (ceramic glass platform) with magnetic attachments.

If these features are important to your printing uses, it’s well worth getting the FunMat HT Enhanced edition.

CreatBot PEEK 300

One of the defining features of the Intamsys FunMat HT is the fact that it offers a cost-effective high-quality 3D printer. The CreatBOT PEEK 300 is about the double price, which may rule it out as an alternative to some; however, it is worth mentioning.

Like the FunMat HT, this is a Chinese construction, and it is ideal for printing PEEK and engineering-grade materials. The hot end temperature goes up to 500 °C, and the bed can reach 200 °C, and it also provides a nozzle liquid cooling system (useful for some material and printing use cases).

If you have a bit more money to spend, then this is a credible alternative, although it might be out of the price range if you are looking for an affordable option.

Ultimaker 3

At the opposite end of the price spectrum, the Ultimaker 3 comes in a bit cheaper than the FunMat HT.

It won’t reach the same high temperatures – it has a max hot end temperature of 280 °C, which is significantly below the FunMat HT but still opens it up to being able to use engineer-grade materials although it won’t print to the same high standard.

If you are really on a budget, this 3D printer can be an alternative, but it may be worth paying out the extra money for the FunMat HT.

You can read our Ultimaker 3 comparison here.

Why Go With the Ultimaker 3? | Matter Hackers

I’ll be honest, the Ultimaker 3 is one of my FAVORITE 3D Printers of all time. Not trying to hype it, but it’s still the go-to for reliable performance and durability over time. It actually gets BETTER the MORE you use it… Weird!

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Frequently Asked Questions about the FunMat HT

Final thoughts on the Intamsys FunMat HT

The main thing that people focus on with this particular 3D printer is the price. It comes in well under many other 3D printers that do the same job, and while it lacks some of the frills and features of other printers, it still prints high quality models.

I suppose that is the big selling point. For small businesses on a budget or even individuals who do have some money to spend, the Intamsys FunMat HT can produce very high-quality prints with high-grade materials such as PEEK, PLA, ASA, and PETG for around half the price of other 3D printers in the market.

The Intamsys FunMat HT does have some drawbacks. The lack of WiFi connectivity, the fact that it is strangely heavy even for a 3D printer and their support, could be quicker in responding; however, it still gets a solid 8/10.

If you want a budget option for printing from high quality materials as well as some great features like the in chamber camera, the back up power tool, and the software, you can do a lot worse than opt for the Intamsys FunMat HT.

Further Reading on Intelligent Additive Manufacturing Systems & 3D Printing: