This machine was reviewed as part of our 2017 Desktop Fabrication Shootout. See more machines in our 3D Printer Guide and non-3D printer reviews here.
With a staggering five swappable tool heads, the all-in-one ZMorph 2.0 SX “Full Set” packs quite a punch card of possibilities. This CNC mill, laser engraver, and versatile 3D printer is surprisingly capable for those willing to dive in and get their hands dirty.
Powerful Printer
The beds, as well as some tool head accessories, are held in place magnetically, which worked quite well even against a few jams. Our prints turned out great and we were pleased with the ease of tool head swapping and the variety of capabilities. Even if this were only a 3D printer, it would be a welcome one in our collection, but we were just getting started.
Doing it all
Leveling the laser engraving head was a tad confusing, but the tool head itself was easy to use and we were quickly engraving and cutting to our heart’s content. The milling head was more challenging, but we were able to get it carving through wood, even without the tutorials to help us. Well-built and rugged, the paste extruder was mechanically up to task. Paste extrusion is a lot of experimentation, followed by the occasional success, and the 2.0 SX will allow you to get a few of those.
Using Voxelizer software for all of the tools is confusing at first, but after awhile the workflow starts to make sense, and the ability to easily switch between tools and use cases without having to switch software is a definite plus. Unfortunately moving away from 3D printing is where the documentation gap really starts to appear, but some tools were straightforward, and ZMorph seems to be constantly updating their tutorials.
One-Stop Machine Shop
The sheer variety of tool heads the ZMorph 2.0 SX provides is stunning, and the results lived up to expectations. As the documentation and software catches up over time this machine will only become even easier to use. While these hybrid machines all require a bit of sweat equity at these early stages to get them running, we found the 2.0 SX to be a solid offering — with more good things to come. If you are looking for a single machine to do it all, look no further.
Details
Manufacturer: ZMorph
Price as Tested: $3,890
Build Volume: 250×235×165mm with covers, 300×235×165mm open
Bed Style: Heated glass bed for printing. Comes with BuildTak, wooden, and metal beds for machining.
Filament Size: 1.75mm as tested (3mm capable)
Tool Head: 3D printing extruder, dual extruder, paste extruder, milling head, laser module
Open Filament? Yes
Temperature Control? Yes, bed (120°C max), extruder (225°C max)
Print Untethered? Yes (SD card, internal drive — unplug after USB, LAN port also available, and Wi-Fi)
Onboard Controls? Yes (LCD touchscreen)
Host/Slicer Software: Voxelizer recommended; Cura
OS: Mac Windows Linux (older version for Linux)
Firmware: Open source Smoothieware, GNU GPL
Open Software? Voxelizer is closed source but open source Cura is optional
Open Hardware? No (open source firmware but not all hardware is open source)
Maximum Decibels: 50.8
Pro Tips
Check the wiki — an ever-growing list of information and tutorials will
help get you on your way.
Take your time — don’t rush the setup and calibration.
Don’t risk it! Laser glasses for everyone in the room, or else!
Why to buy
A multi-use machine in sleek futuristic packaging netted us surprising results. While some details are still being worked out, we found a tool that did many jobs acceptably, and some great.
ADVERTISEMENT
