BCN3D made their mark on the 3D printing industry by being one of if not the first major producer of Independent Dual Extrusion 3D printers. Their lineup now consists of three different models tailored for general use 3D printing or the needs of an engineering enterprise. There are multiple factors for each printer that might affect how you are able to use them, so today I have a helpful guide to walk you through comparing each of BCN3D’s Workbench and Desktop Series 3D printers.

Let's jump into it-

BCN3D Printers at a Glance

  • Build Volume
    • With a 50 Liter build volume (hence the name) the Epsilon W50 is the tallest printer in the lineup, but they do all have the same build plate size.
  • Footprint
    • Identical footprints over 2 feet wide means you need to be prepared for a full sized appliance, rather than a little desktop companion.
  • Extruder
    • Every printer uses E3D manufactured hotends and genuine Bondtech dual-drive gears in the extruder, so they are all winners here.
  • IDEX
    • All BCN3D printers pair two printheads to the same rail so you can use them at the same time to duplicate or mirror your 3D models, while still retaining normal dual extrusion functionality.
  • Temperatures
    • While they can all reach 300°C on the hotend, only the W27 and W50 can reach the high temperatures necessary for materials like ABS or PC.
  • Enclosure
    • If keeping temperatures stable around your 3D printer is important, then only the Epsilon W27 or W50 feature enclosure to lock the heat in.
  • Build Surface
    • A large flat glass build plate is used on each printer, which makes pairing Magigoo with the material being used an easy task.
  • Price
    • With slightly less features, the BCN3D D25 is the least expensive, and with every base covered the Epsilon W50 will be the most expensive.
  • Smart Cabinet

Build Volume

What’s rather unique about BCN3D printers is how comparable their build volumes are. Each BCN3D printer has a build plate 420mm wide and 300mm deep, with the big difference coming in terms of height. As the D25 is part of BCN3D’s Desktop Series of 3D printers, it has a relatively short build height, whereas you can get quite a bit higher with the Workbench Series with build heights of 220mm and 400mm for the W27 and W50, respectively. If printing as tall as possible is the goal, then you can’t beat the Epsilon W50, but if you’re printing mostly short, flat things, then the Sigma D25 is enough 3D printer to get the job done.

Every BCN3D has the same build plate size; only your height is dictated by your choice of model.
Every BCN3D has the same build plate size; only your height is dictated by your choice of model.

Footprint

Just as with their build volume, the footprint between each printer is the exact same, 690mm wide by 530mm deep and in varying heights. These are not 3D printers for the faint of heart as they are significantly larger than the 3D printers you might be used to seeing. Every machine is over two feet wide, so be prepared to find a suitable place for it to live in your workspace.

With the same build plate size that also means the footprint is exactly the same across each BCN3D printer.
With the same build plate size that also means the footprint is exactly the same across each BCN3D printer.

Extruder

The extruder setup for BCN3D printers is identical: an E3D manufactured hotend fed by an extruder utilizing Bondtech gears, a filament runout sensor, and the potential to feed filament into the extruder from within the machine or without. To really iron out the 3D printing experience, the hotends have been designed to be easily removable from either of the printheads with only a couple bolts and some quick disconnect plugs. Then you can just drop in your new hotend using a different nozzle diameter or even the HotendX with E3D’s abrasive resistant NozzleX already installed, and select the right Hotend through the menu to get settings straight. At the extruder, a machined aluminum housing encases dual-drive Bondtech gears with attached filament runout sensors. Below each sensor is a splitter, guiding filament from the internal filament mounting points (for 1kg or less spools) or from behind the printer (for over 1kg spools).

Undo a couple screws and a couple plugs and you can swap your hotend.
Undo a couple screws and a couple plugs and you can swap your hotend.

IDEX

As you may have noticed, a signature feature of every BCN3D printer is that there are two printheads, not just one. IDEX, or Independent Dual Extrusion, has two fully-featured print heads ride along the stainless steel cross bar but each have their own dedicated motor driving their X axis movements. Instead of a dual extrusion system with both nozzles on one print head, IDEX allows for the unused hotend to park off to the side, cool down and out of the way until it’s called upon to get back to printing, where it will then purge into a purge bucket, wipe off the nozzle, and resume printing. This entire process keeps the in-progress 3D print clean and free from any oozing or smearing from the unused nozzle. Alternatively, both nozzles can be used at the same time in duplication or mirror mode with both print heads moved over the build plate and follow the same movements (or mirrored movements) to bring the power of two 3D printers into one body for ultimate batch printing potential.

With two extruders, you can mirror, duplicate, or normal dual extrude your 3D prints.
With two extruders, you can mirror, duplicate, or normal dual extrude your 3D prints.

Temperatures

Because E3D manufactures every hotend, you know that they are made to the tightest tolerances, which means they aren’t going to simply be PTFE lined - these are all-metal hotends. Print as high as 300°C with these hotends without worry, In the two Epsilon 3D printers, the bed can easily reach as high as 120°C on their glass beds, but the Sigma D25 doesn’t have quite the same power to reach that level and can instead max out at 80°C. This does mean that for the Sigma D25, ABS 3D printing is out of the question with a bed temperature that low, but it’s still enough heat to reliably print with other engineering grad materials like PETG.

Both of the Workbench Series printers can reach a build plate temperature of 120C.
Both of the Workbench Series printers can reach a build plate temperature of 120C.

Enclosure

When it comes to printing with high temperature materials, consistent temperature in every part of the process is imperative; not only do you need the nozzle and bed to be at their optimal temperatures, you also need to make sure that the 3D print doesn’t encounter any sudden drafts. An enclosure is the quickest answer for this problem, simply lock all the hot air generated by the massive heated bed to passively heat the chamber to a toasty 60°C. This is a feature you will only find in the Workbench Series, so temperatures around your 3D prints with the Sigma D25 will need to be a little more careful to make sure parts don’t warp and that layers stay stuck together

The massive, powerful build plate passively heats the enclosure to a temperature perfect for warpy materials like ABS or PC.
The massive, powerful build plate passively heats the enclosure to a temperature perfect for warpy materials like ABS or PC.

Build Surface

BCN3D found their comfort zone with large glass plates. Each of the three printers features a huge piece of glass for the express purpose of being as uniformly flat as possible while also reliably spreading heat out across its surface. A tube of original formula Magigoo is included with every printer, but any other formulation works perfectly on the glass beds.

A huge sheet of glass provides a uniformly flat surface for your 3D prints while being a versatile platform to apply various adhesives to.
A huge sheet of glass provides a uniformly flat surface for your 3D prints while being a versatile platform to apply various adhesives to.

Price

With less bells and whistles, it’s clear that the Sigma D25 is the least expensive of the bunch, and with its size and list of features it’s just as clear the Epsilon W50 will top the list. When it comes to price its really a judgement call based on what materials you know you need to use and which features will make the difference in the success of your projects.

The massive Epsilon W50 is packed full of features that drives its pricetag to the top.
The massive Epsilon W50 is packed full of features that drives its pricetag to the top.

Smart Cabinet

While not directly a feature of these printers, the add-on Smart Cabinet is compatible with all of these BCN3D printers. The Smart Cabinet is an all-inclusive unit that is perfectly sized to fit your Epsilon or Sigma, has wheels for easy relocation, a pull out drawer for tools that doubles as a laptop stand, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and a humidity controlled drawer big enough for 8 standard spools or four large spools. Keep in mind the humidity chamber only works to prevent your filament from absorbing water in the first place, not reversing the absorption of it. Make sure as soon as you open a new spool you stash it in the drawer to start protecting it. Overall, the Smart Cabinet is a worthwhile investment if you want to turn your BCN3D printer from a machine into an industrial powerhouse.

Store your filament and keep it dry, stash your tools, and prepare your 3D prints all from the BCN3D Smart Cabinet.
Store your filament and keep it dry, stash your tools, and prepare your 3D prints all from the BCN3D Smart Cabinet.

IDEX is the feature that put BCN3D on the map and when it gets down to it there’s no other like these three printers. Hopefully you have a much better understanding of the differences between BCN3D’s latest innovations and can make an educated decision when choosing your own. To learn more and order your Independent Dual Extrusion platform today, check out the collection here.