Aleph Objects, Inc. was a small manufacturing company based in Loveland,
Colorado. Their business model focused around the development of
Open-source hardware
Open-source hardware (OSH) consists of physical artifacts of technology designed and offered by the open-design movement. Both free and open-source software (FOSS) and open-source hardware are created by this open-source culture movement and a ...
for
3D printing
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the Manufacturing, construction of a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design, CAD model or a digital 3D modeling, 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is ...
with full support for
Free and open-source software
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is a term used to refer to groups of software consisting of both free software and open-source software where anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source ...
.
LulzBot

The company is most well known for its LulzBot 3D printer product line, which although using some extruded aluminum railing and other mass-production components still remains true to
RepRap principles by having many components 3D printable.
Due to its fully
open source hardware and
open source software design, the LulzBot Taz 6 has received "Respects Your Freedom" certification from the
Free Software Foundation. In addition, the Lulzbot printers are often used in open-source tool chains on open source projects. For example,
Superior Enzymes
Superior may refer to:
*Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind
Places
*Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state
*Lake ...
used a LulzBot TAZ in fabricating an open source photometer for
nitrate
Nitrate is a polyatomic ion
A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...
testing. Similarly, Lulzbot 3D printers are used in projects to create low-cost prosthetic hands.
Due in a large part to relative ease of maintenance and use, Lulzbot printers are one of several desktop 3D printers have been recommended for libraries by reviewers. In its 2014 ''Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing'' special issue,
Make Magazine awarded the Lulzbot TAZ "best documentation" of all the hobbyist-grade 3D printers that were tested.
The TAZ 4 was released in early 2014 with several key improvements to the TAZ platform to make it more robust and capable. This included a newly engineered drive rod system, redesigned y-axis heated bed mounts, a 400 W power supply, and a fully assembled electronics case that would allow compatibility with subsequently released dual extruders. Its release was met with reviews praising its new engineering. The TAZ 5 was also rated higher than any other 3D printer on 3D Forged's list of best 3D printers. On June 15, 2014, a film crew from the Canadian-produced television show ''
How It's Made'' visited the company's headquarters in Loveland, Colorado. There, they filmed a segment featuring the LulzBot TAZ 4 3D printer, which aired in an episode of ''How It's Made'' on
The Discovery Channel in 2015.
On May 17, 2016, LulzBot released the TAZ 6, which featured such upgrades as, automated bed-leveling, automated nozzle cleaning, and an enclosed power supply, as well as improved firmware, support for new filament materials, a better heat sink, and more. In 3DForged.com's review of the TAZ 6, Brent Hale called the TAZ 6 "the best overall 3D printer I have ever used." However it was the less expensive model, the LulzBot Mini 2 that was named Best Intermediate Printer of the Year for 2019 by Tom's Guide. The Mediahq agreed, naming the Lulzbot Mini 2 the best 3D printer for enthusiasts in 2019.
LulzBot expanded its innovation in the field of 3D printing by using
collagen
Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole ...
, as collagen makes up every single tissue in the human body. In summer 2019,
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
created a functional 3D printed human heart tissue utilizing LulzBot's "FRESH" process.
In October 2019, due to cash flow problems, the company laid off 91 out of its 113 employees.
In November 2019, Aleph Objects announced that all of its assets have been acquired by Fargo Additive Manufacturing Equipment 3D (FAME 3D).
Other products
Aleph Object's business is focused around their line of 3D printers, as such, they also sell
plastic filament, printer accessories, and replacement parts.
See also
*
List of 3D printer manufacturers
*
RepRap Project
*
Slic3r
References
3D printer companies
Loveland, Colorado
Manufacturing companies based in Colorado
Fused filament fabrication
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