France’s Reefgreentech is touting the first commercially available 3D printed fluidized reactor. As 3D printing is still gaining momentum and as the technology improves and the price gets more reasonable, we expect this to be more common and mainstream. The 1.8L reactor, with 10 x 9 x 38 cm dimension, is made from ABS and PMMA and designed to give the media a cyclonic churn. The reactor retails for around $68 USD.
3D printing is still rough around the edges but the beauty is being able to create unique designs layer-by-layer that is not possible with other technologies or are cost prohibitive due to having to set up molds and other costly production needs. We can see the LFS of the future (and we are hoping they are still here in the future!) having a 3D printer on hand and being able to print replacement parts (possibly on a royalty model). This could help hobbyists in a pinch when an essential part decides to break.
