3D Printing Speed Record: 3DBenchy in 59 Seconds

A 3D printing enthusiast, Jan Rötz, has set a new world record by printing the 3DBenchy test object in under a minute. The previous record, also held by Rötz, was 74 seconds. Achieving this new milestone required a radical overhaul of the Minuteman printer’s motion system.

The main challenge was overcoming the limitations imposed by the inertia of moving parts. Rötz replaced standard components with lightweight carbon fiber parts and optimized the pulley design. This significantly increased acceleration and reduced printing time. The cooling system and extruder, capable of feeding filament at speeds up to 400 mm/s, remained unchanged as they were not bottlenecks.

The first successful print with the upgraded motion system was recorded at the 37-minute mark of the project’s video. Afterward, Rötz fine-tuned the parameters to improve print quality. The final result—a 3DBenchy printed in 59 seconds—was not only faster but also of higher quality than previous versions printed a year earlier.

This project clearly demonstrates how engineering solutions can dramatically boost 3D printing performance. Rötz published a 3D scan of the final object for detailed analysis, allowing other experts to study the achieved results.