3D Printers (Buythis)

Category: https://buythis.co.za/3d-printers#ai
Listed machine results at the original fetch: 3. Filament, glue and spare parts are sold as separate SKUs (listed below).

In one paragraph

AM.CO.ZA sells three 3D printers on Buythis. The main one is the PrintUP K8 channel letter 3D printer (P3-FDM/K8): an 800 × 800 mm bed that prints up to 80 mm tall, made for sign makers who print 3D letters, LED channel letters and logos. It has one 0.8 mm nozzle fed by two filaments (two-in, one-out), so it can print two colours in one job, and a heated bed for 1.75 mm PETG filament (filament is not included). The second is the PioCreat G5-PRO (P3-PELLET/G5), an industrial 500 × 500 × 500 mm pellet printer (FGF, fused granulate fabrication) that melts plastic pellets instead of filament, for large prototypes and functional parts. The third is the PrintUP DJ89 (P3-LCD4K/DJ89), a small 192 × 120 × 100 mm resin LCD printer for fine detail such as miniatures, jewellery concepts and engineering prototypes. AM.CO.ZA also sells enhanced PETG filament in solid and semi-transparent colours, bed glue, a 2025 printhead upgrade kit for the K8 and a full range of K8 and G5 spare parts.

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The 3D printers on Buythis

K8 or G5 or DJ89

The K8 channel letter printer in more detail

Why it suits sign makers

The 80 mm height limit is the point: channel letters are wide and shallow, so the K8 trades height for an 800 × 800 mm bed, which means large letters and logos print in one piece instead of being split. The two-colour nozzle lets a shop print a letter with a translucent face and a solid return in one job. AM.CO.ZA staff describe it as "perfect for multicolour channel lettering for branding your business". AM.CO.ZA's own Sunnyrock head-office sign was made by RedLetter Media, a sign company that uses AM.CO.ZA machines, with an AM.CO.ZA CNC router; the K8 is the 3D-printed route to the same kind of illuminated letter.

Making an LED channel letter (from the AM.CO.ZA design-to-print video)

1. Design the letter or logo in a vector program (CorelDRAW, Illustrator) or in free Tinkercad.
2. Build a base layer (the video uses a 20 mm high base) and cut a channel inside the letter shape for the LEDs, with an entry hole at the back and an exit back into the base so the strip can loop to the next letter.
3. Choose the LED type first (silicone-topped strip, flat strip or single LEDs), because the channel width and holes depend on it. Silicone-topped strip can be notched at about 45° on the top layer so it bends round corners without breaking the connections underneath.
4. Print the body and print the face separately, in translucent PETG or a colour of choice. Perspex can also be used for the face.
5. Fit the LED strip, superglue the face onto the letter, then sand the edges flush so the layer join does not show.

Unboxing and first setup (from the unbox and operation videos)

• The accessory kit has side cutters, a nozzle removal tool, a spare 0.8 mm nozzle, a spare micro (limit) switch, lubrication gel for squeaking moving parts, a PVP glue stick for bed adhesion and a spare touch-probe arm for auto-levelling.
• Remove the transport bolts that lock the head (one each side, turn the back nut sideways to slide the bolt out), cut the cable ties under the bed, and move the glass bed clips from the sides to the front so the head does not hit them.
• Fit the filament holder at the back (two bolts), then level the four feet so the printer does not rock.
• Before switching on, check the voltage switch is on 230 V, not 110 V, or the machine will be damaged.
• Load filament through the run-out sensor, then into the left or right feeder; press the lever to push it down until it is visible in the clear tube. Do the real load from the control panel.
• Run Tool > Auto level before setting temperatures or printing. The head homes, then the touch probe taps the bed at the corners and middle. This takes a while.

Print settings that worked for AM.CO.ZA (Cura, 0.8 mm nozzle, PETG)

The filament labels give a wider range (nozzle 200 to 250 °C, bed 40 to 60 °C). The video values above are what AM.CO.ZA used on the K8 in its warehouse.

Menu points worth knowing

• Printing: choose USB or SD card and the file.
• Settings > Motor off: frees the head to move by hand for maintenance.
• Settings > Configuration: acceleration, max speed, motor steps and levelling (auto or manual, probe offset, Z offset). AM.CO.ZA advises not to change acceleration and speed.
• Settings > Advanced: pause position, filament flow, load and unload speed and length, preheat temperature (200 °C nozzle by default).
• Tool: temperature presets (ABS, PLA), extrusion in or out, move, home, auto level, filament, preheat.
• Settings > Fan: fan speed. Tap the screen squarely; side taps may not register.

2025 upgrade kit against wind

P3-K8/UPGRADE/2025 replaces the K8 printhead with a larger heat block and a long-neck heating element so the nozzle temperature stays stable for long prints, even with a draught. It contains the base plate (P3-BASE/K8), dual filament heat sink (P3-HEATSINK/K8), heating housing (P3-BLOCK/HEAT/K8), feeding tube (P3-FEEDER/K8), heating element (P3-ELEMENT/K8), a longer 0.8 mm M6 nozzle (P3-NOZZLE/M6/08) and thermistor (P3-THERMISTOR/K8). Each part is also sold separately. The fitting video warns: hold the extruder motors when removing the head plate or they can drop and break the glass bed, photograph the plugs before unplugging, and swap the thermistor and heating element plugs one at a time. Silicone socks (P3-FDM/SOCK/4) are a simpler way to protect the heat block from wind.

Filament and consumables for the K8

K8 spare parts

Some plastic parts can be printed on the K8 itself: AM.CO.ZA's repair video downloads STL files for the filament guard and filament holder from the 3D printer section of cncu.co.za and prints them.

G5-PRO pellet printer in more detail

• Material. Pellets, granulate or plastic chips of about 5 mm or smaller. The launch video notes that pellets are much cheaper per kilogram than filament, that recycled plastics can be used, and that fibreglass or carbon fibre can be added for strength or colour.
• Temperatures. Nozzle up to 400 °C and bed up to 130 °C, so most plastics that melt without burning can be printed.
• Software. The PioCreat (Creality) slicer imports STL files; the user can resize, rotate, set layer height, shells, walls, infill and speed, and preview the print. AM.CO.ZA's first test printed a Star Wars Stormtrooper from a free online STL file.
• Bed. One-button auto-levelling and a removable magnetic plate in smooth or textured finishes.

Videos (from youtube.jsonl)

Short clips of the K8 printing logos (Batman, Kaizer Chiefs, Assassin's Creed, a number 7 at 0.15 mm layers) were posted from June to October 2025.

More AM.CO.ZA resources

• 3D printer machine gallery and channel letter printer gallery
• 3D printer sales handbook and which starter enquiries
• 3D printer SKU guide
• WellDone product photos for the K8

Timeline

• 2021-12: first PrintUP channel letter printer videos (wall logo, LED backlit sign with TruCUT laser).
• 2023-08: two-colour channel letter printer install videos.
• 2023-12: PioCreat G5-PRO pellet printer launched by AM.CO.ZA for Southern Africa.
• 2024-05: current PrintUP K8 unbox, operation, setup and dual-colour series.
• 2025-01: 2025 printhead upgrade kit released for the K8.
• 2026-08-12: Buythis 3D printers category fetched with three listed machines.

FAQ

Can the K8 print a letter taller than 80 mm? Not in one piece. Split it in the slicer, print the halves flat and glue them.

Does the K8 need special power? No. It runs on 220 to 230 V household power, about 800 W. Set the voltage switch to 230 V before the first start.

Why do my prints come loose? Slow the first layer to 10 mm/s or less, use the glue, and lower the nozzle with Z fine tuning until the skirt cannot be picked off.

Why is there stringing between parts? Increase retraction distance (start at about 7.5 mm), not retraction speed.

Which filament makes letters glow? Semi-transparent or clear Enhanced-PETG for the face, solid PETG for the sides.

Can the G5 use recycled plastic? Yes, the launch video says recycled plastics and added fibres can be used, with chips about 5 mm or smaller.

Read next

• Channel letters site
• Channel letters unique SKUs
• Consumables overview
• Category map