Pico Hybrid Hot End Launches on Kickstarter!

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Story Pico Hybrid is an upgraded hotend for your 3D printer.  Pico Hybrid improves your printer’s reliability, expands the types of materials you can print with, and lets you reach higher print speeds. Stiff, weak joints on conventional heater cartridges can cause wires to break, leading to print failures.  Pico Hybrid’s right-angle, metal-reinforced wiring ensures […]

Wainlux K6-Kickstarter Laser Engraver

Meet The Wainlux K6

We found this intriguing project on kickstarter and would love to test and review one and are tempted to back it, if the budget permits.

It’s time to leave the large expensive engraver behind. Start with a Wainlux K6 and bring it with you where you go. It’s the perfect portable art studio you can bring anywhere! 

 Engrave Your Design On Almost Any Object 

Wainlux is simple to set up, easy-to-use, and extremely stable. Its powerful laser is capable of engraving your designs clearly and quickly on almost any surface, from wood to rubber. Unleash your creativity with the world’s most compact, powerful, and easy-to-use engraver.

Simple Connect. Smart Control

Just connect your computer or smartphone to the engraver to start creating!  Using either a cable or Wi-Fi, once you connect you’ll select your design in the App and start the engraving process.

Ace engraving

Connect with your phone through WIFI by using the Wainlux APP (Ace engraving). It’s easy to use and lets you edit your photos and design without needing a computer. 

Using the WIFI connection with high speed and stable transmission won’t be limited by distance and it’ll provide more functions. You will also have two modes to set up the WIFI: 1) Wainlux K6 will create a WIFI hotspot network for you to connect to; 2) Wainlux K6 can be connected to your local network via WIFI and your devices can connect to Wainlux K6 as long as they are in the same network.

You can also connect via USB to connect your Windows or Mac computer. Once connected you can edit your designs with our software, where you can easily transform your photos into a creative engraving.

Preview and Engrave

Wainlux K6 projects a preview of your image on the surface before engraving! It displays the planned size of the engraving, making it super easy to see where your finished project will be located. Users are able to adjust the size and position of the laser. Once it’s lined up to your object, just press START to begin creating!

What Everyone’s Saying About Wainlux K6

Note: The laser’s power should be 3000mW and the Engraving Area should be 8cm x 8cm or 3.14 inch x 3.14 inch.

Small Size. Powerful Laser.

Leave the large pricey Engraver behind and bring your Wainlux K6 with you where you go. It’s the perfect tiny art studio you can bring wherever you go!

Its 3000mW laser power makes it 3x faster and more powerful than any other portable engraver. It makes engraving on harder surfaces a breeze!

Built For Safety

  •  Laser Shield:  Built-in protective lenses means you don’t have to wear safety glasses or attach independent shields. We wanted to create something you can set up quickly without giving up on safety.
  •  Movement Protection: Using a sensitive 3-axis accelerometer for motion deception, it will notice an accidental movement during operating, and Wainlux will shut down immediately.
  •  Overheating Monitoring: Wainlux works in any environment with enough heat dissipation. If the inner temperature approaches its heat threshold, Wainlux turns itself off for user and device safety.
  •  Safe For Engraving Food: Laser engraving on the surface of food won’t cause any chemical reactions and toxicity. With a low laser power, it’s just burning the food surface. The food is 100% safe to eat.

Engrave On Any Size

Thanks to its innovative rail and baseless design, the Wainlux can engrave objects of any size so long as they are kept horizontally stable under the laser’s XY axis.

One-Click Offline Engraving

The mobile phone or computer can work continuously in an offline state, and at the same time, the last pattern can be memorized and manually engraved. Easy to duplicate the engraving work or bulk work without re-setup.

By including a One-Click Button for offline engraving, you can set your Wainlux to engrave without a constant connection.

High Value. Low Price.

 How K6 Improves On Previous Models 

Many cheap laser engravers on some e-commerce websites are using our old ODM solution for Wainlux K2 / K4 a few years ago. Wainlux K6 is the lastest of our ODM solution.  It has been upgraded connection to smartphone App via WIFI from Bluetooth and increased the laser power to 3000mW. With the brand-new closed hidden design for the machine body include an electric motor and circuit board, the new design makes the product more compact and stable. The new power supply solution that has the certificate of CE,uL,PSE,KC provides more stability of power output. Also, the stroke switch has been developed to enhance productivity (open the machine and automatically reset to detect the maximum engraving area of ​​the product).

Maximum Customization

Manual Focus (manual control of focal length; has an accuracy of up to 0.01mm) allows you to get a deeper or better engraving with a little bit of extra work.

The best engraving distance is 3-5cm and manually rotating the focal length allows you to control the best position and accuracy of the blue light laser.

Enjoy full control of your Wainlux K6 with Directional Control (adjustable laser head) letting you move the head up, down, left, and right according to your need. You can even start and pause to make the operation easier and fit your schedule.

Durable Design

The built-in exhaust van stops any smoke from the engraving process from affecting the final design, protects the lens of the laser, and helps to dissipate heat. And with additional heat sinks, the Wainlux works for up to 8 hours continuously without overheating while maintaining strict safety standards.

Hundreds Of 5-Star Reviews On Our Old Models

With the successful development of the K1/K2/K3/K4 series, the Wainlux team has years of experience in laser engraving technology. The Wainlux K4 series was a hit with users and received hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon.

How To Use Wainlux K6

 project video thumbnail

Software on Computer

 project video thumbnail

Smartphone App

 project video thumbnail

Wainlux K6 Specifications

  • Weight: 0.9 Kg
  • Product dimensions: 172mm * 172mm * 162.5mm or 6.77 inch * 6.77 inch * 6.39 inch
  • Engraving time: 5 mins to 1 hour depends on the size of the image, power, and depth
  • Engraving area: 8cm * 8cm or 3.14 inch * 3.14 inch
  • Laser Source: OSRAM semiconductor blue color laser
  • Lifetime Estimation 10000 hours
  • Laser Output: 100 level adjustable max 3000 mW
  • Routing Speed: 1500 mm/min maximum
  • Resolution: 508 dpi adjustable
  • Materials: ABS + Aluminum alloy
  • Supported File Format: JPEG/ JPG/ PNG/ BMP
  • App Connection: Wifi network
  • App OS: iOS 10+; Android 4.4+
  • Computer OS: Mac OS 10.13.+; Windows 7/8/10/Vista/XP
  • Power Input : AC 110-220V, 47-63Hz

What You’ll Get

We provide the standard outlets used in different regions of your choice, including UK, UE, AU, US. We will match you with the standard plug of the corresponding region as per the delivery address you provide.

 Share the “Wainlux project” to the social platform and get 12% cashback by using Kickbooster.

 The Wainlux Production Process 

FDA/CE/FCC

Wainlux K6 has registered with the FDA (Accession Number: 2010047-000). Wainlux K6 is a Class 2 Laser product with CE, FCC, and other certifications. This means we are experts in laser requirements. 

About Wainlux 

Xinjia Laser Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional R&D, sales, and production company of microlaser equipment. We have been helping Amazon sellers and offline channels for ODM and OEM. We hope to launch the Wainlux brand further and innovate our products through the powerful platform, Kickstarter. We have been recognized by the European and American markets since we developed the K3 / K4 series. Now with the powerful Wainlux K6, we hope that many more users in need are satisfied with our products.

This project is promoted by Green Inbox

Want to write about us?

Risks and challenges

We have been helping Amazon sellers and offline channels for ODM and OEM. We hope to launch the Wainlux brand further and innovate our products through the powerful platform, Kickstarter. We have been recognized by the European and American markets since we developed the K3 / K4 series. Now with the powerful Wainlux K6, we hope that many more users in need are satisfied with our products. Wainlux K6 has registered with the FDA (Accession Number: 2010047-000). Wainlux K6 is a Class 2 Laser product with CE, FCC, and other certifications. This means we are experts in laser requirements. We will ship products worldwide where our logistic partners can ship to, with the exception of Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, and Libya. We’ll be working in manufacturing at the end of July in advance and will get started to ship out the products once we receive the backers’ information. We are fully confident in production quality. However, unforeseen conditions in our production or delivery process might arise which may cause delays. If anything unpredictable happens, we will keep backers informed as we try our best to solve the problem. The delay risk is fairly minimal because all Wainlux K6 will be produced in July.Learn about accountability on KickstarterQuestions about this project? Check out the FAQ

Stacker3d Launches Impressive 3d printer on Kickstarter!

stacker3d printer

Introduction

In the past few months the world has seen the power of 3D printing in action. As Covid-19 continues to disrupt and overwhelm global supply chains the 3D printing community has stepped in to fill the gaps with masks, face shields, swabs, ventilator parts, and more. The importance of local and on-demand manufacturing has never been more clear.

Face Shields – model by 3DVERKSTAN

Imagine if every small business, college, hospital, or fortune 500 company had just one 3D printer? Of five of them? Just imagine the impact this would have. It’s time for all industries to get involved with 3D printing. It’s time to establish your own manufacturing plant. Your own print farm. Your own creative space. It’s time for you to get the essential office machine.

from Prototype to Production the F1 has you covered

Essential Machine – Essential Accessories

We are proud to introduce our new F1 3D Printer and line of F-Series accessories. It’s where high performance meets incredible value. We did our best to infuse the F1 with best-in-class safety, print quality, and reliability. It’s also the most affordable industrial grade 3D printer we have ever built. We also did our best to design much needed accessories that work with nearly all 3D printers on the market today. 

NOTE: just to be clear, the F1 printer does not come with an F-BOX, F-PAC, or F-FLEX, these must be added to your pledge. See the FAQ.

 Note:  F1 printers do not include the F-BOX, F-PAC, or F-FLEX accessories, even though it’s shown in the photo. The F1 reward tiers correctly list the items that are included with the F1. 

1. Safety

We take safety very seriously because we know where our F1 printers are going to end up: at hospitals, business offices, schools, research labs, shop floors, college dorm rooms, and of course, people’s homes. We all know that 3D printers are run overnight, and sometimes for days on end. We also know that many users run their printers unattended. That’s why we built a printer with unmatched safety features. 

Advanced thermal runaway protection. What’s thermal runaway? Basically, it’s when your hot end keeps heating up and wont shut down until you cut the power. This can happen if your controller board fails, the temp sensor fails, the temp sensor gets dislodged from the heater block, or your firmware freezes and fails to reset. 

Most printers on the market today only rely on firmware to protect against thermal runaway. Software is not good enough. To make matters worse a lot of cheap printers didn’t even enable these basic software protections, even though they are built into the firmware. In the vast majority of cases firmware protection works well at protecting you. However, no firmware is going to protect you if it crashes or if you experience a controller board or temp sensor failure.

The F1 solution. That’s why the F1 incorporates redundant specialty electronic power cut-off circuits. These specialty circuits are completely independent from the firmware or other software controls. In other words, a bad transistor or crashed firmware is not going to prevent the specialty safety circuit from doing its job. The F1 also uses two temp sensors for added security. That’s right, two temp inputs, and each input is run through it’s own specialty circuit. If the circuit reads a temp higher than 325 C it will cut the power to your hot end. Please see the illustration below.

Better temp sensors, mounted better. The F1 uses PT100 temperature sensors made from Platinum, so they are extremely reliable. Furthermore, we designed our hot end to specifically prevent the temp sensors from dislodging during use. First, we use TWO temp sensors to add redundancy, as mentioned above. Second, we use multiple fastening points to retain the sensors. Third, our temp sensors are potted into metal cartridges, which allows us to attach them more securely. Finally, we engineered the cable management of the hot end wires to further prevent the sensors from coming loose.

Special hot end heat break and heat sink. We also use a special Bi-Metallic heat break sourced from Slice Engineering to keep the heat in the heater block instead of migrating upward into the rest of the hot end assembly. Not only does this improve the printing process, it makes the hot end safer overall. Finally, we designed our own heat sink to bleed off any excess heat that rises from the heat break.

The filament drive and hot end mount uses UL approved flame retardant materials for an extra level of safety. The hot end heat sink and heat break were designed to bleed off the heat before it can rise and damage the other components on the print head.

Insulated and guarded heater block. The stainless steel guard around the heater block helps reduce severe burning. It still gets very hot, so be careful!

All connectors are genuine MOLEX brand, not some cheap offshore knockoff found on many 3D printers. Moreover, we selected connectors that are rated to carry at least double the circuits required amperage. If that wasn’t enough, we only use glow wire rated connector housings. This means that if you take a hot iron (the glow wire) and pushed it into the connector, the connector would just melt instead of burning up.

Special Z rod guards protect your hair and fingers from getting pinched or wrapped up. Each Z Axis lead screw gets its own guard. This also keeps the lead screws cleaner and reduces maintenance.

Advanced firmware. The F1 uses a modular firmware by Repetier that includes the standard thermal runaway protections found in other firmwares, but it also includes a watchdog system that helps identify firmware crashes. If a crash is detected it resets the printer to rectify the situation. 

2. Print Quality

How do we achieve best-in-class print quality? We do it by getting rid of resonance, zero crossing moire patterns, ringing, z wobble, thermal banding, and other artifacts that show up in your prints. Oh, how did we do that? Now that’s where it gets complicated! It involved engineering, proper selection of components, and lot’s of testing. Here’s a few examples.

Engineering

We started by making the F1 frame and gantry system as strong and rigid as we could. The frame is then perfectly squared during assembly, and will stay that way for the life of the printer (unless you drop it off your desk onto a concrete floor!). Next, we engineered a simple but effective chassis dampening system using visco-elastic polymer because it has a very high dampening coefficient. It combines shock absorption, good memory, vibration isolation and vibration damping characteristics. Cheap rubber feet would have saved us a lot of money, but that’s not what the F1 is about.

Next, we designed the best filament drive and hot end we could. Our filament drive uses our special filament drive gears and gear reduction design for increased power and precision. The drive gears are hardened steel and the reduction gears are stainless steel, not plastic. The F1 hot end is all metal and carbon fiber ready. The key to making a high performance hot end that works with a large spectrum of filament types is to use a heat break that has the highest temp gradient you can find. 

 project video thumbnail

Accuracy

3D printing is about more than just creating “perfect” and pretty looking prints. Best-in-class print quality is also about parts that are accurate, and fit together. Parts that have sharp corners and no over extrusion. 

The F1’s firmware incorporates a hot end pressure balancing feature that reduces the extruder movement precisely as needed before the hot end reaches any portion of the part that slows down. This allows the pressure inside the hot end to release and do the extruding instead of the filament drive. It’s clever and it works great. In fact, the F1 doesn’t require any slicer tricks, like coasting or wiping (combing).

 Here is an example of the quality you can expect from your new F1. Most of these prints are just stunning, and big credit goes to the following designers: Fotis Mint, Clockspring3D, Wekster, Daniel Noree, 3Dprintlab, and Sid Naique. We’ll have full credits and high res photos for these designers up on our website soon. 

 project video thumbnail

 This model by clockspring3d is a great example of what print-in-place looks like.

 project video thumbnail

 This is varioshore filament from colorFabb. You can change the level of softness by changing the temperature. This part is all the same filament!

Operator box by clockspring3d – just to show you that functional can also be clever and beautiful.
Logo plate printed in I-Beam Blue Wax, a special filament for investment casting patterns. Top part is the titanium casting.

 3. Reliability 

It starts with engineering and ends with the selection of premium components and high quality manufacturing.

Better by design.

We all know that  hot ends jam for a variety of reasons. The cause is usually wet filament, improper retract settings, bad temp settings, poor quality filament (bad diameter tolerance or debris in the filament) and bad hot end engineering. Oh, leaving the hot end idle at full temp for a few hours is another great way to jam your hot end! If you’re like us you’re not perfect, that’s why the F1 hot end can be changed in seconds. This makes it fast and easy to change nozzles too.

Another amazing RC airplane part from 3Dlabprint, printed in colorFabb LW PLA, half the weight of regular PLA.

Premium Components

Lets take a close look at the 600 watt power supply built by Artesyn. The price of this key component is over $250. Heck, you can buy an entire offshore 3D printer for this price! So why do we use a premium power supply instead of one we can source offshore for 25 dollars, or less? Reliability and performance and safety. Our power supply incorporates PFC (power factor correction) which ensures that input voltage and current waveforms are as sinusoidal as possible. Besides, PFC is required by international regulations. Cheap power supplies don’t use PFC  and are not as reliable. Our power supply carries a 2 year warranty and should run for many years under normal use. 

Artesyn LCM600 series power supplies

Another example is our Vanadium nozzles made by Slice Engineering. These high speed steel nozzles are alloyed with Vanadium (increases strength and hardness) and then hardened to 65 Rockwell C. They cost over 30 dollars and imported nozzles cost less than 2. You get what you pay for. Slice nozzles carry a lifetime warranty against abrasion, and cheap nozzles wont last one roll of carbon fiber filament. We want you to swap nozzles to change your extrusion widths, not because they’re worn out.   

Vanadium nozzles we use on the F1
Control your printer from any computer or web enabled device. Repetier Servo Pro comes with every F1 printer. It’s the easiest and fastest way to run your printer.

Is the F1 for you?

We built the F1 for every type of business, school, or organization. It’s a true industrial grade printer, so this means it’s perfect for work groups big and small. It’s also ideal for print farms and maker spaces. The F1 is a high performance printer with advanced safety features. This means it’s safe enough for hospitals, research labs, schools, offices, and of course, your home. 

STACKER F1 FEATURES

  •  T-Slot Accessory Rail: Use the upper rail to mount your tool caddy, webcam, filament spool holders, etc
  •  Zero Maintenance V-Slot Wheels: ultra smooth, no noise linear motion
  •  Quad-Gear Filament Drive: powerful and flex filament ready
  •  Quick Change Hot Ends: swap nozzle sizes fast, all metal, 310C max temp
  •  Hardened Steel Nozzle: a must for abrasive filaments, made by Slice Engineering
  •  Dual Heater Blocks: faster and more even heat distribution for more even extrusion
  •  Redundant Electrical Cut-Off Circuits: These special circuits guard against thermal run-away of the hot end, the most critical part in any 3d printers. Provides: an extra safeguard beyond the standard firmware protections (firmware alone is not enough!), a must for safer printing, uses dual PT100 temp sensors for even more reliability
  •  Ultra Flat Print Bed: with auto bed leveling,a flat bed is key for proper fitting parts, bed leveling is, and should only be, for adjusting first layer heights to the particular bed surface
  •  Print Bed: Cast aluminum precision ground, with a 300 watt silicone mat heater and “Level Once” bed levelers.
  •  Carry Handle and LED Light Bar: comfortable grip and looks cool
  •  Customizable Front Logo Plate: print your own in the color you like
  • Dual Z Screw Guards: keeps hands and hair safe
  •  600 Watt Industrial Grade PSU: PFC type for EU regulations, smoothes out A/C pulses, more efficient, quiet,safe, reliable. Artesyn model LCM600Q-N
  •  Stacker Designed 32bit Electronics: faster printing, smoother and quieter operation, advanced safety features built-in
  • Wire free controller box: eliminates the potential for shorted wires and reduces heat and complexity
  •  Genuine Molex Brand Glow Wire Electrical Connectors: Safest connectors on the market, oversized to easily handle the current loads.
  •  Motor Drivers: ultra quiet type for smooth operation
  •  High Resolution Stepper Motors: 2X more precision over standard motors
  •  Ultra-Rigid Frame and Ganty: superior prints at a faster pace
  •  Flexplate System with BuildTak PC and PEI Bed Surfaces: optional nylon surface also available
  • Visco-elastic Dampening System: reduces noise and vibration, better print quality, won’t mar your table top
  •  Repetier Firmware: our custom version uses advanced motion planning and pressure balancing hot end controls to prevent over extrusion
  •  Repetier Server Software (requires dedicated pc, linux embedded device, or Pi): the best way to control your printer from any web enabled device, webcam option, time lapse, and a host of other amazing features, enterprise ready, NO WIFI for increased security (you can add WIFI with a Pi, we strongly recommend ethernet)
  •  Slicing software: One licence for Simplify3D, powerful and highly accurate slicing, multiple process feature, fantastic multi material print capabilities and the industry standard for generating support structures that break away cleanly. 
  •  285 x 285 x 285 mm Print Size: big prints from compact desk-sized printer
  • Compact Frame: fits on your desk
  •  Filament Spool Location: Multiple mounts available for front, top, rear mounting
  • F-BOX Compatible: Mounts in multiple locations
  • Made in the USA

Print Bed Surfaces

Genuine BuildTak brand flex plate and sheets

 We partnered with BuildTak to manufacture our custom printed PEI and Polycarbonate bed sheets and flex plate system for two reasons. First, they know what they’re doing. They are also a print shop, so they know how to produce high quality prints. Second, they make their products in the USA, and they don’t use cheap offshore components.  Again, it’s not the cheapest way to make a 3D printer, just the best. The F1 comes with a single steel flex plate, a mag base, and one sheet each of the PEI and PC. The black sheet is genuine Garolite and works amazingly well for nylon, sold separately. The PEI sheet has easier part release for a wider range of materials, but doesn’t hold has tight as the original PC sheet, especially when using PLA, PC, and PETG. 

Autodesk/Kickstarter FDM Test

We scored 28 out of 30. If you’re getting a lot of stringing between the spires it probably  means that your filament needs to be dried (and/or your retract and esteps are incorrect). Here’s how we scored it. Go here for more info on this test. 

  • Dimensional Accuracy: Score of 5
  • Fine Flow Control: Score of 5
  • Fine Negative Features: Score of 4
  • Overhangs: Score of 4
  • Bridging: Score of 5
  • XY Resonance: Score of 2.5
  • Z-axis alignment: Score of 2.5

It starts with a sketch

Step one for any new product starts as an inspiration, filling of a need, and filling of a demand. And then we sketch the product, the market, the features, etc. In other words, we make more of a story board than a pure sketch. It gave us a road map before we started the CAD modelling stages. As soon as we started to generate CAD models we began to test.

Here we’re discussing the relationships between our key verticals and feature set. It’s super important to understand what the market demand is so you can deliver on the final product. Below is the final CAD model we used for the printers you see in the video.

We usually begin by building discrete sub assemblies and important components, like the F1 Y axis (print bed) assembly shown below. The F1 uses a special 80mm wide extrusion for the Y axis, or moving print bed. This gives it rock solid stability so your prints come out accurate and looking fantastic.

First prototype Y Axis for F1

 T

The frames are now complete. 

And then we keep adding more and more components until we’re getting close to a finished prototype. We use advanced prototyping shops for metal, CNC, 3D printing (including a lot of prints on our own fleet of 3D printers), and fabrication. We like to have prototypes that VERY closely relate to the final product. This type of prototyping style costs more up front, but saves you a TON of headaches later when you’re into production of your first units. It just helps eliminate the inevitable surprises!

We went through a number of filament drive iterations until we finally settled on design shown on the bottom of this photo. We’re especially proud of our filament drive because it’s just so reliable, and so strong, and so light. It integrates the following components into a single 3D printed production part.

  • adjustable print head mounting bracket
  • filament out sensor bracket
  • fan mount bracket
  • ABL sensor mount
  • blower mount bracket
  • hot end attachment bracket
  • wire and cable management
  •  filament guide tube mount
  • belt guard

No matter what printer you own or what type of printing you do, we all want stronger, better looking, and more reliable 3D prints. It’s why we spend our money on top quality printers, filament, and other performance upgrades like better nozzles.

But there is one performance upgrade that is better than all the rest combined. This upgrade is guaranteed to make your prints stronger and better looking, and this upgrade works on any 3D printer. And it’s really affordable.

It’s called dry filament!

F-BOX mounted on a Prusa MK2

 No question about it, dry filament makes your prints stronger, better looking, and the printing process more reliable. The problem is that there is no easy and quick way to dry your filament, and keep it that way while you’re printing. If there was we would all be doing it. The current ways of doing it are just not very convenient, compact, and effective.

F-BOX can feed filament right from your desktop!

 The F-BOX works with ALL 3D printers (that use filament of course!). We already have designed custom mounting brackets for most popular printers. CAD files and STL modes will be available on our website by the time this product ships. Or, simply feed your filament from the desktop, as shown above. Use the PTFE guide tube that comes with every F-BOX.

The F-BOX works great on all printers, like this Creator.
Or mount it to your CR10 with this custom printed bracket!
The F-BOX is super easy to load!
Note, the F-BOX ships with TWO desiccant packs, not three. Extra desiccant packs will be available on our website soon.

WHY WE NEED TO USE DRY FILAMENT

Nobody likes ugly prints with a poor surface finish, so for this reason alone you should be drying your filament, but there are two more important reasons.

First, dry filament produces much stronger parts. You dry your filament to prevent polymer chain degradation, known as hydrolysis. Hydrolysis leads to really weak parts. The strength of your filament is derived from long chains of polymers. When humidity gets into your filament it acts like a knife, cutting up the long polymer chains into much shorter ones. 

Once your filament is dry you need to keep it this way at all times, before, during, and after the printing process is complete. In other words, drying your filament is good, but if you don’t dispense it from a dry box it will pick up new moisture in as little as 15 minutes. Also, don’t expect your filament to be dry from the factory. It’s not even close. Polyethylene bags are not impervious to air moisture. 

What size spools does it fit?
     1 Kg spools and smaller

Benefits

  •  Reduces jamming and stringing
     
  •  Dramatically improves print quality and layer bond strength
     
  •  Works with all filament, especially needed for ABS, PLA, PETG, PVA, Nylon,
     
  •  Keeps your filament dry, clean, and safe
     
  •  Helps reduce filament overrides
     
  •  Stackable design saves space
     
  •  Saves you time and money
     
  •  Better first layer adhesion
     
  •  Keeps you filament clean and dry
     

Features
Note: the F-BOX comes with TWO desiccant packs, not three as shown in some photos.

  • Exclusive square thru hole allows you to mount the F-BOX directly to any 3D printer! (may require printing a new square post spool holder, STL files available on our website).
         • Special seals keep out the moisture and dust.
         • Four quick release latches ensure a tight seal
         • Open lid design allows for fast filament spool changes
         • High performance quick change desiccant cartridges.
         • Color changing desiccant to let you know when a recharge is necessary
         • See thru box design for easy identification of filament levels, color, type, etc
         • Bowden tube fittings allow for closed loop dispensing and custom length tubes
         • Stackable, nesting, interlocking design.
         • Tightly sealed box to extend the life of your desiccant
         • Recharge your desiccant over and over and over.

The design
 We spent months perfecting the design of the F-BOX. There’s a lot more to this product than meets the eye. Take the spool post, it snaps into the main housing and has two special seals to keep out the elements, while allowing your filament to effortlessly unspool. The lid has four latches to ensure a proper seal. The high quality fitting has dual o-rings to create a perfect seal. The feet allow the boxes to stack and nest. Finally, the exclusive square thru hole allows the F-BOX to be mounted directly on your printer.

F-BOX early prototypes

As you can see our first model was, how should we say, a start?  It was a bit too big and clumsy. By model two we were off to the races and our final iteration proved to be everything we wanted. Along the way we went through MANY iterations of the feet, latches, and center post, not to mention the gasket types, sizes, etc. There is a lot more to this product than meets the eye.

We combined our F-BOX, F-PAC, and F-Flex into the Essential Accessory Kit.

F-FLEX Part Removal Tool

Removing prints from the build plate is an essential aspect to 3D printing in general. Even with modern “flex” plates, like those on the F1 and many other printers, the preferred method is still the scraper, especially for smaller parts. 

The problem with using a putty knife is the blade is too thick, the edge too dull, and the corners to sharp. We designed the F-FLEX to solve these problems. 

First, we designed the blade with just the right amount of flex. Second, we made the blade incredibly thin and sharp, very sharp. Third, we gave the blade special rounded edges to prevent it from digging into your build plate. Fourth, we fitted it with an ergonomic soft grip handle. Finally, a striking cap in the handle will allow you to “knock-off” your models.  

We can’t stress this point enough, THIS BLADE IS EXTREMELY SHARP! So please be careful and do not let children use this product. Always keep your hands behind the blade in case your print suddenly breaks loose.  

F-PAC High Performance Desiccant Pack

We know that most users store their opened spools of filament in big airtight containers, like these. It’s simple, effective, and affordable. Just make sure you’re using ones with foam gaskets for the best performance. It’s surprising how long your filament will stay dry in these boxes if you use enough desiccant. That’s why we designed the F-PAC.

The F-PAC holds a LOT of desiccant. About 2.5 lbs or 1130 grams.

 WHAT IS IT?
     The F-PAC is a custom designed high capacity desiccant pack used for keeping your filament dry. Contains approximately 2.5 lbs (1130 grams) of desiccant.

WHAT SIZE CONTAINER DOES IT FIT?
     It fits virtually EVERY container on the market today. Use one F-PAC for 5 -10 gallon containers, and more for larger ones.The size of the F-PAC is about the same size as a spool of filament.

 WHAT DOES IT DO?
     The F-PAC is a high performance molecular sieve. It absorbs moisture from the air.

FEATURES
     • High performance desiccant
     • Color changing desiccant to let you know when a recharge is necessary, the orange color is NOT a hazardous substance (the blue desiccant contains cobalt, and is hazardous).
     • Recharge your desiccant over and over and over, great value.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Weight: 2.5lbs (1130 grams)
  • Shipping weight: 3 lbs
  • Box material: Polycarbonate
  • Chemical Description Orange to Green Indicating Silica Gel
  • Formula SiO2 + H2O + C25H30ClN3
  • CAS (R Phrase Classification) 112926-00-8 amorphous silica 98.2%, activated coloring agent 0.2% max

Making a video during a pandemic

We thought long and hard about how we were going to keep everyone safe in our office. Of course the first thing we did was have everyone wear a mask during the entire shoot, except for some on camera work.  We also limited the number of team members present at the shoot to just a small handful. Finally, we opened all the doors and windows and we used a number of portable HEPA air filtration units. The good news is that nobody got sick and we are all extremely grateful for that.

Luke and John from TTPro doing their thing!

Why we chose Kickstarter?

For us this was an easy decision. First, this is our third campaign, so we have come to really value our backers on this platform. Second, Kickstarter is a fantastic platform to let the world know about your new ideas. Finally, most trade shows have been canceled for 2020 and this limited our reach. Getting early backers is so crucial to these types of products, because they take a huge amount of up front cash for molds and inventories. It’s backers like you that really make a difference in the world. Without you a lot of products would simply never see the light of day, even from established companies. Thank you for your support Kickstarter! 

We are really impressed by the printer at least via the videos and photos and the company. The design specifications and promised capabilities are impressive too. We backed the accessories since they are in the budget. If we had the funds we would back the kickstarter without a doubt or hesitation!

Creality’s successful Kickstarter Campaign for an exciting new 3d printer!


From printing urgently needed medical equipment to cater to other specific needs through the use of 3D printing, this is a technology that has gained an unprecedented angle of social impact. That’s why we’re even more strongly committed to enabling the ease of use and affordability of this technology by developing the CR-6 SE 3D Printer and making it available to every creative mind out there.

Harnessing the power of 3D printing shouldn’t be as expensive and complicated as it has been. That’s why we created Creality’s CR-6 SE DIY 3D Printer, a simple and robust aluminum-built modular 3D printer that features an intelligent leveling-free system for superior accuracy and advanced 3D printing features, in an easy-to-use printer that is also affordable.

No complications. No special skills required. No confusion. Your CR-6 SE is ready to use out of the box. You can easily assemble it in only 5 minutes and then all you need to do is plug it in and switch it on. The CR-6 SE 3D Printer starts working and delivering amazing results—whether you’re a pro or a newbie—in almost no time!

For the most part, accurate 3D printing is the result of a leveled bed. That’s usually a challenging goal, though, because most 3D printers will present nozzle clogging, poor adhesion, and generally unleveled-related issues that compromise the quality of prints. The CR-6 SE offers precisely the opposite. Featuring an innovative true Leveling-Free Technology, this is a 3D Printer that lets you always rely on highly accurate results.

Never see your creativity and productivity affected by nozzle-related replacement issues. The CR-6 SE is designed with a modular nozzle that means you can customize it. From the heat block to the nozzle tip, among other parts, this is a Modular 3D Printer that’s easy to keep!

Better heat dissipation with unique caved heat sink

With its compact and reliable extruder, you know that a smoother extrusion and an easier filament feed will ultimately generate faster, quieter and smoother prints. Yes, this is what perfect 3D printing is all about!

Photoelectric filament sensor and flexible fixator

3D printers shouldn’t be annoying in the noise they make, which is why we added a Silent Chipset to the CR-6 SE. Its latest Trinamic driver helps to ensure that voltage control, fast movement and printing in silence are a given. We know: you’ll thank us dearly for that!

You only want hot, excellent, superb printing results, right? Well, the CR-6 SE 3D Printer comes with a carborundum glass hotbed platform that is flatter than aluminum and which offers a stellar thermal performance that ensures quick heating up, strong adhesion and prints that are easy to remove.

The CR-6 SE 3D Printer looks as strong as it is. It also looks very stylish! This amazing work station has a beautiful design that compliments any desktop you use it on. Meanwhile, self-designed profiles and stepper motor cover prevent from filament scraps and dust. The CR-6 SE also comes with a well-arranged ribbon cable that ensures safety issues are never a concern.

Sounds like the perfect 3D printing equation, right? This unique printer is designed with a wider foundation and equipped with dual Z-axises matched with an adjustable timing belt that translates into reduced unwanted motion and improved refined results. So the stability of the machine and its performance is simply impressive.

Weighing only 9.2kg and with manageable dimensions (442*462*540mm), the CR-6 SE is a 3D Printer that you can carry. In fact, it features a convenient removable handle that makes it easy to carry whenever you need to.

User experience improved by optimized details like sealed aluminum profiles, foldable filament holder, tools storage box, belt tensioner. 

  • Toolbox
  • Foldable spool holder
  • Adjustable belt tensioner
  • Flexible hotbed fixator

These are the three magic words that basically mean that your CR-6 SE will keep your printing performance running smartly and smoothly. If the machine suddenly runs out of filament or if it simply breaks, the printer’s photoelectric filament sensor will instantly pick up that disruption and will stop the machine. As soon as the new filament feeds in, the CR-6 SE will resume its operation without making you lose your work.

Did the power suddenly or accidentally go off? No worries! The CR-6 SE 3D Printer will resume printing if the power supply is interrupted. That’s right—you can forget about starting over because print failure is no longer an issue!

The CR-6 SE 3D Printer features a 4.3in HD Color LCD Touch Screen that allows you to easily and intuitively operate the device. Available in English and Chinese, and with a simplified and smart interface, this Touch Screen ensures that this very special printer’s user experience always equates to smooth sailing!

No dust, Neat and Notable

CR-6 SE revamps in quites a distinguished look. From the bottom to the top, the flat aluminum profiles makes the machine stylish and prevent from dust.

All-around Safety

Hassel free printing with over current protection, over-load protection, and thermal runaway protection, always keep your mind at peace.

Whatever you think of creating and shaping, the CR-6 SE 3D Printer is the powerful, convenient and creative sidekick you need. This is the printer that literally lets you unleash and give shape to your creativity.

Print your product, create prototypes, or develop complex 3D printed tools and devices. There are as many industrial applications for what the CR-6 SE 3D Printer as you can think of!

The CR-6 SE 3D Printer allows you to create spectacularly detailed architecture models, whether you need to present a project to a client or simply want to unleash your architectural creativity.

We are impressed by this new printer and would love the opportunity to test and review one..

Lotmaxx launches new SC-10 Shark on Kickstarter

Kickstarter Lotmaxx sc-10 shark

Imagine a desktop 3D printer that can print faster than average, featuring multiple functions such as auto leveling, laser engraving and bicolor printing using simple add-ons. Plus build quality with premium materials, sleek and ergonomic design.

Now stop imagining. LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK is a reality.  

LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK is our latest and first-ever crowdfunded desktop 3D printer and we chose to launch on Kickstarter for a reason. Kickstarter is always the base of unlimited creativity. Helping to bring the creative projects to life, Kickstarter would be the proven bridge between LOTMAXX and the 3D printing community by bringing us together.

We believe that 3D printing has unlimited potential, and we’re only just at the beginning of this emerging industry. 3D printing technology is penetrating widely and deeply across industrial, makers and consumer sectors. It’s by launching on Kickstarter and connecting LOTMAXX with backers, getting feedback and conducting discussion that we can make further progress on development of 3D printing.

We’re just getting started and your opinions matter to us. 

Establishing ourselves in 2018, LOTMAXX is a cutting-edge technology company specializing in 3D printing. Gathered with more than 100 professionals, experienced developers and engineers from 3D printing, tablet computer and machine manufacturing industries, we’ve harnessed the great capability of design, research and production of 3D printing.

We want to vitalize the industry with our innovation. By breaking further ground in 3D printing technology, we managed to bring LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK to Kickstarter. It’s printing faster, it’s more than the average desktop 3D printer.

It’s beyond your imagination.

Packing the Aeolus Heat Dissipation system (AHDS) and S Move System (SMS), LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK has effectively boosted the print speed and successfully saved up to 30% average print time*. 

*Source: stats from LOTMAXX lab.   

S Move System

LOTMAXX SC-10 stays cool while printing, thanks to the unique and signature design of its modular nozzles.  The Aeolus Heat Dissipation system (AHDS) is a highly efficient  dissipation system with its uniquely developed four-fan design. This cools the nozzle from all angles, increasing the efficiency of heat dissipation by 42%*(measured in LOTMAXX lab) without compromising sprinting quality and print speed. LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK has three speed modes available: normal, middle, and fast speed, to match your preference and need. Combining the high-speed motor, LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK is a powerhouse that guarantees unparalleled speed as well as the stability.     

The four-fan structure
Printing faster

Auto leveling, laser engraving and bicolor printing, your call. LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK is the whole package. No need to recode and no further adjustment is required, plug and play, it’s just that easy!  

There are 2 colors of SC-10 Shark(Deep Purple/Space Gray)

LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK comes with optional automatic bed leveling feature. The ultra-precise technology allows for 0.1mm accuracy. While the unleveled bed might cause nozzle clogging, scratch marks and poor adhesion, the auto leveling is one of the most important benefits that LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK can offer to the quality of your prints. Just tap the touch screen to activate the auto leveling interface, the inductive sensor will probe the heated bed. It precisely measures the print surface’s tilt, freeing you from the time-consuming and tricky manual process. Regardless of whether you are a newcomer or a skilled maker, you can enjoy a hassle-free auto leveling with SHARK!

Note: LOTMAXX procures 3D touch & BL touch from suppliers.

Auto-leveling
The 3D Touch

LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK supports an optional 1.6 W laser engraving and allows you to engrave with a wide variety of materials like wood, plastic, leather, PVC, paper and resin. The interchangeable module is extremely easy to apply on. Plug and engrave, simply attach the laser engraver module next to the printhead and you’re ready to witness creativity turning into reality.  

Ever so often, it’s color making the artwork unique and special. While most of the 3D printers come with just one nozzle, LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK offers optional dual color print head tier. Besides the basic option, you may choose a different package that comes with two extruders and one nozzle. Expand the possibility and upgrade your artwork, why not?

We have one of their original SC-10 printers and are very impressed with it. We are backers of the new SC-10 Shark on kickstarter. We are very eager to receive the new printer and put it through its’ paces.

PITTA – Transformative Autonomous 4K Selfie Drone

For immediate release

PITTA, a transformative autonomous drone, launched on Kickstarter

Pitta Drone!

New York, NY – Dec 20, 2017 – PITTA is a modular transformative drone that enables true versatility in a way that you capture your experience. It’s not just aerial, not just handheld, not just wearable or mountable, it’s all of these. It’s a complete system packed into a single device.

PITTA is small (170 mm / 6.7 inches) and light (200g / 7oz) to take with you everywhere without added bulk. Out of the box, you get a camera, drone module and an action cam module to be able to get the collection of compelling clips in different points of views.

With our modular Snap and Twist-to-Lock design, mode changes between Aerial and ground are seamless and easy. Simply snap on the drone module magnetically and get PITTA off the ground to hover in the air. With the auto-follow mode on, you can start recording in the matter of seconds with you focusing on the experience.

When you are between adventures, PITTA can be turned into a Home Security (IP Wi-Fi) Camera that streams to your mobile device whenever and wherever you are.
Simply dock it on to the charging cradle and power the PITTA on.

With 1-click-flying modes and Auto-follow, even the first time pilots can fly and start recording their experience without any hassle. We also provide a manual flight interface to provide flexibilities in types of shots you want to capture with the following specs.

• Li-Polymer battery (Removable)
• 15 minutes of flying time in Drone mode
• 100+ minutes of runtime in Action cam mode
• 4K@30FPS
• H.264 Codec, MP4
• Software Image stabilization
• Circle, 360 Panorama, Follow me and Autonomous Fly,
• Time-Lapse, Slow-motion, Burst shots in Action cam mode
• Internal eMMC memory

 

About Eyedea, Inc: Eyedea is a computer vision solution provider with proprietary Smart Vision Module (SVM). With experience to bring the same technology to Smart factory, Surveillance and Medical sectors, we are implementing it to make the word’s first transformative autonomous drone; PITTA.

For more information, please visit Kickstarter link or contact contact@pitta.co

# # #

Cubibot: The new standard of modern consumer 3D printer-A Preview!

We are intrigued by the Cubibot, a new 3d printer on Kickstarter.

 

According to Cubibot:

 

Cubibot is an affordable, user-friendly, high-quality 3D printer with a compact and dynamic design made to fit your lifestyle. Cubibot balances functionality and ease of use without compromising features. Matching the performance and quality of expensive, professional 3D printers at an affordable cost, Cubibot enables you to realize all your imaginations!   

 

It seems like a solidly designed device and would work well in educational environments, especially since it is completely enclosed and it offers an on-board air filter too.

From their Kickstarter Page here are some interesting highlights to the printer:

 

We are going to get a review unit later on and at that point we can test, review and let people know our opinion of it.

So far we are impressed with the design and implementation.

 

Please check them out on kickstarter:

The printer is being offered in two colors:

 and

 

 

In my opinion it is definitely worth a look!

 

Specification drawing:

See an overview video too:

 

 

 

 

 

Sculpto+: The world’s most user-friendly desktop 3D printer A cool new polar based printer!

We are intrigued by this new Polar Coordinate based 3d printer:

According to Sculpto:

About this project

3D printers are one of the coolest and most efficient ways for you to make your ideas go from the drawing board and into real life.

Two years ago we launched a new type of 3D printer on Kickstarter. We wanted to make the amazing world of 3D printing available to everyone – not just engineers and tech-savvy people. We believe everyone should be able to bring their ideas to life. We started delivering that dream a year ago and opened a world of 3D printing for regular people and schools all over Denmark. Since then we have refined our production and software while developing Sculpto+

The result is a small 3D printer with one of the biggest print areas seen on a plug’n’play printer. We have maximized printing performance while eliminating the noise and inconveniences of 3D printing – we have made the perfect desktop 3D printer. And the best part: Everyone can use it!

 

 

Sculpto+ is a small 3D printer. It only weighs 2.7 KG and is about the size of your household coffeemaker, but has a printing volume of 5 liters! You can print objects at the size of a football (Soccer)! If you compare the build volume of Sculpto+ to other consumer printers in the same category and price range you will discover the print volume of Sculpto+ is up to 5 times bigger.  

Thanks to the compact design and the built-in handle the printer can easily be moved from room to room or house to house without any trouble.

 

We would love to get one to test, review and help education too. It looks quite nice, easy to use and well designed.

It has integration with Thingiverse:

 

When you have a 3D printer you also need some nice things to print. That’s why you can browse between a selection of cool models that can be printed directly from the Sculpto App to your Sculpto+ 3D printer. It’s easy and convenient. You can download the app on Google Play and App Store or you can access the printer directly from your browser via our web app. We are currently in the process of developing the app into a new and improved version where our upcoming ‘model engine’ will collect quality content from Thingiverse and present it to you in a even more user-friendly way.

You can look forward to receiving a product that keeps getting better as we push new updates with cool features and improvements.

 

We are huge fans of 3d printing, and stem education, and find that this printer seems it would be great for educational purposes!

Check them out on Kickstarter –> Scultpo

Here is a nice video that they did to talk about the printer–>

Please check us out on youtube too!

Our youtube channel

By WOW! First created Follow SparkMaker – The Most Affordable Desktop SLA 3D Printer-Kickstarter

SparkMaker

 

Introduces the most affordable one-button desktop SLA 3D printer Simple, affordable, 3D Printing is now available to anyone thanks to SparkMaker.

The company has announced the release of their one-button desktop 3D Printer that brings the quality of SLA printing to the masses. Now anyone, with a computer and a spark of creativity can unlock the magic of 3D printing. Although 3D Printing has been popular for several years, the hardware has been expensive preventing many from exploring the endless creative possibilities it allows. Adding to that, complicated design software and 3D modeling experience was a prerequisite to working in 3D. SparkMaker changes everything, with one-button print simplicity, easy load multi-color resins, and print-ready downloadable designs. They have created a system so simple and effective that anyone can begin 3D printing in only a few moments. It’s as easy as downloading a free design to an SD card, inserting it into SparkMaker and pressing the button. We recognized that many people would love to explore the fun and creativity of 3D Printing but from our years of experience in the industry, we knew that people were discouraged by the high price of the hardware and the complexity of the process. Our goal was to eliminate both and with SparkMaker we have done so. Martin, CEO & Co-Founder, SparkMaker. After putting together a team of experts, Martin and team used their experience and know-how in the 3D Printing industry to create a product that was simple, effective and affordable enough for home or office use. In fact, SparkMaker is putting the power of 3D Printing into the hands of their users for less than $100 dollars, a remarkable feat considering the technology and superior printing quality of the device. In spite of the low price, the SparkMaker is not short on quality, in fact it is the first affordable desktop printer to use the advanced SLA printing method. SLA is a method of selectively applying a laser to photo reactive liquid resin on a work area, forming very thin solid layers that stack up to create one solid 3D object. SLA is superior to the typical FDM printing method. In FDM printing, resolution is a factor of the nozzle size and the precision of the extruder movements. This fast printing method is prone to errors and inaccuracies which results in blocky, rough, edges. In contrast, SLA creates smoothly curving, natural contours that result in incredibly precise finished 3D models that have a greater resolution and better accuracy than the FDM method. SLA is preferred by advanced modelers and artists and it’s perfect for any task from arts and crafts to prototyping and small production runs.To begin pre-sales and offer special incentives to early adopters SparkMaker is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with early adopter pricing as low as $100 USD. Learn more here: https://www.ogadget.com/x/sparkmaker Summary: SparkMaker creates the first affordable SLA quality 3D Desktop Printer.

 

 

 

Proforge 3d Printer-Kickstarter

PROFORGE 3D PRINTER PRESS PACK

Introduction The PROFORGE is a thoughtfully designed, Large, Metal Frame OPEN-SOURCE 3D Printer Kit.

 

It can be FULLY ENCLOSED and is set for OCTOPRINT (a wifi/web-cam control system that uses the raspberry pi). AUTO-LEVELING, an LCD SCREEN and a HEATED BED are STANDARD FEATURES.

There is also a MAXIMUM OF 150 being made for this project, this is to ensure that people who do pledge receive their Printer in the described shipping time and that the project does not get “clogged” by over subscription.

Proforge 3D Printer FEATURE SPECIFICATION Build Volume 200 X 200 X 240mm Aluminium Surface Heated Bed RepRap MK2 Heated PCB Bed – Up to 110˚ Celsius Extruder E3D V6 Clone – Up to 250˚ Celsius Printable Materials PLA, ABS, HIPS, PETG & Other exotics… Min. Layer Height 0.05mm Electronics RAMPS 1.4 / Arduino Combo Power 12v 360W Dedicated PSU Standard Features Heated Bed, Auto-levelling, LCD Screen, SD Card Support Upgradable Options Octoprint (+£60), Full Enclosure (+£75) OPENSOURCE AND HACKABLE The Proforge is a completely opensource and hackable machine from the ground up. It uses entirely off the shelf components. The only “specialized” parts are the cnc machined HDPE panels, .dxf drawings for which will be made available on our website along with all other source files once printers start shipping. The proforge also makes use of 3D printed parts making modifying and/or replacing parts super easy. All this is built around a 2020 aluminium extrusion frame held together with cast aluminium brackets. EXTRUDER The hotend is an E3D V6 Clone, an all metal hotend capable of delivering up to 250 degrees Celsius, making it super easy to print a wide range or materials from PLA to ABS and other exotics. Compatible filament diameter is 1.75mm. The extruder is mounted onto an “extruder mount” which mounts onto a “tool carriage”, this allows for an effortless swapping of tool heads (only undoing two screws). Also on the extruder mount is a 50mm blower fan with a snap fitting fan shroud that blows a cool stream of air onto the print and an inductive probe sensor for auto levelling. The extruder Feeder is both Powerful and Precise, it uses a NEMA 17 Motor and a 3:1 herringbone gear setup. This drives an MK8 feeder gear,. The Idler arm is tensioned with a simple spring mechanism (holding the nut and tightening the M5 screw increases the pressure on the filament). The filament is then pushed up through the PTFE tubing and into the hotend. EXTRUDER FEEDER AUTO BED LEVELLING The Proforge uses an inductive sensor to probe the bed at 9 points to create a curved surface mesh. The extruder then follows this curved surface for the perfect first layer. Z-AXIS The platform is a sheet of CNC machined HDPE with aluminium extrusions on the underneath for support. The Print Bed is a 220 x 220 mm, 1.5mm thick aluminium sheet on top of a PCB heated bed that sits on top of four brass 12mm stand offs, the print volume is 200x200x235mm. The platform rides on long format linear bearings and is driven by a T8 Lead screw coupled to a NEMA 17 Motor, the coupler is a spring type that clamps onto the shaft rather than using grub screws which shift and misalign the shaft only contributing to dreaded “z-wobble”. The kit also includes some PTFE grease for the lead screw. SMOOTH MOTION The Proforge has a H-style gantry powered by NEMA 17 motors; the x-motor carriage, Idler and tool carriage are 3d printed. The gantry rides on self lubricating bronze bushings and 8mm stainless steel rods. The Bushings slot into the 3d printed parts and are held down using cable ties. The Y-axis is also geared to provide greater resolution in the axis. The X-axis pulley is central through the tool carriage and the Y-axis pulleys attach onto the outer sides of the x motor carriage and Idler creating a balanced system. This configuration is smooth and incredibly effective not only for maintenance purposes but also a considerable amount quieter when printing as opposed to using ball linear bearings. Also linear ball bearings over time scratch into the rods leaving grooves, the bronze bushings instead ride on a thin layer of grease. The frame is made from 2020 aluminium extrusions held together by die cast aluminium corner brackets. Attached to the frame are CNC machined HDPE panels. HDPE is a a dense material with a very high tensile strength. Unlike acrylic it does not crack or shatter and is attached to the frame with a bolt, t-nut and spring washer. The HDPE panels create a housing at the bottom of the printer for the electronics and power supply. On the top corners of the machine these brackets hold up the motion system and extruder feeder. FRAME ELECTRONICS The Proforge is powered by a RAMPS 1.4/Arduino Mega combo, an incredibly common and reliable electronics solution for 3D printing. Motors are controlled with pololu a4988 micro-controller boards which result in 1/16 micro-stepping of the NEMA 17’s. The Proforge also uses the latest version of Marlin (RC-8 at time of writing), a very common and opensource firmware. The machine is powered by a dedicated 12v 360W Power supply. The electronics compartment also has space for a Raspberry Pi for running Octoprint. The Proforge also has an LCD screen and SD card reader making it easy to monitor the machine, preheat heaters and move motors. The SD card also lets you print directly of it and have the printer run with out it being connected to a computer. LCD SCREEN & SD CARD READER CLEAN & TIDY The Proforge uses braided cable sleeving for routing wires which gives the entire machine a sleek finish. USB and power ports are all mounted onto the back of the machine making everything easy and accessible. OCTOPRINT Octoprint lets you control and monitor your prints over your homes Wi-Fi network. Take full control of the Proforge, start and stop prints, preheat heaters and send .gcode commands. Octoprint also allows you to make awesome time-lapses of your prints too with the included on-board camera! ENCLOSURE The enclosure is made of laser cut 3mm clear Perspex panels that go around all four sided of the printer. The roof is held together using t slots and swings up and can rest vertical. The door also swings open 180 degrees. The enclosure is incredibly useful for printing ABS and other exotic materials where print quality is enhanced by having a warm printing chamber. The enclosure also improves quality by preventing unwanted drafts from blowing across the print that may cause it to warp and crack. PROFORGE 3D PRINTER KIT – All parts to build the Proforge. – A small tool kit. – Kapton tape. – SD Card. – 10m sample roll of PLA. – Country dependent power cord.

AILABLE EARLY BIRD £279/$349 50 STANDARD £319/$399 100 SHIPPING & VAT TO BE COLLECTED LATER ABOUT THE CREATOR My name’s Adeel Ali, I’m an undergraduate Engineering student at the University of Bristol in the UK, I have currently taken some time out from my studies to pursue this project. I’ve been immersed in the world of 3D Printing for that last 4 years as a hobbyist, and have taken it seriously in the past year and a half to create the Proforge. I’m absolutely committed to bringing the Proforge to life and have little to no other commitments outside of Makertech 3D. In the future I plan on making more machines and innovations that help other makers make better things more easily and for a more affordable price. FAQ’S How long would the proforge take to get up and running? If the Proforge is your very first 3D Printer then I’d recommend clearing out a weekend for getting it up and running. One day for the physical build and second day for wiring, software and calibration. If however your familiar with RepRap style 3D Printers then you should be able to have the Proforge up and running with in a day. The physical build taking up most of the time. How have you managed to keep the price so competitive? If the Proforge is designed almost entirely from off the shelf parts, when bought in bulk the price comes down and sourcing is relatively easy too because the components are so common place on the market. The major advantage to this is not just a great price but also that if a part were to fail over time the user can easily find a replacement from Ebay or AliExpress. Why have only a maximum of 150 Proforge’s been offered on Kickstarter? 150 is the number I am confident I can provide in the timeline outlined and is also the upper limit of the number of people I’m willing to cater for at the moment to give the best possible experience of Makertech 3D. Limiting the campaign like this also prevents any chance of it becoming over subscribed and everyone’s experience of the project being a negative…a problem that has plagued many other large projects. Can I pledge for a Plotter/Laser/CNC Expansion mod? Unfortunately not, there are links in the campaign to what I used and can be sourced from Ebay or Aliexpress. The reason for this is to reduce project complexity. The expansion mods are there to Show what else the Proforge is capable of. I will however be providing instruction on how to do them, they will be made available on our website. What are shipping and VAT costs going to be? Firstly VAT is only applicable to UK and EU countries and will come to 20% of your pledge. However if you are purchasing as a company and can provide A VAT number then you do not have to pay this tax. Shipping is calculated using parcel2go.com with these parameters: shipping from the UK, 25KG Parcel weight and 60 x 50 x 30 cm Parcel dimensions. These are maximum estimates and may vary when it comes time to ship. Shipping estimates for some countries (cheapest options): USA – £68.39 UK – £9.78 (inc VAT) Germany – £12.71 (inc VAT) Canada – £68.72

 

We are rather impressed by the design and the printer and would love to get one to test and review. We also do educational events and a dual extruder printer would be cool.

 

see–>

Now  that is pretty awesome!