DeltaMaker 3D Printer Kickstarter Project

DeltaMaker 3D Printer

The developers of the DeltaMaker 3D printer ask, "Why does a 3D printer have to look like a microwave oven?" So, they've taken a unique and elegant approach to 3D printing that employs a delta robot mechanism rather than the usual raster-scanning print mechanism.

The development team has gone to Kickstarter to raise the funds needed to bring the DeltaMaker to market. The Kickstarter funding effort is currently at $96K committed with 26 days to go, closing in on a goal of $107K. The printer pldege price ranges from the $1,399 "early adopters" special, to $1,499 for students and teachers, to $1,599 for all Kickstarters throughout the duration of the pledge period.

Delta robots per se are not a new technology, they've been around for decades, but I believe the DeltaMaker is the first commercial 3D printer based on this mechanism. Delta robots can be made very fast and are often employed in pick-and-place and packaging applications where speed is a virtue; for example, there is a great video of a small delta robot performing pick-and-place assembly here.

The three arms you see holding the print head are parallelograms that restrict motion of the print head to the x-y axis. As the build proceeds, the three arms are pulled upward by a motor as the layers of fused plastic filament are put down. The designers claim an astounding 100micron layer resolution in a build volume of approximately 9" diameter and 11" height.

Watch the embedded video below to see the DeltaMaker in action.

Update: The DeltaMaker Kickstarter fundraiser was successfully completed yesterday (Mar. 1st) with $152.6K pledged, well over its $107K goal. Congratulations to the DeltaMaker team.

RoBo 3D Low Cost, Open Source 3D Printer on Kickstarter

RoBo3D Printer

This low-cost, open source 3D printer from RoBo 3D is the latest, hottest 3D printer Kickstarter project: With three days left to go at the time of this posting, 919 backers have committed almost $467,000, well over the target funding level of $49,000.

The base model prints with PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) biodegradable plastic, the same material that the MakerBot Replicator 2 uses. PLA has a reputation as the easiest 3D printing material to work, hence the best material for the novice to learn with. The base model is $520. An upgraded version for an additional $99 will also print in ABS, which is much tougher and stronger than PLA. The print volume is 10"x10"x8" (800cu. in.), nearly twice the volume of the Replicator 2.

At this low price point, a quarter of the cost of the Replicator 2, the RoBo 3D promises to bring 3D printing home to many more of us. Check out the Kickstarter page here for more info... there is still time to subscribe.

Update: The RoBo3D is now fully funded with 1,251 backers committing just under $650K!