There’s no doubt every home could stand to benefit from having a 3D printer in it.
The conveniences of owning a device are seemingly limitless: all the forks in the dirty dishwasher? Print a new one. Dog chew up his last good bone? Print a new one. Kid knock over your favorite centerpiece? Print a new one.
And it goes on and on and on.
The problem, however, with owning a 3D printer is the enormous price tag that comes with it; at least, that used to be the problem. Thanks to the folks at New Matter, a 3D printer might soon be showing up on kitchen countertops and garage work benches sooner than you think.
The New Matter engineers, along with a team at Frog Design, the well-known and well-respected design firm that’s worked with everyone from Apple to Microsoft and GE to Sony, have created a $199 piece of manufacturing technology referred to as the “MOD-t.”
The sleek-looking printer measures 16 x 12 x 15 inches tall, and houses the 3D printer components in a translucent, removable cover.
“When we started working on this project, we gave ourselves this provocation: What if you could send a 3D print to someone like you send them a text message?” Frog Designer Christin Todorovich said in the launch video.
Steven Schell, who co-founded New Matter, explained that he had been working on building sub-$2,000 3D printers for about 10 years, but recently decided to shift his focus toward developing the technology for the general consumer.
With that as the goal, he began the exploration process with three key principles in mind:
• The cost has to be reasonable
• The software has to be easy to use
• There must be great 3D designs associated with it
Along with an affordable 3D-printing device, the group was also able to create an online store and app that allows customers to not only download 3D projects, but also share their favorites as well. What’s more, the MOD-t 3D printer is Wi-Fi enabled, thereby allowing the user to send his / her designs straight from the site / app to the printer.
In terms of performance, the MOD-t prints at a clip of about 80 mm per second, putting it at the middle of the pack when compared to other printers on the market. Depending on the design, print times can take anywhere from 30 minutes to six hours. For bigger projects, the MOD-t can print objects up to 150 x 100 x 125 mm.
Similar to MakerBot’s $1,375 Replicator Mini and 3D System’s Cube, the MOD-t prints from a spool of biodegradable PLA, with a minimum layer height of 200 microns (for those unfamiliar, this reference’s the printer’s resolution—the higher the number, the smoother the printed object).
Along with easy to use software and a smart, simple design, the MOD-t’s print plate uses a special patent-pending design. Details are scarce at the moment, but apparently the device’s rack and pinion mechanism lowers the number of components needed which, in turn, lowers the total cost of the printer (hence the reason why details are scarce at the moment).
All in all, it’s a smart approach to a still-developing technology — placing a consumer-friendly price tag to a 3D printer will allow the technology to get into the hands of even more creative people who can find exciting new ways to use it. The 3D printing world stands to benefit greatly from any success gained by the MOD-t team.
Right now, the MOD-t is fundraising on indiegogo.com. Should it surpass its $375,000 goal (at the time this article is being written, it's half way there with 36 days left), investors can expect to receive their printer in April 2015.
To learn more, check out the MOD-T introductory video below:
Story via indeigogo.com
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