Mar.25, 2014
The evolution of 3D printing has moved quickly and every week or so we see another 3D printer entering the market. 3D printers are available in all shapes and sizes and all greatly varying in quality, but not all of them are that great.
Dutch startup MyMatics has been working on their prototype 3D printer Mamba3D since last year, hoping to set a new standard for quality, usability and affordability.
"After three prototypes we've finally made a 3D-printer that meets our high standards", says Michiel Bieshaar, founder of MyMatics. "Currently we are testing the limits of our printer and we are excited by the great results."
The Mamba3D will soon be launched on Kickstarter where MyMatics hopes to raise funding to start production and build a user community.
The Mamba3D is a medium sized, open-source printer using the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology. It features an aluminum frame, all metal extruder, up to 50 microns layer resolution and a build volume of 200mm x 200mm x 200mm (7.87x7.87x7.87 inch). The electronics is a single circuit board with integrated stepper drives, which is prepared for any future upgrades like adding a display, SD-card capability and a heated bed to your printer.
"The printer will be available in a Do-It-Yourself-kit which is easy to assemble in only a few hours." says the company.
"We look forward to engage with our backers from Kickstarter and others from the 3D-printing community", notes Michiel. "They will provide valuable feedback, which will help us to continue our development."
Specifications of the Mamba3D printer:
- Frame: Anodized aluminum
- Extruder: All metal, temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius
- Build Volume (WxDxH): 200mm x 200mm x 200mm (7.87x7.87x7.87 inch)
- Filament: 1.75mm
- Layer Resolution: up to 50 microns
- Nozzle: 0.4mm
- Software: Repetier with Slic3r implemented
- Firmware: Marlin
MyMatics released a teaser video showing the Mamba3D printer in action, although the company is keeping what the printer looks like under warps.
But here are some 3D prints made on a Mamba3D showing the quality of the printer. The Kickstarter campaign will be announced in a few weeks, stay tuned.
Posted in 3D Printers
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There is no way the market will support the zillion companies with hobbyist machines on the market now. I hope that ease of use will start to play a big factor in the market, and narrow the choices to better machines. One more comment. It is common for pictures showing the detail of a print often omit anything in the picture to get a sense of scale.. Larger objects often have visible objects around that help with scale. But, when they zoom in on a small object, the impression is that the object is a similar size to the other ones. So, they end up making the imperfections look larger than they really are.
jd90 wrote at 3/25/2014 3:55:09 PM:
...OK? If you're in the market for a commercial 3D printer kit, then the MTW Fusematic kit is available low, with a metal frame, no wait and no silly teasers and no need to "back" anything. Otherwise, there's several Prusa i3-based kits, which is available with a metal frame. Nothing strikes me as anything other than a "me too" kit. They've not explained what makes this stand out.
James Kline wrote at 3/25/2014 1:12:09 PM:
Looks like just another well tuned reprap. The mere fact that someone can get great prints on a machine does not necessarily translate into a mass production machine. There is still a ton of R&D that needs to go into a good printer. Just building a machine that can be mass produced and delivers top quality prints with the same settings from one machine to the other is a huge challenge. Things like parts count, and the ability to be assembled in a factory. is the machine delivered calibrated at the factory? 8 inche build area seems rather the new norm and 12 inch machines the norm in a year or 2. Touch screen controls, ergonomics, etc. the market currently tolerates difficult machines. Will the market tolerate the same next year?