Kickstarter definitely seems to be the place to source funding if you have a 3D printer project and need money to back it up. Although there is no guarantee of success, it can prove worth while for both the project starter and the investors (or backers as they are called).
Just a few days ago (24 Jan) an interesting project with a very professional pitch made its debut on Kickstarter:
DeltaMaker – an elegant 3D printer. It is a clean and ‘elegant’ looking personal 3D printer that has been built on a delta robot platform!
The DeltaMaker team – a team of four with aerospace, electrical, mechanical and software engineering backgrounds – promises its backers a faster running, better looking 3D printer that is also more fun to watch.
The delta robot technology, which has been mainly used for high-speed industrial applications, is not new, and has been around for decades. For the DeltaMaker 3D printer the delta shape ensures that the platform stays level in any position, and the head can move to any xyz-position. The DeltaMaker is extremely fast and has a 100 micron layer resolution capability.
Have a look at the video pitch:
DeltaMaker 3D printer product highlights:
- Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) using 1.75 mm filament
- 100 micron layer resolution capability
- 9″ diameter x 11″ tall build envelope (approximate)
- Heated build platform (optional)
- Efficient footprint to build envelope ratio
- Printed object viewable from 360 degrees
- Rigid aluminum extrusion construction
- Utilizes open source software tool chain
This is definitely a project (again) to keep an aye on. The team appears very professional, with a great story behind the project and a clear vision of the way ahead – they might well be on to something with this. Well, you do the judging: have a look at some of the creations below, and read the DeltaMaker full pitch on Kickstarter.