The Draken 3D printer from 3DFacture is a new digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer that would cost you under $2000, if you were to back it on Kickstarter. We’ve seen a similar campaign for the Solus 3DP printer, which was available for about $1000, fail to reach its goal on Indiegogo in December of 2014. By contrast, the Solidator DLP printer ($1000) was fully funded on Kickstarter, as was the Uncia about a year ago today. As for non-crowdfunded DLP machines, the Ember DLP printer from Autodesk costs around $6,000. The advantages of DLP printers over FDM machines, like Ultimaker and MakerBot, is the micron resolution and speed with which they print. The proof is in the details, and the 3DFacture printer claims to print with a higher resolution than any of the printers that I just mentioned.
Here are the quick features:
- Sturdy print bed with Teflon coating to dramatically reduce print bed clouding.
- Use of Commercial DLP 1080P projectors to eliminate laser flare and laser aging issues.
- Quiet printer with no noise
- Novel Passive Peel mechanism
- Support for 3rd party resins
- Cast-able and flexible resins at launch
It has a 3.9” x 7.1” x 8.7” build area, minimum 37 micron resolution along the X and Y axes, and an incredible 10 microns on the Z-axis. According to Draken, the passive peeling technique was developed over two years to reduce the adhesion force at each layer separation and to greatly increase the print speed (about 1.8+ in/hr).
Draken’s commercial-grade HD 1080p projector produces solid two-dimensional layers without mechanical movements, which reduces instances of mechanical failure, compared to the one-dimensional, laser technique of SLA 3D printers, which requires two continuously rotating motors. The Draken’s impressive 10-micron layer thickness is, according to 3DFacture, additionally aided by a high precision linear stage module, implemented in semiconductor equipment.
According to the campaign, “Draken’s resolution can be easily tuned without complicated laser alignment and calibrations by applying a bottom-up SLA configuration. DLP projector bulbs usually need to be replaced at their service interval, generally at 3000-8000 hours of use. A flat plate which can slide is used between DLP projector and build platform is used to protect the projector lens.” 3DFacture is offering the following package on their campaign.
The Draken is has 16 days to come up with $28,000 for it to reach its $100,000 goal. If you’re not in the market for a DLP printer, but you are a fan of the Draken, they are asking for your support on social media. To learn more and to watch their campaign video, head over to their Kickstarter.
