3D Printers

The Nemomaker N1: Both a Good 3D Printer and a Laser Engraver for $490?

When you add tools to a 3D printer to make it more multi-dimensional in the context of machining, the problem becomes one of high quality functionality in both areas.  There aren’t too many standards on the books for creating a 3D printer.  Creating unique designs and especially improving upon or adding an innovative function in the same space as a run-of-the-mill 3D printer is starting to feel like a logical progression, but something always feels a bit off when something is just added instead of jumping over common obstacles and issues, such as print speed, print quality and feeble materials.

Nemomaker 3D Printer Laser Engraver hardware

Then again, who wouldn’t want a 3D printer and laser engraver on the same machine if you have either or neither? Here’s the fun part: the Nemomaker M1, recently launched on Kickstarter, promises to be, not just your little mini-digital fabrication studio, but also “stylish”.

So what can the laser do? The laser’s maximum power is 500 mW, and its wavelength is 405nm.  The laser cuts at varying depths per material, through 2mm of cardboard or foam rubber, 1mm of leather, and 5mm of foam board.  It can’t cut wood, but it can engrave it.

Nemomaker 3D Printer Laser Engraver Software

And the 3D printer?The print volume is about 7.8” x 7.8”x 7.8” (200m x 200m x 200m), its print speed is 200mm/s, and it prints ABS and PLA.  They are asking for $20,000 in funds from backers, and this is where I was surprised.  The price for this machine with a single extruder nozzle is $600 AUD, or about $490 USD, which includes 1kg spool of filament.Add $100 to that, and you can get a dual nozzle extruder.  That is very inexpensive for a printer plus laser engraver.   The campaign isn’t the most eye-catching, and nothing is mentioned about the software, but people seem to be going for the dual nozzle extruder version over the single extruder package.

Nemomaker 3D Printer Laser Engraver

The company who created the Nemomaker M1, Nekkos Inc., is “an electronics design house from China,” which provides “solutions and end-to-end integrated electronic product design services in embedded domain from product conceptualization to end prototype design and testing.” They also have a smart thermometer on Kickstarter.

Nemomaker 3D Printer Laser Engraver 3d print

I think that, if the desktop FDM technology isn’t going to significantly improve in the foreseeable future, you might as well utilize the typical machine space in the best way: by adding more technologies without reducing the functionality or power of either, though compromises always have to be made.