April 8, 2014
Inspired by an article "A third industrial revolution" from "The Economist" magazine, Tedd Syao started Kudo3D in 2012 aiming to make a perfect tool for anybody interested to explore the potential of 3D printer.
Kudo3D's first product is Titan 1, an easy to use and upgradable desktop DLP Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printer. DLP Projector based printers have been gaining in popularity in the last few years. The projector shines on the surface of a liquid plastic resin that hardens when exposed to a certain wavelength of light. The light draws and hardens a layer at a time until the entire model is built.
To improve the reliability, Kudo3D modularize the components and uses high quality DLP HD 1080p projectors and industrial grade high precision ball screw linear stages that are used in semiconductor equipment for Titan 1.
With the patent pending passive self-peeling technology (PSP) for bottom up SLA, Titan 1 features high speed, high resolution and large build volume. According to the team, Syao spent 16 months full time to develop and perfect the PSP technology. PSP employs a flexible resin container consisting of 5 different materials to enable a self-peeling process that minimizes the separation force of cured layers. Therefore, feature as tiny as a strand of hair can be preserved during the printing process. Equipped with PSP, the printer needs only one stepping motor.
Titan 1 DLP 3D printer consists an high precision industrial grade high precision linear stage with 9.5″ traveling range, a HD 1920×1080 projector, a Mega 2560 with RAMPS 1.4 circuits, a Nema 17 stepping motor, a PSP resin container, a 12cm cooling fan, aluminum extrusion frame with steel enhancement and a brushed aluminum case.
The printer features a build volume of 7.5″ x 4.25″ x 9.5″ (191 x 108 x 241 mm) with 100μm XY and 1μm Z resolution. The highest available XY resolution is 37μm, the team notes. "With a fast curing resin, speed for 50μm XY and 100μm Z resolution can reach 2.7 inches (69 mm) per hour. For 100μm XY and 100μm Z resolution, speed can reach 1.3 inches per hour."
"For the SLA printers out in the market today, to print a 9.5 (241mm) inches Eiffel tower with 100 micron Z resolution, it takes anywhere from 15 to 20 hours. With Titan 1, it only takes about 7 hours. For a 4.7 inches (119mm) tall Eiffel tower, it takes only 2 hours."
The Titan 1 is compatible to all SLA photoresins sensitive to 400nm light. In addition, since the PSP technology employed Teflon, users can use materials from any vendors by setting proper exposure time.
Features:
- XY resolution: 37 micron to 100 micron
- Z resolution: 1 micron
- Print speed: 2.7 inches / hr for xy:50 micron and z:100 micron resolution; 1.3 inches / hr for xy:100 micron and z:100 micron resolution; 1.9 inches / hr for xy:100 micron and z:200 micron resolution
- Able to pause printing and replace resin with different color in the middle of a print
- Software: Host: pronterface; Slicer: slic3r
- Printer size: 40cm x 30cm x 85cm
Kudo3D have two versions of T1 - a DIY version ($1,999) and an assembled version ($2,249). The team will soon launch the project on a crowd funding platform. Stay tuned.
Posted in 3D Printers
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where is envisiontec´s weak Point concerning the Silicone patent use in europe? how could formslabs sue them?
JC wrote at 4/9/2014 3:46:37 AM:
I believe that some of the X-Y and Z resolution figures are wrong for the Makerbot and Ultimaker. They should be significantly lower.
pizzaslice wrote at 4/9/2014 1:07:25 AM:
it's impressive, especially for this price!! Hope they don't get sued like formlabs by 3D Systems. For a good lift of layer you need a non stick layer and something which is flexible. Teflon is non stick but not flexible. Envisiontec uses silicone and has a very good patent position for it US 7052263. Therefore I wonder whether they use silicone !? If so they can only enter Europe. The Envisiontec patent has a weak spot in the EU version. Also there are are less patent tricks here. You can't "refile" patents, like 3D systems did with refiling a 1984 patent in 1995, number 5,630,981. So feel free to ship it there, make sure the resin is cheap :P. Good luck!
jd90 wrote at 4/8/2014 4:37:27 PM:
I don't know if it deserves the "Titan" name, but it looks interesting.
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