Oct 21, 2015 | By Tess

For many, 3D printing is a fascinating technology but remains somewhat inaccessible, with 3D printers often still costing a pretty penny. Recently, however, the French startup Dagoma decided to do something about this reality and in an effort to further democratize 3D printing technology, they have designed and launched a fully functional 3D printer that will only cost consumers 299 euros: the Discovery200.

What is notable about Dagoma’s Discovery200 is that it itself is made on a 3D printer, with almost all of its parts being additively manufactured by a 3D printer from the same company. When purchased, the Discovery 200 will also be sent to customers as a kit with a manual, ready to be assembled at home. Dagoma cofounder, Gauthier Vignon, assures that the assembly is straightforward and easy and shouldn’t require more than 3 hours to put together, even without much technical knowledge. It is also possible, for those who may find the assembly daunting, to order the already made 3D printer for the price of 399 euros.

Dagoma have also made all the .stl files for the Discovery200 readily available and open-source, though cofounder Gauthier Vignon suggests that 3D printing your own parts and buying the electronics would amount to the same cost as buying the Discovery200 kit.

The kit itself comes with all the 3D printed parts necessary to build the Discovery200, a spatula to remove 3D printed objects from the printbed, the pre-assembled motorized and electrical components of the 3D printer, including motors, bearings, switches, etc., the hotend and extruder, a micro SD card reader, and a micro SD card loaded with the assembly instructions, software (Cura), and some 3D printing files to start you off. For the assembly you do require some basic tools.

Once assembled, the Discovery200 has a print volume of 200 X 200 X 200mm, which, to compare, is almost identical to the print volume capabilities of the Ultimaker 2.

One slight limitation of the French designed and made 3D printer is that it does not possess a hotbed. Gauthier Vignon explains however that they did not find a hotbed necessary for their 3D printer because the accessory is mainly needed to print with non-sustainable materials such as ABS plastic, and Dagoma wants to promote the use of more ecological 3D printing materials such as PLA, a plant based, biodegradable plastic. Of course it is possible to modify the Discovery 200 in order for it to accommodate a hotbed.

As makers everywhere know, 3D printing at its core is about accessibility, democratization of production, and a DIY sensibility. In designing the Discovery200, an affordable 3D printer with a build-it-yourself option, Dagoma has truly taken these values in stride.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer

 

 

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kb wrote at 10/21/2015 10:31:13 PM:

That's a poor design. Printing with such a flexible machine must be very slow.



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