Dec 21, 2015 | By Tess

Amsterdam based 3D printing software company Printr has recently announced the launch of their new application Katana, a free slicing engine that allows makers to easily turn their 3D models into coded instructions for their 3D printer.

You may already have heard of Printr, as the Dutch startup notably received $820,000 in seed funding this past fall in order to develop Formide, an online 3D printing ecosystem, and The Element, a USB streaming device that connects 3D printers to the online ecosystem. Now, with the release of Katana, the company is extending its products to facilitate all levels of the 3D process for makers everywhere.

Slicing, which is the process of converting digital 3D files into printing instructions for your 3D printer, can often be a dull and consuming process. Katana, which is available for free as a desktop application, easily converts 3D models into instructions by figuring out the optimal tool path per parameters chosen.

The slicing application considers several factors such as nozzle diameter, printing speeds, and layer height to create a set of instructions for the 3D printer in question, determining what path the nozzle should take and at what speed it should print at for optimal print results. Once the parameters are set, Katana generates the print instructions through a .gcode file which can be directly uploaded to the 3D printer by either USB or SD card.

Printr boasts that the program is suitable for both inexperienced makers as well as those who have several prints already under their belt and know the ins and outs of slicing, as Katana offers a comprehensive and user friendly interface that can be appreciated by all levels of user. Additionally, the program comes equipped with a database of over 160 preset 3D printer settings, and over 50 material profiles, which can be applied to save time as well as adjusted to fit a certain print.

When asked what set Katana apart from other free 3D slicing programs, Printr CEO Douwe Bart Mulder said the following, “As fellow 3D printing enthusiasts, we know that the best possible print is determined by a well calibrated printer and how well 80+ parameters are adjusted within a slicing program. But we couldn’t think of a good reason as to why it has to look so complicated. Katana is a demonstration that the technical process of 3D printing can indeed be a lot cleaner than what we are experiencing today, without any compromise on print quality.”

The program, as mentioned, features several preconfigured profile settings, and is compatible with Cura for uploading 3D .stl files. The application is currently available for Mac OS X and Linux and will be available soon for Windows. Katana, which will be  can be downloaded for free via Printr’s website, will also be updated as Printr’s Formide online platform continue to grow and develop.

“The goal from the very beginning was to provide 3D printing users with a fresh take on achieving impressive prints, consistently and in significantly shorter period of time,” explains Mulder.

Now, with the release of Katana, Printr has continued to extend its reach in the 3D printing game as the company comprehensively builds a functional and user friendly 3D printing ecosystem.


 

 

Posted in 3D Software

 

 

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