Nov 3, 2016 | By Andre
Kickstarter has been a breeding ground for desktop 3D printers since the crowdsourcing pioneer opened its doors a few year back. Whether its Printrbot, Formlabs, Gigabot or any other breakout campaign that lead to bigger and better things, crowd-funding has become the most likely route for a successful 3D printer release.
And as the years have crept through into today, there’s no doubt that the trend continues and this is evidenced by Indiana based YNG LLC and their Reveal3D printer campaign.
Just like is the case with just about everything ever marketing related, the team behind this large format, multi-extruder 3D printer claim they are onto something special with their machine. As the below video suggests, they have been working through several prototypes to ultimately push forward all that the Reveal3D has on offer.
Coming pre-assembled, the 3D printer rates at a competitive price point (starting at $1,399 for early bird backers), a unique assembly based heated bed (in that multiple beds are used so as to save on costs, repair potential and electricity), the ability to 3D print two items at once, 50 micron z-resolution and an impressive build volume of 1000x1000x430mm in the standard Reveal3D edition.
From a reward perspective, most of the perks revolve around the 3D printer itself. There are the Reveal3D and the Reveal3D GT (the unit capable of printing with two extruders at once) up for grabs. But beyond that, you are able to contribute to their cause with interface upgrades, filament packs or even a $35 pledge that goes directly toward educational needs by putting 3D printers in schools.
But is the Reveal3D actually any good?
Fortunately, there are some decently comprehensive videos of the 3D printer in action available so this 2 year in the making 3D printer certainly isn’t vaporware (as has been the case with some Kickstarter campaigns in the past). I do unfortunately have concerns over whether or not the team has presented a 3D printer cutting edge enough to reach its funding ambitions.
There are unfortunately only sample images and video of relatively straight forward and small 3D prints on display. Their marketing copy suggesting 3D printing has always been expensive and difficult to work with seems like a claim better suited for when Kickstarter was first born. There's no doubt that we've seen several 3D printers over the years that have successfully addressed all of those issues with much success.
But you never know, and there is no doubt that the team behind the Reveal 3D has put their time in in producing what in any situation is a massive undertaking. Designing, developing and innovating in the ever-evolving 3D printer space is fast becoming a David Vs. Goliath situation. It’s getting harder and harder for the little guys to make an impact but that’s exactly what YNG LLC is trying to do.
Ultimately, if their claimed quality control measures for when they (hopefully) finally ship out their first batches of 3D printers hold true, just knowing you will receive a functional, glitch free 3D printer from a Kickstarter campaign is an accomplishment in itself.
Although, unless some sort of internet magic happens to the campaign however, it will be difficult to fund at the rate they are currently at. With almost a third of the way through the campaign, it appears as though they have yet to have a single backer for the 3D printer itself. But stranger things have happened, it looks like a well thought out machine and I can only wish for the best as I follow along in the coming weeks.
Posted in 3D Printer
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I would like to see if I can alleviate any concerns that have risen in the past few days with the design/implementation of our printers. As to the margin we have more than sufficient margins on the printers, products, and services to keep the business thriving and growing. We have worked very hard to create a couple printers that are larger and cheaper than comparable ones on the market today. Thank you for the comment about the heated beds, we are working to make the design itself a bit more efficient for use in duplication mode and with our software. The printer offers a couple of different design options, configurations include single nozzle, dual material, and our duplication model (which has had a high need and request for designers, tinkerers and companies that want to get different materials for testing fast. The warping that was seen in the video (if you were talking about the close up of the large boat in the back of the printer @ 4min) was due to not cleaning the PEI before printing and we are human :) . For Auto-leveling if you see some of the videos that have been uploaded in the gallery we have had very high success with duplication (printing 2 items at the same time). We do this by setting the gantry level and zeroing with the first extruder before we clamp and add the second extruder. Once we add the second extruder we set its hight to zero by adjusting the top tension screw on the mount. Once leveling begins it averages the hits of the gantry to create the level plane for printing to begin (it first levels the gantry with the printer, then by using an accelerometer we measure the distance at each probe point to create the level plane). If you would like to see more demonstrations in our gallery or online, feel free to send us a message so that we know more of what people would like to see.
Unknown wrote at 11/3/2016 2:06:18 PM:
These guys never heard of http://www.igus.com/wpck/8107/5_linear_bearing_mistakes_you_do_not_know_you_are_making?C=US&L=en#Section_4
I.AM.Magic wrote at 11/3/2016 11:19:46 AM:
I wish them luck, but I doubt they'll make it. The printer is priced way too low for them to make a margin. Although multiple heated bed is a great idea, most people don't care at all about they power consumption. You can see warping in the video, so the PEI doesn't stick that well. Autolevel with dual extruder? printing at the same time? I don't think that will work. Maybe I'm wrong.
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