Aussie manufacturing startup Hardcotton is looking for investment through Kickstarter to fund the development of a new kind of 3D printer.
The Canberra-based company says unlike other printers of its type, its Elemental technology uses a pressure control system to control resin levels when an object is being built without the need for direct mechanical interaction with the substrate.
This means it can use a wider range of resin-based production materials and be quieter and more cost effective than other SLA 3D printer technologies.
“Pressure control provides for extremely accurate control over layer heights. It also reduces the need to print support structures where there is overhang in a 3D model. The material surrounding the cured material holds the build material in place long enough for the laser to cure the resin above it,” the company says.
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Hardcotton chief executive Scott Pobihun says the Elemental fills the gap between low-end hobbyist machines with limited resolution and expensive high-end printers.
This could make it a good option for small printing companies considering becoming early adopters of 3D printing as an extra revenue stream.
“Whilst Elemental will be attractive to consumers, it will also be attractive to industry and is the ideal device to sit on desks and workstations everywhere,” he says.
Hardcotton will try to raise sizeable development funds through the online crowdfunding website and supporters will be able to pick up a machine for only $1000 once it is constructed.
“A sizeable campaign goal has been chosen so as to distribute the significant set up costs involved in the manufacture of Elemental across a larger number of pledged units,” Pobihun says.
“Our purpose behind manufacturing Elemental by mass production is to keep the pledge point values as reasonable as possible.
“Elemental has been designed from the ground up to enhance the creativity of individuals, so it is only appropriate that early adopters are the key to launching this revolutionary printer.”
The Elemental will feature a build area of up to 200mm cubed, Z control accurate to 1 micron, 24-bit XY control resolution (variable through software), variable output 405nm laser, and pressure control of layer height.
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