About this project
$1,092,098
1,952
Check our updates tab for the most updated information.
**Now all $299 pledges and above have a heated bed! See stretch goals**
Upgrade options - We have several upgrade options to add even more value to your RigidBot.
What is 3D Printing
3D printing is an exciting technology where you can create and build plastic objects right from the comfort of your own home. Imagine building a part with a hot glue gun. RigidBot melts plastic and pushes it through a small tip, like an automatic glue gun, and grows your design layer by layer from the bottom up.
Why RigidBot 3D?
The RigidBot 3D Printer is an easy to use consumer 3D printer engineered for the everyday user.
You can buy it fully assembled and ready to use, or in kit form and have fun putting it together.
With our printer there is no limit to your creativity. Design your own parts or download thousands of free designs from various places online, including www.thingiverse.com.
The RigidBot 3D design is fully expandable in the X, Y and Z directions. Using the injection molded plastic joints, you can adjust the size by swaping out the metal bars with longer or shorter ones (available at any hardware store or on our future online store).
Stretch Goals!
We are excited to offer some new stretch goals that will benefit all of our backers at the $299 pledge level and higher. As we gain more backers it gives us some better purchasing power, which in turn reduces our cost. We want to make sure to pass on the savings to you!
**In the news**
KSL.com - 3D printers are the gadget of the future, and a new model made by the Utah County company Invent-A-Part is easy and affordable enough to use in any home. - http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24633966&nid=1194
Crowdfundmafia.com - "What separates this printer from its competitors is its ease of use and affordability" - http://www.crowdfundmafia.com/blog/mafia-approved/2013/04/04/mafiaapproved-easter-edition/
Printed Examples
Awesome Owl design by tom cushwa http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:18271
TwEaster Egg printed with Multiple colors of PLA - http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:66601- by cerberus333
I purchased this file from Dizingof showroom www.ponoko.com/design-your-own/products/coral-vase-math-art-by-dizingof-7916.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:21488
Great Design
We went through many design iterations until we found a design we felt was clean, simple, and cost effective. Not to mention RIGID (WAY STRONG). With our injection molded corners you can build your RigidBot 3d Printer any size you need.
We built this printer for YOU! It is customizable and expandable to fit your individual prototyping needs.
The Design Concept below shows a design where the motors and components are inside the metal frame with an outside skin.
Specs
The KIT
If you want the adventure of putting together your own 3D printer the injection-molded parts make a big difference. With easy to follow step-by-step instructions you can assemble your pre-painted printer in less than an hour. The roller bearings simply snap into their respective components making it easy to assemble. The electronics are all pre-tested and ready to run. You just need to install the provided hardware into their correct locations. With a little calibration you are ready to print.
Fully Assembled
The fully assembled RigidBot printer has been designed to look great and print great. They are simple to operate right out of the box. With our unique frame design you will have high quality 3D prints that look amazing.
Electronics
We are using Sanguinololu 1.3a electronics with a ATMEGA1284. The four axes (x, y, z and extruder) are powered by Pololu stepper drivers. We are using a custom designed hot end with standard nema17 1.8degree stepper motors.
Kids Love the RigidBot
The RigidBot is designed to be powerful learning tool that is affordable and available to anyone. We took the RigidBot to a local school and they loved it! You could see their creative minds designing the next great thing!
We need your help Kickstarter! In order to bring the RigidBot 3D printer to market and keep it affordable for everyone we need to buy in bulk and get our custom injection molds made. Let's work together to get this project funded.
Our printers are based off of the RepRap 3D printers. http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page
As a side note, if you are interested in RigidBot then check out the 3D Refiner, together these two products are the perfect combination for any 3D printing enthusiasts or hobbyists, see it here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1809448130/3d-refiner-by-3dprintsexpresscom
Example Prints in the Video
The Coral Vase was designed by Dizingof and printed on the RigidBot
I purchased this file from Dizingof's showroom www.ponoko.com/design-your-own/products/coral-vase-math-art-by-dizingof-7916.
Coral Wall - Lamp Shade - It is an amazing design and was created by Dizingof - The link to this file is (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:21488)
Risks and challenges
We have spent a lot of time developing our RigidBot 3d printer. We are confident in our design however we feel that there are a few challenges to overcome.
Our first challenge is the fulfillment process. Once we have reached our goal on Kickstarter we will start the production process. That is a very exciting time. We are confident in getting all of our components and injection molds completed, but we know there can be unexpected time delays with making molds. We want to make sure we are able to coordinate all of the components into the correct kit and still make our deadline goals:
By the end of the Kickstarter Campaign
- Prepare printer design for injection molding
- Start tooling for injection molding
By June
- First article samples of the printer for final manufacturing approval.
By August
- Receive manufactured parts and start the assembly and calibration process.
By September
- Start shipping printers and kits.
Challenge number two, is a consistent and accurate assembly of the completed printer. We have built several prototypes of our RigidBot printer and feel that we have ironed out all of the kinks, so that each printer will be consistent. We want to make sure we have the best quality printer and that it is repeatable. There are a lot of components in the assembly that require special skills to complete a perfectly functioning RigidBot printer. Our goal / challenge is to properly train other employees to complete the task.
The third challenge is customer confidence and satisfaction. We want to make sure that once our backers have the printer, and it is assembled and ready to print, they know how to use it to its full potential and are fully satisfied. The challenge we face is educating all of our backers in a simple way, how to properly calibrate and use the hardware as well as easily navigate the software. We feel that we have a simple set of instructions that any user will be able to follow. We will provide printed instructions as well as online videos and examples.
We want to make sure you, the backer, is confident and happy with your purchase!
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (45 days)