14 DAY TRIAL // The past couple of weeks weren't very rich in new low-cost 3D printers, since the market seemed to take a breather, and a step back to the realm of high-end, expensive printers that use methods other than FDM. Now, though, we're getting back on track.
Fused deposition modeling works by pushing plastic filament through an extruder, which superheats it and deposits it, drop by drop, on a build plate in order to build a specific object.
It is the cheapest method of additive manufacturing, allowing 3D printers to sell for less than five hundred dollars or euro, on a good day.
Sure, the quality isn't great compared to SLA, and FDM can't work with metals or certain other materials, but it's enough for random toys, figurines and science projects.
More importantly, it's enough for 3D printed prosthetics, surgery guides and many other things that are enriching life and our ability to preserve and improve it.
The WPT 3D Printer
Developed by a company called Inovawt, the 3D printer has just been launched on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website.
That means that the company's owner, William Guey, needs your money in order to get his business off the ground.
Do not fear, though. If you make a pledge of at least $499 / €499, you'll definitely get a 3D printer, as well as a spool of PLA filament in whatever color you choose.
The WPT 3D printer has a pretty large build volume, of 250 x 250 x 300 mm / 9 x 9 x 12 inches, give or take. Overall, the product measures 430 x 430 x 340 mm / 16.9 x 16.9 x 13.4 inches.
The print speed is of up to 400 mm/s if you go with the layer resolution of 300 microns. If you want better quality, you can improve it, reducing it to 100 microns which has become something of a standard for consumer-grade additive manufacturing.
In addition to ABS plastic, PLA and Nylon materials are also supported by the machine. All the while, the positioning accuracy is of 15 microns on the X and Y axes.
Availability
The Indiegogo campaign will last until November 24. Afterwards, if the money raised meets the minimum goal, you can expect the product to start shipping at some point in 2015, or maybe by Christmas this year.
Do keep in mind, though, that the retail price will be higher than the early bird offers available now. Probably of $599 / €599 or more, although that's still pretty decent, especially for a machine that can work independently from a PC if the situation calls for it (has USB support).
