At $3,999 / €3,158 it is even cheaper than initially planned

Oct 23, 2014 12:49 GMT  ·  By

You might be tempted to ask us what we're smoking if we were to tell you that five grand was a small price for a 3D printer, but it really is if you're only looking at one particular technology: SLS.

SLS, short for selective laser sintering, is the most advanced 3D printing technology in the world, and also the most expensive.

As the only method known to be capable of 3D printing objects from metal, it uses a high-power laser to melt powder in such a way that it builds a three dimensional object according to a 3D model.

SLS isn't only used for metal though, especially when you want it to come cheap. As it happens, the folks at Sintratec are quite set on the goal of selling a low-cost SLS printer.

The Sintratec desktop SLS 3D printer

Measuring 550 x 530 x 360 mm / 21.65 x 20.86 x 14.17 inches, the printer has a build volume of 130 x 130 x 130 mm / 5.11 x 5.11 x 5.11 inches.

The laser speed is of 70 mm/s or more, while the laser power is of 2,300 MW. On that note, the laser wavelength is a nice, 445nm blue.

Sintratec has been working on the project since before August, when it said it was aiming for a price of around $5,000 / €3,947. Clearly, they've stumbled upon some shortcuts or just managed to advance their idea more than intended, because $3,999 / €3,158 is quite a bit less than that.

Do keep in mind that SLS printers can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions, depending on their size and material support.

Indeed, the product would have been miraculously cheap even if it sold for thirteen grand or so, or even twenty or fifty. And yet we're looking at four thousand.

No wonder Sintratec got the first prize (out of 250 competitors) for their product and business plan at the Swiss UpStart Challenge 2014.

The 3D printer doesn't support plastic, but it can print things out of nylon easily enough, and doesn't need support structures. It can make designs with moving parts too.

Availability

Sales aren't underway yet, and won't be for some weeks or months, but an Indiegogo campaign is now live, so you can make an early pledge to be among the first recipients. The retail price may end up being a bit higher than the sum mentioned previously, but even then it will be a pittance for SLS.