14 DAY TRIAL // Portable 3D printers aren't something that the world was expecting so soon, but they have, nonetheless, been already invented. Or, rather, one of them has finally been created, and by a startup company no less.
Portabee will probably be snatched up quite quickly by one of the bigger corporations in the 3D printing field. Unless it is bullheaded enough to slug through the first decade of strained finances and brand strength.
Either way, the company has everything it needs to become more than a passing, one-week wonder in the new 3D printer it has created, the Portabee GO. You see, the Portabee GO is the first 3D printer to ever be made with a portable form factor. Or, better said, the ability to fold into a portable form factor.
Admittedly, pre-orders have been up for several months, but only now have open orders started to be accepted, which is an important milestone since the October 2013 release.
Spec-wise, the product is quite surprising. The build volume had to be made smaller than normal, obviously, but the rest of the traits seem to be as normal as they come. No real sacrifices here, in other words.
The layer accuracy is of 50 microns (0.05 mm), which is actually better than some other “normal” FDM/FFF 3D printers on the market. On that note, the print nozzle has a diameter of 0.35 mm.
For those who want to know exactly how big you can render a virtual model by means of Portabee GO, the build volume is 120 x 160 x 120 mm / 4.72 x 6.29 x 4.72 inches (bigger than the non-folding MakerBot Replicator Mini). Finally, the plastic used in projects is PLA (polylactic acid).
It's actually quite amazing that a folding 3D printer was even possible, especially so early after they became consumer-ready products. There are so many moving parts that it couldn't have been easy.
Portabee figured it out, though, despite the complications posed by the free hovering gantry and the auto-leveling capability. In the end, the unfolding process takes 10 seconds once you've become familiar with it.
The company asks for $595 / €439 - €595 in exchange for each Portabee GO, which is quite a small price. Sure, FDM 3D printers seem to have chosen $500 / €500 as the ideal price spot, but the fact that Portabee GO is portable gives it a little more leeway. That it doesn't take advantage of that leeway is quite remarkable.
