Tiko3D $179 3D Printer

[Brian_Krassenstein]

An Ontario-based startup called Tiko3D has just unveiled a new 3D printer at SXSW in Austin this week. The printer uses a delta-style framework and will be priced at just $179. Tiko3D states that a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign will be launched within a week or so, and early bird backers will be able to pre-order the 3d printer for a price even less than it's $179 price tag. So how is it so cheap? Tiko3D relies on a simplistic approach, no fan for cooling the extruder off and no USB ports. Instead of a fan they use tubing to remove the heat from around the extruder. More details on the company, the printer, and the pricing can be found here:
http://3dprint.com/52099/tiko3d-unve...lta-3d-printer

Below is a picture of the Tiko3D Printer and a test print. Will you be backing this project on Kickstarter?

[MiniMadRyan]

I'm really struggling to understand how these start ups can find ways (or think they can) to retail these units so cheaply. Seems to me that the addition of wireless printing would nullify any savings they made from cutting lower margin items like fans or a usb port....

[curious aardvark]

cloud based via wifi.
How is that cheaper than usb ?

And if you're internet goes down do your prints stop ?

I mean it's potentially cheap. But also potentially useless if you want to use it somewhere without wifi.

And wif is cheap because it's most likely built into the processor system they're using.
But an extra buck for a usb port - that does seem odd.

be interesting to see if it ever gets off the ground. But a neat idea. Also curious why they've hidden the 'cooling pipes' behind that shield.

[PawArmy]

[QUOTE=curious aardvark;52113]cloud based via wifi.
How is that cheaper than usb ?

ESP8266 wifi modules are really cheap.

[brbubba]

Less than $200 for a 3D printer on Kickstarter.... a fool and his money are soon parted... Even though the thing looks pretty small it's just too much of a risk based on past startups.

[DavidS]

As USB only requires that your circuit board have a card edge for the connector, and any MCU that runs fast enough can Bit Bang USB (like a $7 Parallax P8X32A Propeller) and still have enough left over for processing the G-Code and controlling the steppers and heater I do not see how it is cheaper to use WiFi. With a P8X32A you could use 2 cores for USB, 1 core for processing the G-Code, 1 core for the three steppers, 1 core for reading the sensors, and still have 3 unused cores for other stuff.

So I do not see it. I would rather have standard RS-232, for an interface, though at least USB is hardwired, and more reliable.

[mattgajkowski]

Hey guys, Matt here from Tiko!

It's exciting to see all the debates over WiFi, it reminds me of the pros-cons lists we made when choosing between USB and WiFi. I don't want to reveal all the details before the campaign, but there are a couple of things you should know going in.

First off, Tiko is absolutely not a "cheap" 3D printer. Yes, it's unbelievably inexpensive, but that's only because we developed a number of world-first technologies that dramatically dropped our production costs, while maintaining/improving the functionality and quality of the printer.

We'll be doing an AMA on Reddit during the campaign, where we'll be happy to geek out on all the details, but the tl;dr version is that USB wasn't as cheap as you'd think, and WiFi chips have gotten much less expensive than you'd think. Switching to WiFi didn't have a large impact on our production cost, but it opened up a ton of cool possibilities, so we ran with it.

I feel your uneasiness - many a 3D printer have incorporated WiFi and done a bad job. That's because it always ends up being an "add-on" and doesn't receive as much attention as the rest of the printer. So, we decided early on that we would either do USB or WiFi, but not both, and fully commit to perfecting whichever we chose. We chose WiFi, and we think you'll love us for it once you try it.

In any case, the campaign is coming sooner than you think, till then, stay curious!

[soofle616]

I don't think the debate is really that much about usb versus wifi's cost, but more about how you're producing a machine at that price point. The discussion about usb versus wifi was a tangent to that larger question.

[curious aardvark]

Well that and the fact that wifi can drop out at any point and usb cables tend not to.
That would be my biggest concern. I tend to reboot my router at least a couple times a day, I'm at the end of a long line and the internet can drop or die until you refresh.
So any long prints I'd started over wifi would be interrupted fairly regularly.
I just don't see it as being a great choice for an either or situation. And for a couple extra bucks - why not have both ?
Or failing that an sd card reader - now they really are cheap.
Just some kind of option other than wireless, that is genuinely uninterruptable.

Hell stick it as an optional extra for $20, I bet most people would opt in rather than out.

[mattgajkowski]

Ah yes, it always comes back to the price! We'll be covering that in detail in the campaign, so hang tight.

Regarding the WiFi, not to give away too much, but Tiko doesn't require a connection during printing. More on that soon, as well!