'New Matter' launching the MOD-t Affordable 3D Printer Soon via Crowdfunding Campaign

[LoboCNC]

Lobo, what are you feelings about it? Will it be something we want to buy and use?

I hope you'll want to buy and use one. It's a very capable printer (ie, decent print speeds and good print quality) and they are aiming for really low pricing (they haven't settled on a final figure yet). The main advantage, though, is that it will be a very polished consumer device with much less of the fussing normally associated with 3D printers. In particular, they are working on a 3D marketplace that will essentially have pre-sliced objects that have been pre-tested with this particular printer, thus allowing the total novice to successfully print without having to know anything about the dozens of slicing parameters required for getting good results. (You'll also, of course, be able to design and slice your own objects if you have the know-how.)

[3dkarma]

You can just see the top of the hole for the y-axis rod immediately below the z-axis rod in the render.

[Eddie]

Here are some more interesting details about the MOD-t:
http://3dprint.com/3535/new-matter-mod-t-details/

[JRDM]

"Instead of having the extruder, which is where the build material is expelled from, move on all three axes, they have changed the mechanics around quite significantly. The MOD-t 3D printer will feature an extruder that only moves in the Z direction, while the build plate will move in the X and Y directions."

The MOD-t movement isn't special. That's how a "knee" or quite a lot of vertical mills are setup. The down side with how they show it is that the machine envelope is needlessly large, or it further constrains the XY build area.

I don't know what cartesian 3D printer moves the extruder in all three axes. Maybe it's common in the big-name high-dollar machines. A Mendel-type is often set up to move the extruder in the XZ axes, and moves the table in the Y. Makerbot & Ultimaker move the extruder with an XY gantry, with a Z platform moving.

[LoboCNC]

"Instead of having the extruder, which is where the build material is expelled from, move on all three axes, they have changed the mechanics around quite significantly. The MOD-t 3D printer will feature an extruder that only moves in the Z direction, while the build plate will move in the X and Y directions."

The MOD-t movement isn't special. That's how a "knee" or quite a lot of vertical mills are setup. The down side with how they show it is that the machine envelope is needlessly large, or it further constrains the XY build area.

I don't know what cartesian 3D printer moves the extruder in all three axes. Maybe it's common in the big-name high-dollar machines. A Mendel-type is often set up to move the extruder in the XZ axes, and moves the table in the Y. Makerbot & Ultimaker move the extruder with an XY gantry, with a Z platform moving.

True enough - the Mod-T isn't particularly unique because of which axes move the table and which move the extruder head. It's unique because the X-Y mechanism is incredibly minimal (see my early posts in this thread), and the only thing that moves at high speed is the build table itself. This both reduces the part count and reduces the amount of moving mass because the table is very light. The lower moving mass further reduces the cost of motors, motor drivers, power supplies, etc..

[Ken]

Is there a way to get notified when the crowdfunding starts?

[LoboCNC]

Is there a way to get notified when the crowdfunding starts?

There's a place at the top of the New Matter website to sign up to get notification of the crowdfunding launch.

[Eddie]

BTW, New Matter has just informed us that the MOD-t will be launching on Indiegogo on May 28th and it will be priced at less than $300! More details at http://3dprint.com/3755/new-matter-mod-t-indiegogo/

[LoboCNC]

It looks like New Matter has released a video explaining their X-Y drive mechanism:



This is the patent-pending technology they are talking about. The entire X-Y drive consists of 2 pinion rods and one molded build table. (Plus motors, of course.)

[Yorke]

Has anyone found any indication on when they might be shipping the first units?
I hope it isn't going to be one of those crowd funding campaigns where they say it wont ship till 6 months after the campaign, and then after a whole lot of "unexpected" delays its another 6 months behind. It looks like a pretty talented team behind New Matter so lets hope they've got everything sorted and ready to ramp up production as soon as they hit their funding goal and get the units out fast.