Copying New Matter's technology

**Yancy** · 06-12-2014, 04:07 PM

I wonder if anyone will try and copy the technology used in the MOD-t. It's so new, and such a brilliant idea. I could see companies like Makerbot trying to utilize this. Does anyone know if this tech is patented or patent pending, or open source?

**NewMatter** · 06-12-2014, 06:14 PM

The X-Y pinion drive is patent-pending, so it will be protected commercially. I'd imagine there'll be individuals, though, playing with their own home-brew versions.

**trimmedup** · 06-13-2014, 08:34 AM

I always wonder about that. If you have that patented, couldn't someone slightly modify the design and say that it is a new invention?

**Compro01** · 06-13-2014, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by trimmedup

I always wonder about that. If you have that patented, couldn't someone slightly modify the design and say that it is a new invention?

Only if you did a poor job on the patent. If you did the claims right, "slightly modifying the design" in a manner that would get around the patent would result in a device that doesn't do the same thing or doesn't do it as well.

**Yorke** · 06-18-2014, 09:13 PM

Here's the first example I've come across:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...tm1-3d-printer
They claim it is "Capable of printing 0.002-in layers at 200 mm/sec with no loss of dimensional accuracy"
And for the technology"
"So we built a patent-pending motion stage called ServoSpline™, which positions the part under TM1's precision gear-driven extruder head. It consists of two independently-driven pinions that engage with elastomeric racks on the underside of the build plate. The splines guide, support and drive the build plate. Free of the backlash found in most rack-and-pinion motion, the new build platform achieves positioning accuracies better than 0.005-inches at maximum build speed. The ServoSpline design also keeps the number and mass of moving parts to a bare minimum, limiting cost and promoting smooth, accurate motion."

**Feign** · 06-19-2014, 07:17 AM

I saw that too, though they did make slight changes to the carriage, forcing it to be locked to the pinions with a rail. Also, having the print head support diagonal to the print area so that it looks much different (at the expense of having much more overhang).

Though they seem to be aware of the MOD-T, with their dig against "rack and pinion" motion, when their rack and spline is exactly the same as New Matter's rack and spline.

Also, they're promicing a two month lead time, which reeks of scam.

**LambdaFF** · 06-19-2014, 08:33 AM

I was wondering about that since I remembered ModT mentioning patent pending for the rack and pinion idea... Well, a spline pinion does have some advantages on the straight one but I wouldn't call it a groundbreaking invention.