The battle for the lowest-cost 3D printer seemed to stall out over the summer, following months of fierce competition for the bottom (in terms of price). Kickstarter and Indiegogo both saw companies creating crowdfunding projects to create low-cost 3D printers; many, though, ended up folding because creating inexpensive, high-quality 3D printers while maintaining a profit was just too tricky. The fight, it seems, is back on now. Recently, iBox started a Kickstarter campaign for their low-cost 3D printer and now a new entrant has entered the ring. SmartBox Labs has kicked off their Kickstarter now for the SmartBox 3D printer. The SmartBox FFF printer is capable of printing both PLA and ABS, and starts at $199 (for an unassembled printer) to $299 (the early bird pricing for an assembled unit). Check out more: http://3dprint.com/24122/smartbox-3d-printer/ ‎

Below are a few of the SmartBox's general specs:

  • Printer Technology: FFF
  • Printer Size: 430 x 500 x 380mm
  • Build Envelope: 200 x 200 x 180mm
  • Nozzle Diameter: 0.4mm
  • Layer Height: 0.1 - 0.4mm