Quote Originally Posted by Feign View Post
Actually, having done a lot of research into motors and such while considering making a RepRap, I can't see how these early bird specials could possibly be at cost to produce. I'm guessing that the $199 backer price is just about exactly the cost of materials, and only then if the materials were already bought in bulk. Then again, Dragon is a pretty well established manufacturer so bulk orders are pretty much a given.
There's not much in the MOD-t design that is really comparable to any existing 3D printer, starting with the pinion-rod X-Y mechanism that has remarkably few components. Because the moving mass is so low, it uses much smaller motors than the standard NEMA 17 steppers (while still achieving decent speeds and accelerations). If fact, it uses DC servo motors with encoders that are not only lower cost, but the encoder feedback eliminates the need for limit switches. (The encoders also eliminate the problem of missed steps and shifting print layers.) And in turn, the DC servo motor drivers are less expensive than stepper drivers. And with lower power overall, the power supply is smaller and cheaper as well. Throw in some excellent mechanical design and mass manufacturing and you can shrink the price pretty remarkably. The $199 backer price doesn't generate a lot of profit, but it's definitely better than break-even.