Today, M3D, the company behind the pint-sized Micro 3D printer and one of the most successful 3D printing Kickstarter campaigns to date, has announced the launch of a new bigger, commercial-grade machine, the M3D Pro at CE Week 2016 in New York.
Designed to bridge the gap between consumer and commercial use, the larger M3D Pro is said to offer a faster and more reliable 3D printing experience and will be hit the market with a competitively low pre-order price tag of $500.
The printer has been kitted out with a range of new features including a heated bed option which can automatically adjust temperature and a build volume of 7.2” W x 7.2” L x 7.8” H. With an outer volume of 10.5” cubed, the M3D claims to be the most space-efficient printer on the market.
The M3D Pro is also the first 3D printer driven by two ARM-core processors and a network of more than two-dozen sensors. By rapidly pooling and fusing data, the M3D Pro maximises the performance of the printer while also improving the overall printing experience through better consistency and reliability. This monitoring includes multiple measurements of speed, filament usage, temperature, and power levels. The M3D can also recover from print failures with an embedded recovery feature that can overcome power outages, print jams or filament shortage. Printing at speeds of 60mm of filament per second, the M3D Pro can print quickly with an accuracy up to 350-microns.
“The M3D Pro represents a new benchmark in product development in our industry,” Michael Armani, Co-Founder & CEO, explained. “We’ve designed the Pro to have all of the capabilities of a commercial printer at a cost consumers want. It’s the natural next step for the industry, transcending the limitations of casual use and allowing users to create more practical, everyday objects—whether it’s a customised print to add that finishing touch to a cosplay outfit, printing out
a difficult-to-source part for a budding DIY project, or everyday household goods.”
The Pro operates with its own free software and also supports third party applications. In 'Stand Alone Mode' M3D’s software will automatically start printing and transfer print jobs to an internal memory chip, allowing the print to continue without being connected to a computer. It is also compatible with all industry standard 1.75mm filaments including high-temperature materials up to 270 C and M3D’s latest class of 3D printing materials, Tough 3D Ink and ABS-R, launched at CES in January.
The M3D Pro has been entirely fuelled by customer feedback from its predecessor, the Micro and is set to bring a new level of affordable commercial grade quality to the desktop market. The machine is on display this week at CE Week and will be available for pre-order from August 2016.
