Considering all of the ideas on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that never quite seem to manifest, it’s easy to see crowdfunding platforms as a wasteland for failed 3D printing-related projects and proposals. However, every now and then, the community will stumble upon a diamond in the rough, a product that actually gets delivered to the doorstep of backers.
The PLUTO 3D printer, manufactured by 3Devised, seems poised to be one of those rare crowdfunding success stories. With this machine, 3Devised is aiming to make SLA/DLP 3D printing more affordable and easier to use for the average person. Using DLP technology, the PLUTO 3D printer is incredibly compact and loaded with features that make it more accessible than most.
Funded on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo a few months back, this DLP 3D printer raised over $70,000 between the two platforms. Since then, the company seems to be doing due diligence by its backers, keeping them updated on the production process and being honest about slight shipping delays.
Of course, as with nearly all crowdfunding campaigns, there is a risk of prolonged delays or lackluster products. But 3Devised seems to have the PLUTO ready to go in the coming month.
The 3D printer was originally expected to be sent out to backers sometime in March, but the team recently stated that Chinese New Year delayed shipments from their suppliers, and would push the shipping date to April. While these types of delays are commonplace with crowdfunding campaigns, 3Devised also quelled fears by sharing a video of certain components being CNC milled.
The company claims that it has 10 pre-production PLUTO units that are being used to fine-tune parts procurement and the manufacturing processes. 3Devised also has a gallery of high quality prints that were supposedly made on the PLUTO 3D printer.
Although early bird prices for backers were as low as $699, 3Devised plans to sell the PLUTO for $949 once it officially hits the market.
All in all, we expect this compact DLP 3D printer to start making waves in the vast sea of 3D printing crowdfunding campaigns that never make it to the shore. 3Devised claims that the PLUTO 3D printer has a number of intriguing features, let’s take a look at what this desktop machine has to offer.
Review the Features
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the PLUTO 3D printer is the compact build area of 6.1″x6.1″x11.4″ (155 x 155 x 290 mm), making it a desktop machine in every sense of the word.
3Devised claims that the PLUTO will be a plug’n’play 3D printer. Users only need to plug in the power cord and fill the vat with resin before the fun begins. This DLP 3D printer also has built-in WiFi connectivity. On top of that, the company states that the 3D printer is open source, which means both the firmwares and it’s schematics will be published on GitHub.
“While PLUTO and it’s softwares are quite capable in their current state we think that opening PLUTO up will enable it to do much more than we alone could provide. We believe that everybody should be free to tinker with their 3D printers,” 3Devised writes on Kickstarter.
According to the Kickstarter campaign webpage, the PLUTO 3D printer also has a magnetic build area, simplifying the steps that come after printing, such as cleaning and post-processing.
Unlike many other SLA/DLP 3D printers on the market, the PLUTO will use Top-Down Architecture. This eliminates certain issues such as mid-print failures, but also means you have to use more resin in the tank. However, to overcome this, 3Devised created a solution where the resin tank is partially filled with glycerine first, and then the resin is added on top. Since glycerine is much more dense, the two materials will not mix with one another.
The DLP 3D printer will be able to achieve surface finishes that compare to objects printed at 25 – 50 microns. According to 3Devised, this is made possible by utilizing a technology called antialiasing. Although the PLUTO 3D printer’s focused image has 100 micron sized pixels on the surface of the resin, antialiasing enables individual and accurate control of pixels, increasing the overall print quality.
Other proposed features include high-quality igus bearings, a modular tank design (making things easy to take apart and clean), and software that is written from the ground up just for the PLUTO 3D printer.
The company will also offer its own line of resin materials that comes in a multitude of styles and colors. Third-party filaments should also be usable with the PLUTO 3D printer, and the team actually seems to encourage experimentation.
3Devised believes that the PLUTO 3D printer will cast a wide net on the market, and is perfect for beginners, makers, and even professional jewelers, engineers, hackers, and more.
Once the PLUTO 3D printer is made available, the plan is to sell it at $949, which is relatively cheap compared to other DLP 3D printers. However, for half the price, you can always settle for something like the Anycubic Photon DLP 3D printer, which is already on the market and generating a fair amount of buzz.
Review the Specs
Here are the proposed technical specifications of the PLUTO 3D printer:
- Dimensions: 6.1″ x 6.1″ x 11.4″ (155 x 155 x 290 mm)
- Weight: 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg)
- Material: Stainless steel, powder coated steel
- Input Power: 12 V DC, 1 A (12 W)
- Technology: Stereolithography (SLA)
- Light Source: 5W UV LED
- Connectivity: USB, WiFi
- Print Volume: 3.3″ x 1.8″ x 5.1″ (85.4 x 48 x 130 mm)
- XY Resolution: 100 micron
- Z Resolution: 25 – 100 micron
- Input File Format: .stl
- Print Preparation: Via 3Deviser
- Supported Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
Where to Buy?
The PLUTO 3D printer is not yet available to the public, but should be shipping out to crowdfunding campaign backs in the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor this 3D printer and let you know where to buy it as soon as it’s on the retail market!
Until then, check out crowdfunding campaign yourself and decide whether you think the PLUTO 3D printer is the real deal.
License: The text of "PLUTO 3D Printer: Review the Facts" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.