Maryland-based startup M3D gained fame back in 2014 when they successfully crowdfunded their Micro 3D printer on Kickstarter in a matter of minutes (surpassing their goal of $50K and ending with over $3.4M). The fledgling company is hoping for a repeat performance with their latest edition of their 3D printer lineup–the M3D Pro, which again, has already surpassed their initial goal of $100K with over $300K in and more than a month left to go.
The M3D Pro is expected to retail for $499, however the increase in price over the Micro’s $350 is acceptable considering the number of features the new box has over its predecessor. According to M3D’s Kickstarter page, the company took two years to develop the Pro, taking feedback from their online community for the new 3D printers feature set. So what does the Pro pack under the hood that makes it better than the Micro?
Unlike other 3D printers, the M3D Pro comes packed with two ARM-Core processors that act as a ‘smart’ controller for, not only the printer, but a network of over two-dozen sensors, which act as a monitoring/feedback platform for everything from filament usage to temperature and power levels. What’s interesting with this feature is how the Pro, equipped with lightweight motors to drive the printer, extracts data from the sensors to adjust the speed on all motion axes, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 150mm/s. What’s more, sensor data is stored locally when power begins to fluctuate and can be recovered if power is lost completely, allowing it to continue the print from where it left off.
Putting speed aside, the M3D Pro features a new heated print bed, tempered heated glass that automatically adjust temperature for a more consistent printing experience. On top of this, there’s a larger build volume of 7 X 7 X 7.5-inches and a tighter layerh eight of 25-350 microns, depending on the project requirements. It can also accept all industry standard 1.75mm filaments, making it easy for users who prefer their own third-party print materials.
On the software side, the M3D Pro comes standard with M3D’s own in-house platform (powered by Cura) that features a tutorial mode allowing users to learn the printers many features. It’s also compatible with many open-source slicers as well including Simplify3D and Octoprint, which allows users an air of familiarity while working with a new machine.
Additional specs on M3D’s Pro 3D printer can be found on their Kickstarter campaign page here and those interested in getting in on the early product tier can pledge $499 and up (sorry no more @ $399), which nets you the printer and no extras (at this point). Ship date is set for March 2017 and with meeting the unexpected demand on their first 3D printer project, this looks to be another successful product launch by the crew at M3D.
