Rapide Lite 50 Micron Resolution, Affordable FDM 3D Printers On Their Way in 3 Different Sizes

IMTS

Share this Article

rap-4A few months back, we saw an all out price war when it came to desktop FDM-based 3D printers. This price war was brought to an abrupt halt when a couple of crowdfunding projects were forced to call it quits, after realizing that the prices they had offered their products at were unsustainable. I think this was a wake up call to the industry, and since then we have seen more of an emphasis on new features, rather then a race to the first $99 3D printer.

One Shenzhen, China based company, Rapide-3d, founded by an Australian named Ethan Hunt, is the manufacturer of a few different interesting 3D printers, namely the Rapide One and the Rapide Pro. This company may soon put us back on a trajectory inherent of a price war. With that said, we will not be seeing a $99 or even a $299 3D printer from them anytime soon. It does appear that a very high quality sub $500 machine is on its way though.  In fact, early

The company is about ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for their latest line of machines, the Rapide Lite. The 3D printer, which will come in three different sizes, 200, 350 and 500mm, will be built from sturdy anodized aircraft-grade aluminum, with the frames of each printer being 6, 8 and 10mm thick, respectively.  The campaign will begin on September 15, and backers will  be able to pre-order one for under $400.

rap-1

As for the printers’ capabilities and specifications, this is what Hunt has provided us with:

Lite 200:

  • Printer Dimensions: (W) 360mm, (L) 350mm, (H) 380mm
  • Build Size: 200mm x 200mm x 200mm
  • Build Volume : 8,000cm3
  • Printing Material: PLA, ABS, PVA, Nylon, HIPPS, Laywood
  • Filament Size: 1.75mm & 3.0mm from any source.
  • Nozzle Diameter: 0.3, 0.4, 0.5mm
  • Min Layer Height: 50 microns
  • Total weight: 10kg
  • Some Features: Heated Build Platform, Replaceable Nozzle
X Wing Axis

X Wing Axis

Lite 350

  • Printer Dimensions: (W) 470mm, (L) 450mm, (H) 470mm (approx.)
  • Build Size: 350mm x 350mm x 350mm
  • Build Volume : 42,875cm3
  • Printing Material: PLA, ABS, PVA, Nylon, HIPPS, Laywood
  • Filament Size: 1.75mm & 3.0mm from any source.
  • Nozzle Diameter: 0.3, 0.4, 0.5mm
  • Min Layer Height: 50 microns
  • Total weight: 21kg
  • Some Features: LCD Screen, On Board Camera, Heated Build Platform, Replaceable Nozzle

Lite 500

  • Printer Dimensions: (W) 620mm, (L) 650mm, (H) 650mm (approx)
  • Build Size: 500mm x 500mm x 500mm
  • Build Volume : 125,000cm3
  • Printing Material: PLA, ABS, PVA, Nylon, HIPPS, Laywood
  • Filament Size: 1.75mm & 3.0mm from any source.
  • Nozzle Diameter: 0.3, 0.4, 0.5mm
  • Min Layer Height: 50 microns
  • Total weight: 44kg
  • Some Features: LCD Screen, On Board Camera, Heated Build Platform, Replaceable Nozzle

The print resolution for these printers seems incredibly high for such an affordable device. Hunt explained to us how he has managed this: “We have designed a new X Wing Axis which has allowed us to mount the stepper motor in the center, rap-5behind the machine. This gives much more precise movement and stability, allowing us to achieve up to 50 (genuine) microns.”

For those of you questioning Hunt’s ability to see this project through, don’t. The company owns their own 10,000m2 factory in Shenzhen, China, where they will be manufacturing these 3D printers.

“Production of Rapide Lite is set to 5000 units per month at this stage, with the capacity to increase this to 15,000 per month over the next 6 months depending on demand,” Hunt explained to 3DPrint.com.

Those who want to be notified upon the launching of their crowdfunding campaign can simply head to their website and subscribe to their mailing list. Let’s hear your thoughts on this potentially new printer in the Rapide Lite forum thread on 3DPB.com.

Share this Article


Recent News

Will There Be a Desktop Manufacturing Revolution outside of 3D Printing?

Know Your Würth: CEO AJ Strandquist on How Würth Additive Can Change 3D Printing



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Featured

Pressing Refresh: What CEO Brad Kreger and Velo3D Have Learned About Running a 3D Printing Company

To whatever extent a business is successful thanks to specialization, businesses will nonetheless always be holistic entities. A company isn’t a bunch of compartments that all happen to share the...

Würth Additive Launches Digital Inventory Services Platform Driven by 3D Printing

Last week, at the Additive Manufacturing Users’ Group (AMUG) Conference in Chicago (March 10-14), Würth Additive Group (WAG) launched its new inventory management platform, Digital Inventory Services (DIS). WAG is...

Featured

Hypersonic Heats Up: CEO Joe Laurienti on the Success of Ursa Major’s 3D Printed Engine

“It’s only been about 24 hours now, so I’m still digesting it,” Joe Laurienti said. But even via Zoom, it was easy to notice that the CEO was satisfied. The...

Featured

3D Printing’s Next Generation of Leadership: A Conversation with Additive Minds’ Dr. Gregory Hayes

It’s easy to forget sometimes that social media isn’t reality. So, at the end of 2023, when a burst of doom and gloom started to spread across the Western world’s...