MakeX M-One Open Source DLP 3D Printer to Launch Kickstarter Campaign on June 24 – Starting at $1699

Many in the field of consumer 3D printing, believe that in the not so distant future, fused deposition modeling (FDM) based 3D printers will begin to be replaced by more advanced technology, such as stereolithography (SLA). While I agree that SLA 3D printers will begin taking a fair share of the market from printers that utilize FDM technology, FDM will not be totally eliminated anytime soon. This is because of the affordability that FDM provides, over that of SLA. For example, the most affordable assembled FDM 3D Printer on the market today costs $249, while the leading SLA 3D printers start at around $2,199.

A company called MakeX has hopes of bringing a more affordable high quality digital light processing (DLP) based SLA 3D Printer to market, that offers high precision, and detailed 3D prints. The 3D printer, called the M-One will be launching on Kickstarter starting on Tuesday, June 24th at 8:30AM PT.

Perhaps they are trying to feed off of the momentum of a recently funded Kickstarter 3D printer, the Titan 1, also a DLP based SLA 3D Printer, which ended up reaching their $50,000 Kickstarter goal within 2 minutes of the campaign launching.

MakeX plans on leaving the design of the main control system and the electronics (PCB Board) open source, in hope that the ‘maker’ community can further develop and improve upon the technology.

“MakeX supports the freedom of development,” explains the company. “That’s why the M-One DLP 3D printer is the first open source project of its kind. By promoting transparency and collaboration, we hope to foster an open community, where developers can work together and creativity grows. Along with providing open access of M-One’s source code to the 3D printing community, MakeX will promote the rich possibilities of opensource through its mailing list, educational videos, and instructions available online. We believe in the free market of ideas and its ability to modify and improve the M-One system. “

Here are some specifications of the M-One DLP 3D Printer, when compared to other SLA 3D printers on the market today:

The M-One is compatible with all 3rd-party resins, and they will offer a resin called SubG+ from their official supplier, MakerJuice. This resin is available for as low as $45/L. Also included with the purchase (backing) of this 3D printer is MakeX’s exclusive software, which features specialty functions, such as hollowing a print, and automatically creating supports for prints. It also includes features referred to as “Image Modifier & Printing Trace Log”. This allows the printing images to be re-positioned and duplicated before printing, so that the user can modify and fine-tune their desired object without the re-processing of each model separately.

There are also a few additional features that MakeX asked us not to divulge, as they wish for it to be a surprise once the Kickstarter campaign begins. So be sure to check it out on Tuesday.

There will be several versions of the M-One printer available. This includes the Regular version, and the Black Edition, as well as several special Collector’s Editions. The Collector’s Editions will come in a variety of color options; blue, green, yellow, red, and grey, and feature a grey colored UV-blocking mask.

MakeX is looking for at least $100,000 in funding for the M-One, which will be available in limited quantities (first 10 backers) starting at only $1,699. The next 25 backers will be able to purchase the printer for $1,849, and then others will be able to get it for $2,099.

As for the production timeline, Kickstarter backers can expect to receive their shipments starting as early as October. The entire timeline can be seen below:

What do you think? Will you be backing the M-One DLP 3D Printer on Kickstarter on Tuesday? Discuss in the MakeX M-One forum thread on 3DPB.com.

Check out the video introduction for the M-One below: