LumiPocket LT Launches on Kickstarter–3D Printer Also Offers Laser Engraving & PCB Etching

The first thing you should know about plunking down the LumiPocket LT on your desktop is that it’s going to look great. So if style is a requirement, that’s covered. We’re assuming you want much, much more than just looks though, and so does Lumi Industries, a forerunner in 3D printing solutions, based in Italy. They’ve just launched a Kickstarter campaign, although they at Lumi are veterans of participating in crowdfunding campaigns, as we’ve reported previously regarding the predecessor of the LT, with the LumiPocket, which was funded and very well received on Indiegogo. With this launch, many early bird perks abound for those who pledge.

“This will be one of the first campaigns on Kickstarter based in Italy, since only a few months ago they have opened up to campaigns from our country,” said Davide Marin, founder of Lumi Industries.

Lumi Industries was founded by makers who have a passion for 3D printing, and they’re able to carry that over into an understanding of what their client base is searching for in products. And the LumiPocket LT may very well fit into your technological wishlist–as well as your budget.

Looking to add as many capabilities as possible without breaking the bank or letting go of quality, Lumi has produced another small resin SLA 3D printer that also acts as a compact laser marker and engraver and a fast PCB etcher.

The LumiPocket LT is a multi-tasking, standalone machine that allows you to experience the wonders of SLA 3D printing and take your 3D printing projects to a new and enhanced level. As a hobbyist, the sky is the limit for coming up with new creations, gifts, and inventions–but if you are coming to 3D printing from the entrepreneurial angle, here’s your chance to add to your menu of offerings substantially.

“Last year we launched LumiPocket, an affordable, high quality resin based 3D printer. We have learned a lot during this year, and listened to the feedback from our users,” said Marin. “We wanted to create a new 3D printer that was not relying on an external videoprojector. We tested almost every solution for UV image creation, and finally decided to design an alternative version of the Scara arm.”

“This allowed us to have a very compact image generation unit that can be mounted on the top of LumiPocket. We wanted to expand its possibilities further, so we added laser engraving and PCB etching capabilities to the software we designed. Now LumiPocket LT is also standalone and it does not need a PC connection, so it is even more versatile.”

Just beginning with using a resin 3D printer opens up numerous options as well as the chance to look forward to precision, high resolution 3D prints. It operates with the specialized LumiReact 3D printing resin, but the Lumi team has also tested it completely successfully with FunToDo, Makerjuice, and SpotA resins.

The LumiPocket LT employs a light-curing process to offer the best quality possible in 3D printing, and offers up to 50 microns on the Z axis and 100 microns on the XY axes. With the accompanying software you are able to slice and complete your 3D model and save the file on an SD card. After that, just plug it in to your LumiPocket and watch the little 3D printer go.

With the laser marker and engraver, you can make use of 8bit grayscale and both raster and vector modes. Here’s a great way to add to all your 3D prints right off the bat–plus the Lumi team invites you to use it for producing items like laser etched business cards, QR codes, coasters, and more–all from your home desktop, which may soon be turning into your mini-factory. So far, the Lumi team has tested heavy cardboard, wood, expanded PVC, leather, and more for use. Speed can be expected at 25mm/s depending on which materials you use.

PCB Etching

For etching PCBs, you can eliminate all the hassle of traditional processes by just placing the board inside the included tray, importing the files, and letting LumiPocket etch the PCB, ready for development. Presensitized boards are used, with an average etching time of 30s to 1m, depending on the number of traces.

“I believe that the LumiPocket LT can be a really innovative device in the existing 3D printer market,” said Marin. “Its custom designed Scara arm allows for high quality in a small footprint, and having a multifunctional machine that can do resin 3D printing, PCB etching, and laser engraving at the cost of a traditional FDM 3D printer is amazing.”

Today’s world is busy, bustling, and puts a high value on efficiency and the ability to multi-task. Style in both the office and home, as well as the home workshop, tends to have a contemporary minimalist approach these days, with not a lot of counter space. If you are engaged in 3D printing and want to do more but don’t really have the space to add equipment, here’s a great way to add functionality without having to purchase an entire lineup of machines to get your projects completed.

Are you looking for increased functionality in your office or home workshop area? Do you see this machine as being able to help you increase creativity levels, or add to your small business offerings? Discuss in the LumiPocket LT 3D Printer & More forum thread over at 3DPB.com.