Within the 3D printing market, there are literally hundreds of different printers, all which function basically the same way, outside of a few. Usually the way that a printer manufacturer differentiates itself from its 
In just eight days, one such 3D printer will hit the market, called the Blacksmith Genesis. Blacksmith Group, which was incubated at NTUitive (Nanyang Technological University) in Singapore, and founded by Pui Tze Sian, PhD, is like no 3D printer you have ever seen before.
There are several key features which separate the Genesis from the other machines on the market. Namely the fact that it is an all-in-one printer, scanner, and copier, as well as its innovative rotary motion system. The majority of 3D printers out there either function in one of two ways. The most popular are printers which utilize a Cartesian platform where an extruder is bound to an X, Y, and Z-axis, leaving very little room for flexibility, as well as inefficiency in its movements. The other common printing method seen within many machines is the delta robot platform.
The Genesis does not follow the functionality of either of these. The motion system utilized within this printer can only be comparable to that of the yet-to-be-released Stereolithography based Helios One 3D Printer. The functionality, however, is completely different, as the Genesis is based around a fused deposition modeling technique. The build plate on the Genesis rotates in a clockwise fashion, allowing the extruder to perform its function of depositing filament much more efficiently. This saves time during the print process, because the extruder does not have to travel as far of a distance, and there is less stopping and starting thanwith a typical Cartesian platform printer. The rotating build platform also saves a tremendous amount of space, allowing for a smaller printer despite a descent size build volume.
The ability of the Genesis to scan, print and copy objects, sets it apart from almost every machine out there. There are only a couple machines aimed towards the consumer market which can do all of this. Additionally there will be an on board camera allowing for the monitoring of prints from afar, and automatic error detection during printing. Below are the general specifications of the Blacksmith Genesis:
Printer:
- Technology: FDM on a Rotary Platform
- Build Size: 23 cm / 9.1 inch Diameter, 16 cm / 6.3 inch
- Layer Resolution: 50-200 microns
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm
- Filament Size/Type: 1.75mm PLA
Scanner:
- Technology: Laser Trangulation, 3.1 MP CMOS Image Sensor
- Scan Speed: Around 6 Minutes
- Scan Size: 23 cm / 9.1 inch Diameter, 16 cm / 6.3 inch Height
- Steps Per Rotation: 1200
- Machine Weight: 10 kg – 22 lbs
- Machine Dimensions: 35 (L) x 25 (W) x 41 (H) cm – 13.8 x 9.8 x 16.1 inch
- Software: Blacksmith Sorcerer
- Connectivity: USB, SD Card, Wi-Fi (future development)
“3D printing will be much easier with Blacksmith Genesis, because our users don’t need to design an original work from scratch using 3D software,” CEO of Blacksmith Group, Mr John Fang told 3DPrint.com. “By scanning any physical item, the digitized object can be used as a base for them to customize or even combine with other existing models to form their own 3D object.”
The Genesis certainly steps outside the box, bringing to market an all-in-one device which should be met with enthusiasm from a maker’s community used to seeing the same basic technology in 3D printer after 3D printer. The Blacksmith Genesis may be the next evolution in consumer based 3D printing & scanning. The price for this machine, which will launch next Tuesday, August 12th, has yet to be announced, however, we were assured that it will be affordable to many. Let’s hear your thoughts on this new machine, in the Blacksmith Genesis forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video of this new printer below.
