Milkshake3D: The ‘Artist’s 3D Printer’ Surpasses Kickstarter Funding Goal in a Matter of Days, Continues to Grow

March 27, 2017 by Clare Scott 3D Printers 3D Printing Sponsored

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It’s encouraging to see that despite the multiple high-profile Kickstarter failures that have happened recently, the 3D printing community still has faith in crowdfunding. Campaigns like Tiko and NexD1 may have dissuaded some 3D printing enthusiasts from pledging their money and hopes to another promising crowdfunding endeavor, but there are still plenty of people out there willing to trust in a good Kickstarter product. For evidence, just look at the Milkshake3D SLA 3D printer from Hong Kong company Orbi Lab.

Launched earlier this month, the Milkshake3D campaign reached its goal in a mere four days, and is continuing to pull in cash with more than a month left until its May 1 completion date. Billed as “the artist’s 3D printer,” the Milkshake3D certainly looks dazzling. The compact, top-down SLA 3D printer offers a remarkable level of detail, according to Orbi Lab, and the models demonstrated in the campaign certainly seem to back this up. The company includes plenty of video of the Milkshake3D in action, which is key to a successful campaign, especially these days. Would-be backers are more anxious than ever to see proof that a printer can deliver what its creators promise, and Orbi Lab offers plenty of looks at the printer printing everything from small, finely detailed to large models. (Equally importantly, the company makes sure to carefully credit the designers of each of the models they use for demonstration, unlike some of the campaigns that collapsed recently.)

Orbi Lab states that the Milkshake3D is “the largest 3D SLA printer for studio use,” with a build area of up to 288 x 162 x 160 mm. With one click, the user can switch between 50 to 100 to 150 µm print mode, and the projector will automatically adjust its focus. The top-down design of the printer offers the kind of stability that bottom-up SLA printers, with gravity working against them, can lack. A wiper system ensures that every layer is smooth, and layer thickness ranges from 20 to 100 µm.

Milkshake3D will come with a custom slicing software designed especially for Zbrush artists. Currently in development, Milkshake3D App supports models with up to 8 million polygons and promises a high anti-aliasing level, automatic support generation, and faster slicing, particularly on large models, than other software programs. It also offers .slc direct printing for jewelers, with no need for slicing. As for the printer itself, it can easily be controlled via the Internet.

“The web controlled printer is a hub for everyone in your studio,” Orbi Lab states. “Working as a stand alone machine, everyone sharing the same wi-fi could easily control, upload files for printing and access printing status. Scan the QR code on website to grant control by using your mobile or tablet. All os and mobile platform is supported.”

The Milkshake3D is also reasonably priced for an SLA 3D printer, with Kickstarter prices starting at an early bird reward level of HK $28,710 (about $3,697 USD. Super early bird rewards have already been sold out). There are still several early bird prizes left, and once those are gone, the next reward level will get you a printer, two resin tanks, and four bottles of resin for HK $30,360 (about $3,910 USD). There’s also an option for a printer farm, or three of the printers, and if you’re simply curious about what the Milkshake3D can do, you can pledge HK $78 (about $10 USD) for a print sample.

“This is not a conceptual printer nor a demo you may have watched a lot on youtube,” the company continues. “Milkshake3D has been working with jewel makers and artists to develop and test for months.”