Sharebot Launches Sharebox3D on Indiegogo: 3D Model Management Device

If you are relatively new to the 3D printing space, and recently purchased a 3D printer, then you may be aware of one of the issues the market currently faces when it comes to consumer level 3D printing. It’s not really all that easy to simply dive into. You need slicing software, a general understanding of the various file formats, and once the printing begins, a need to seemingly always have to stand by and make sure the print doesn’t get off track.

Over the last year, we have seen much effort put into the development of additional tools which can at least make the process a little bit easier to understand and deal with. In fact, just this last weekend we covered a company called Printr, who announced their Element dongle in a drive to streamline the 3D printing process.

Well, here we are just a couple of days later, and one of Italy’s largest 3D printer manufacturers, Sharebot, has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to also make the 3D printing process fun, easy, and intuitive.

This morning, the Sharebox3D went live on Indiegogo in a drive to raise $60,000. In doing so, Sharebot will make the device available at a discounted price to its backers. The Sharebox3D aims to improve the entire 3D printing experience by offering users the ability to manage, control, view, share and archive all of their 3D models for printings.

“Until now a 3D printer user had to work with different devices to realize his object. Sharebox3D will improve the entire 3D printing user experience: it will be possible to control, manage, use and view every file and every prints anywhere at any time,” stated the company.

From prior to sending a file off to virtually any 3D printer, to after the print process has completed, the Sharebox3D offers all sorts of useful tools. The device, which is about the size of an average human fist and features WiFi connectivity, connects to your 3D printer and almost immediately becomes an incredibly useful tool.

Using a smartphone or a tablet as an interface, the user is able to generate Gcode right on their mobile device, and once complete, send it off to the printer even if they are in another room. The device can also be hooked up to a webcam so that users can monitor their print from a far. During and prior to the print process, users are able to manage a variety of important printer settings, which include: flow, plate temperature, extruder temperature, etc. If the system notices a problem, and when the print itself is complete, it will send a notification to the mobile device of the user.

Once the print is completed Sharebox3D is still useful in that it will archive all STL files and the Gcode so that a user is able to print the item again later, share the model with a friend, or have a detailed history of their prints at their disposal. Sharebot wants us to make it clear that this is not a subscription service where users have to pay for a cloud service of any kind. Instead, its a one off purchase, and has no additional fees associated with it.

For those interested in the device, it will be available for pre-order on Indiegogo until February 23, and the item is available starting at just $99. If everything goes as planned the company would like to begin shipping the first Sharebox3D devices sometime in September of this year.

Let us know if you have backed this product, as well as your initial thoughts on it. Discuss in the Sharebox3D forum thread on 3DPB.com.  Check out the Indiegogo pitch video below: