Strooder 3D Printing Filament Extruder to Launch Kickstarter Project Tomorrow – Here are the details

Over the last 12-24 months, we have seen a drastic decrease in the price of consumer oriented 3D printers. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a decent FDM based 3D printer, consumers now have the option of choosing from one of many machines, all priced in the hundreds of dollars. This has led to a tremendous amount of interest within the market, and has allowed almost any middle class household, that wants a 3D printer, to obtain one without feeling buyer’s remorse.

However, there is still one issue, the materials used within these printers have not seen the same price declines as the printers themselves have. This causes a bit of a dilemma for those who are on the fence, excited about the lower fixed costs of the printers, but a bit underwhelmed at the pricey variable costs within the filament market. This is where a company called Omnidynamics comes into play. The company, founded by David Graves and Greg Gruszecki, is launching a Kickstarter campaign tomorrow, March 27th at 6PM BST (Noon EST).  The campaign is for a product called Strooder, which they hope will turn the 3D printer filament market upside down.

Strooder is the first 3D printing filament extruder, which is truly meant for the consumer market. The device is easy enough for even a rookie 3D printing addict to use without a problem. Its full color 2.4 inch screen, incredibly simple user interface, and ability to create both PLA and ABS based filament, makes this device quite compelling for those who do a lot of printing.

A typical one kilogram spool of PLA or ABS filament can run anywhere from $20 to $50. In my opinion, the market is drastically overpriced. With all the filament manufacturers competing against each other, one would think prices would have come down substantially by now. After all, the cost of materials (plastic pellets) are extremely low in comparison to that of filament. In fact there is typically a 400-1200% profit margin on 3D printer filament, depending on quality of the plastic, as well as quantity purchased by the manufacturer. What Strooder does, is take the profit margin that the manufacturers are realizing, and put it back into the pockets of those printing.

The way the machine works is quite simple. Using a feed screw mechanism, it safely pulls pellets in from a hopper. It then forces the pellets in along a tube, where they are melted and formed into strands of filament. The Strooder comes equipped with three different nozzle sizes, so that filament with sizes of 1.75mm, 2.85 mm and 3mm, can be created.

The following are the specifications of the Strooder:

• Screen resolution: 360 X 220 pixels
• Input: 4 control buttons and a power switch
• Pre-Set Materials: PLA & ABS plastics
• Other materials: Any other materials with melting points under 250 degrees Celsius
• Extrusion Rate: 0.7m – 1.5m/minute
• Hopper Size: 1KG of plastic pellets
• Feed Screw Speed: Up to 8 RPM
• Extrusion Temperature: 40-230°C
• Enclosure Size: Height 225mm, Width 165, Depth 285mm
• Power Draw: ~200W
• Filament Tolerances: 1.75mm (+ .1/ – .1) & 3mm (+ .1/ – .1). with nozzle change.
• Feed Screw Speed: 10-35 RPM
• Input Power: 115VAC and 220VAC

What could really make Strooder a game changer within the 3D printing space is its price. Priced at £149 for early bird Kickstarter backers, £199 for the rest of the backers, and likely not too much more than that once it retails, the machine could pay for itself with just a few kilograms of filament created. Omnidynamics has quite a business plan around this device, should it get fully funded this month. They plan on offering many different types of pellets on their website, and a whole online ecosystem for Strooder users. If all goes as planned, the earliest Kickstarter backers will receive their machines sometime in September of this year. Once again, the Kickstarter campaign will launch at 6PM UK time, which is GMT +1, tomorrow March 27th. We will update this post with the url once it’s live. Strooder also has their own forum at 3DPB.com. Please drop by, get some information, and discuss the device with its creators.