MOD-t, Cheapest 3D Printer Yet Launches on Indiegogo With a $149 – $249 Price Tag

It is unbelievable how quickly the prices of consumer oriented 3D printers are falling. Just 18 months ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a decent 3D printer for under $1000. Here we are, a year and a half later, and a 3D printer company called M3D ended a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in which they generated over $3.4 million by pre-selling over 11,000 devices bewteen $199 and $299. The M3D Micro will retail for $349 once launched. What this is doing is allowing almost anyone to have access to this amazing technology, and bringing about some awesome innovations.

It’s been exactly three weeks since M3D’s crowdfunding campaign for the Micro 3D printer ended, and we have already had a new company emerge on the scene ready to undercut M3D’s pricing. That’s right. A company called New Matter, has moments ago, launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in which they are pre-selling their 3D printer, the MOD-t for an incredibly low price of $149, to the first 500 backers. After the first 500 sell out, the price will rise to $199 for the next 1000 backers. Once those sell out, backers can still pick the printer up at the price which it will retail at, an astonishingly low $249. This makes the MOD-t the mot affordable 3D printer thus far. Below are the specifications of the device:

New Matter’s MOD-t 3D printer takes a different approach than many FDM/FFF printers on the market today. In order to cut back on parts, thus allowing them to sell the device at such an extraordinary price, they use a 2-axis motion system, which moves and supports the build plate with a minimal number of components needed. Unlike the majority of 3D printers on the market today, in which the extruder moves along the X and Y-axes, and the build plate or extruder may move on the z-axis, the MOD-t does the opposite. The build plate is what moves left to right and front to back, while the extruder movies along the z-axis (up and down).  This is one of the main reason the team at New Matter is able to provide a high quality 3D printer at a price you might be accustomed to paying for a typical 2D printer.

“We’re entering an exciting time where more and more people are being inspired by the possibilities of using 3D printing to customize the world around them,” said Steve Schell, Co-Founder and President of New Matter. “To truly make 3D printing accessible to everyone, we had to create a unified hardware and software experience that encourages people to explore and share their creations. We feel the MOD-t printer is a leap forward in the 3D printing space, and we’re excited to introduce it to 3D printing enthusiasts and novices alike.”

Some key features of the MOD-t 3D printer include:

• Built-in WiFi
• Prints in safe, environmentally-friendly Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic
• Print speeds of 80mm per second
• Layer resolution selectable from 0.2 to 0.4mm
• Maximum object size of 4 x 6 x 5 inches

It’s not just hardware that New Matter is focusing on with this 3D printer. They have teamed with frogVentures, to create a cohesive, intuitive and satisfying user experience. This company helped them develop their experience strategy and design, including branding and identity to the design of the printer, upcoming online marketplace and app. There will be software for designing and sharing designs, as well as a curated marketplace for designs that have been built specifically for the MOD-t printer, by renown artists.

“3D printing promises a magical interaction – with the press of a button, you can turn intangible ideas into physical objects,” said Ethan Imboden, VP of Venture Design at frogVentures. “This has been an essential technology for designers and engineers for decades but, without a robust ecosystem of easy to share designs, 3D printing had yet to deliver on its promise for mainstream consumers. In our work with New Matter, we’ve focused on crafting a product ecosystem that moves beyond the basics of ‘ease of use’ to make 3D printing both relevant and delightful for anyone.”

The company, founded by two names you may be familiar with if you follow technology in general, Bill Gross and Steve Schell certainly have the experience and know-how to see this project through to the end.  Often times companies who launch crowdfunding campaigns get in over their heads, over promising, and under performing.  With Bill Gross and his business experience behind this project, you can almost be certain that, if funded, the MOD-t will be a smashing success.

“My dream is for a 3D printer in every home and in every classroom,” said Bill Gross, Founder of Idealab and Co-Founder of New Matter. “The potential for transforming both manufacturing and education is unfathomable, and the MOD-t is the firing shot to enable this revolutionary change.”

The company is seeking $375,000 to launch the production of the MOD-t 3D printer. Just 40 minutes into the campaign and they have already brought in over $25,000. Potential backers will have until July 2nd to help fund this project. Are you a backer, or do you have questions related to this printer? Head on over to the MOD-t forum for further discussion. If you would like to back this project head on over to their Indiegogo Campaign. Check out the video below provided by New Matter for their crowdfunding campaign.