Drotix Ready to Launch Full-Feature Gala 3D Printer on Kickstarter

With the sheer number of new 3D printers hitting Kickstarter and Indiegogo each week, it’s really becoming difficult to keep track of them all. With that said, every now and then a machine comes along that really stands out from all the rest. The CEO of Drotix, Mariano Ronchi, hopes that his Gala 3D Printer will be one of these machines.

Ronchi, who is an electronics engineer and leads a software development factory for companies such as Merck, P&G, SAG AG, and others, is also obsessed with the ‘maker’ culture. He has been working with 3D printers for years, and has noticed the lack of quality and features inherent in some of the more affordable 3D printers in the market today. Because of this he has set out with a group of colleagues to design a full-feature 3D printer which also is affordably priced.

“During the past year we have invested almost all of our time (and mone​​y) in creating an FFF 3d printer that meets expectations of both end and professional users who can’t or don’t want to pay an excessive price for a great machine,” Ronchi explained to us. “After the hard work of designing, making, testing and starting over again, we created the Gala 3D printer, a fully featured 3d printer.”

Ronchi and his team at Drotix set out to realize a machine which would remain beautiful, while also extremely strong and robust. It had to have a large build envelope, as well as be fast and precise. Ease of use was another important aspect that the team focused on, as well as the ability to cheaply integrate multiple must-have features in a sleek, well functioning manner. In the end Ronchi and his team feel they have accomplished this all, creating a 3D printer, the Gala, which has the following specifications:

• Print technology: Fused filament fabrication (FFF)
• Printer Size: 41.5 x 41.5 x 46.5 cm
• Layer Resolution: up to 20 micron
• Build Envelope: 20.5 x 20.5 x 21 cm (Aprox. 8 x 8 x 8 inches)
• Position Accuracy X Y Z: 10 / 10 / 5 micron
• Print Speed: 20 mm/s – 100 mm/s
• Filament Diameter/Compatibility: 1.75 mm – PLA, ABS, HIPS, FLEXIBLE ABS, FLEXIBLE PLA, LAYWOOD, LAYBRICK, PVA, & Nylon
• Nozzle Diameter: 0.35 mm (Optional .25 to 1.2 mm nozzles, some of them require heat block change)
• Connectivity: WiFi & RJ45 network support / 2 USB / 1 expansion port
• Camera Resolution: 5MP Stills & 1080P Video
• Touch Screen: 2.8″ resistive touch screen

Gala, which has been designed for both the beginner and the professional user, features an entirely enclosed build chamber, auto leveling heated bed, and an air carbon filter, as well as on-board camera and an expansion port for a soon-to-launch (November of this year) 3D scanner and an acetone chamber.

The machine has been extensively tested. In fact, Ronchi explained to us that they have over 10,000 hours of print time under their belts with this new machine, and that a prototype Gala 3D Printer is in his attic which has been printing 24/7 for the last 2 months, only briefly pausing in between jobs.

The company plans to launch this machine on Kickstarter on the 21st of April, making it available to the ‘Super Early Bird’ backers for just $1,300. Other ‘Early Bird’ backers will have the option of picking a Gala up for just $1,500, while the retail price will be around $1,800, we are told. Let us know if you intend to back this project, and what your thoughts are on this 3D printer. Discuss in the Gala 3D Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video below provided by the company: