I3D Innovation was formed by a group of DIY enthusiasts in Le Hézo, France, who are particularly interested in 3D printing equipment and processes.
The developers at I3D say that many personal 3D printers use extruders manufactured by Tytan 3D, and they add that while “these are effective and reasonably-priced extruders….their use and maintenance is not easy.” And now, they say, they have a new product which “will make your life easier when using your 3D printer.”
The team at I3D say that maintaining the Goliath extruder requires that you change over and adjust the position of the MK7 drive gear and disassemble the motor. They say disassembling the extruder is a fairly common event as it clogs quickly when the filament twists around the drive gear. The process, they report, requires a full 6 minutes to complete and gain the access needed to clean it, and that it’s difficult to guide the filament through the extruder.
The Goliath is essentially made up of a coupling plate, a geared motor, and a toothed wheel, and the I3D team say it tends to get dirty quickly, and as it’s an essential element in the printing process, a malfunction causes print defects.
So they’ve come up with an upgrade they call the “EasyFix” which allows users to disassemble and reassemble the extruder and motor on the Goliath in just seconds.
I3D say the “EasyFix” is compatible with all versions of Goliath extruders, and it mounts in place of the original plate, called the “Board Linker Gear,” on the extruders. I3D Innovation has set up a campaign on Ulule to raise funds necessary to further develop and lower the cost of their device.
The team add that the EasyFix should be simple to adapt to other types of extruders with a limited set of adjustments on the part of the user. I3D also says that, to help users appreciate the usefulness of the EasyFix, they can print out a test version of the device for themselves here by downloading the STL design file. The kit itself will include an EasyFix plate, four Nylstop M3 nuts, four M3x25 screws, and a pair of M3x10 screws.
“The plate has been tested many times,” the team says. “The supplier is selected, and it only remains for us to validate the entire supply chain. We will begin working full time on the project the moment the funding is available.”
Progress on the development and on the campaign will be documented on the I3D blog. If the funds are raised, production of the parts will begin immediately and the EasyFix will begin shipping in June.
“The objective is to offer the community of enthusiasts a totally new accessory at a preferential cost, and for this, we need to fund the production of 200 pieces as a minimum order quantity,” they say.
I3D Innovation is a team of three – an electronics and industrial computing engineer; a locksmith, lathe, and milling machine expert; and a mechatronics expert.
You can check out the Ulule campaign for the I3D Innovation EasyFix Extruder Plate here. The campaign offers one kit for $20, and five kits for $79, among other backing levels.
Do you think you’d use this upgrade to the Goliath extruder? Let us know in the EasyFix by I3D Innovations forum thread on 3DPB.com.
