Affordability is what will ultimately lead to mass adoption of 3D printers by small businesses, schools, and individual hobbyists. Over the past year, we have really begun to see prices for 3D printers drop quite substantially. Just a few years ago, the thought of purchasing a 3D printer for under $1000 would have been unheard of. Today, there are literally dozens of different machines available for just half that price.
Earlier this week, we reported on a 3D printer called the Lewihe Play, which was unveiled and priced at an unheard of $77. This sounds all fine and dandy, until you realize that this machine is really just a portion of a 3D printer. The Lewihe Play is an unassembled machine which requires users to source their own motors, extruders, and other components, quite easily adding up to over $150 in additional purchases. While the price tag still remains extremely low, in reality the printer isn’t just $77.
Today though, another company called RepRapPro, informs 3DPrint.com that they have just released a 3D printer, called the Fisher Delta. The Fisher Delta is priced at a mere £199.00 (approximately $308), and is available only in “kit” form. This means that all of the parts and components are supplied for you to put together yourself. This may sound like a daunting task, but it really isn’t.
“We have just launched the Fisher Delta 3D Printer at the London 3D Printshow,” Jean-Marc, Director at RepRapPro tells 3DPrint.com. “This machine is designed as an easy to assemble kit, and priced to encourage more people to have a go at 3D printing.”
Unlike the majority of desktop FFF/FDM 3D printers you see on the market, the Fisher Delta is a delta style machine, capable of printing objects which are fairly large in the “z” direction. The kits are currently listed as being in “beta”, meaning that it’s a great opportunity to grab this machine at an extremely low price. Once the beta version is no longer available, you can expect the price to increase by about £50. The company says that the final version of the Fisher Delta will probably evolve a bit after they are able to gather feedback and data from their beta clients.
Orders for the 3D printer have a lead time of about 4 weeks. You can see some more specifications for the Delta Fisher below.
- Build volume: 150mm diameter, 180mm height
- Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
- Resolution: 12.5um in all directions
- Print bed: Removable print surface
- Extruder: Direct drive extruder with all metal stainless steel nozzle
- Connectivity: Ethernet and USB interface
- Storage: On-board microSD storage
There is no word how long this low “beta” price will last, so if you are interested in getting what appears to be a high quality 3D printer, from a well respected company, you should probably grab one today.
What do you think about this new Fisher Delta 3D printer kit from RepRapPro? Will you be ordering one? Discuss in the Fisher Delta forum thread on 3DPB.com.
