If you are like me, then you hate the thought of managing your 3D printer’s build tray. Everything from coating it with layers of glue, to putting strips of painters tape on it, and then having to pry the finished parts off once they are done, is enough to give anyone a nervous breakdown. I’ve actually injured myself at least a half dozen times in the process of trying to pry a part free. More than likely, if you’ve owned a 3D printer for over 6-months, you too have your own set of battle scars.
Thanks to technological advancements, and many brilliant minds within the 3D printing space, we have gradually begun to see better solutions created when it comes to the print tray nightmares of the past. Still though, a large portion of 3D printer owners still use the old-fashioned painters tape/Elmers glue trick, followed by the always dangerous “pry” method.
When New Matter unveiled their MOD-t 3D printer in the middle of last year, many were surprised by the machine’s unique printing method. The method, referred to by the company as a “pinion rod motion system”, provides for a new way of moving the x and y axes on a 3D printer. The patent-pending technique is actually one of the reasons why New Matter was able to price this 3D printer so low (just $399 retail). With this unique innovation, you would expect that they would eventually provide for a more advanced print tray solution as well.
This is exactly what they have done, as the company has now announced that they are in fact bringing a new print bed solution to market in their MOD-t 3D printer.
“Our goal is to make 3D printing as easy and painless as possible,” New Matter wrote to their backers. “We recognize that one of many difficulties that 3D printing enthusiasts come across is the print bed. From having to deal with applying tape to the surface to spending hours leveling a platform, working with other print beds can be frustrating to even the most experienced 3D printing enthusiasts.”
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I’m glad someone feels my pain, and I’m certainly happy that a company that has been quite innovative in their hardware design wouldn’t take these print tray headaches for granted in the design of their new machine. New Matter’s MOD-t Build Tray takes all the problems that 3D printer print beds have today into consideration with its design. It solves three major problems: 1) annoying bed leveling issues, 2) time consuming and frustrating print bed coating (glue, tape or whatever other concoction people come up with), and 3) part removal.
“Our Build Tray comes in two pieces, the base and the surface plate. The base is designed to self-align and is easily removable from the MOD-t when the print is complete,” the company explains. “Using our patent-pending pinion rod motion system means that there is never any manual calibration needed. After a print job is completed, the surface plate separates from the base for easy design removal. All you need to do is slide the surface plate from the build plate base, twist the plate and the finished 3D print comes right off, ready to use.”
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It’s really awesome to see New Matter continue to innovate and iterate upon their machine. This build plate will come with all of the MOD-t 3D printers, including the ones that backers should be receiving very soon. What do you think about this build plate solution by New Matter? Discuss in the MOD-t Build Tray forum thread on 3DPB.com.
