The great thing about the open source RepRap movement is that companies are able to take the design files, iterate upon them and make them their own, all the while driving prices down and making such machines available to a greater number of individuals and businesses.
One company, based out of China, called TL Maker INC, has been manufacturing and reselling 3D printers based on the Prusa i3 for some time now. Recently though, via their subsidiary, Electron 3D, they’ve announced yet another model, their sixth generation Prusa i3, and have teamed with 3dprintersonlinestore.com to offer it in kit form for an incredibly affordable price of just $265 for a limited time. Not only does this kit come with everything you will need to build an awesome desktop 3D printer, but those taking advantage of this limited time offer will also receive 2kg of filament, along with an 8GB SD card and a filament spool holder.
This latest model features an automatic bed leveling system, along with an acrylic frame, MK8 extruder and GT2 timing belts and pulleys. To make this model even more feature-rich, a 5mm aluminum heated built platform is also included within this kit. Below you will find some of the general specifications for this new Electron machine:
- Printer Weight: 8kg
- Build Envelope (X Y Z): 225 x 225 x 210mm
- XY Axis Positioning Accuracy: 0.012mm.
- Z Axis Positioning Accuracy: 0.004 mm.
- Print Precision: 0.1-0.4mm.
- Layer Resolution: 100 Microns.
- Printer Speed: 100mm/s.
- Material Size and Compatibility: PLA, ABS, HIPS, Wood, PVA, NYLON, Flexible PLA at 1.75mm
The Electron 3D Prusa i3 will ship with an 18 month warranty, and shipping is free to over 35 countries including North America, most of Europe, and Australia. This
This is certainly a feature-rich machine at a price that’s affordable to most businesses and individuals. With the added accessories, it’s pretty hard to go wrong, however it’s no easy task putting such a machine together from kit form if you do not have the experience.
Let us know if you’ve order the Electron 3D Prusa i3 kit, and what your thoughts are once you receive it. Discuss in the Electron 3D Printer forum thread on 3DPB.com.