M3D, the American 3D printer manufacturer, is launching a new desktop printer called Crane Quad for under $500. It offers more than 50,000 colors with its full-color palette. This is one of three 3D printers in the new Crane series.
Touted as a world first, M3D is launching a full-color 3D printer which they also claim brings a “new era of color 3D printing.” The Crane Quad 3D printer is a new desktop machine from US-based manufacturer, M3D.
It promises 50,000 colors, a build volume of 214 x 214 x 230mm, and a full-color palette. Therefore, it is a multi-material 3D printer which can also produce multi-colored objects. To make the printer even more desirable, the starting price is $399.
The new printer offers a “QuadFusion” 3D print head, enabling it to print and blend four filaments of most colors and material types, so long as they’re 1.75mm. The direct-drive extruder has four motors, three fans, and a 0.35 mm mixing nozzle.
Another feature to note is the open-source controller board which was co-designed in partnership with Duet3D. As a result, M3D call it the “Duet 2 Maestro”. It features five-axis motion control with 256 micro-step resolution, Ethernet connectivity, 120 MHz Atmel/Microchip ARM processor, as well as micro USB and micro SD card ports.
“Our new Crane Quad desktop 3D color printer is a real breakthrough in 3D printing capability and affordability… Its ability to print multiple colors and multiple materials simultaneously is a first, and it takes us one step closer to 3D printers being able to produce real-world objects that outperform traditional manufacturing, both in cost and performance,” said Michael Armani, co-founder and CEO of M3D.
Crane Quad is Just One in a New Series of Three Printers
By mixing four colors, you can cover most of the color specturm. But, to do this, M3D explains that the base colors needed are CMYK. This is, cyan, magenta and yellow with black, white or transparent as keys.
However, it’s also possible to print using just one color too. Filaments with different physical characteristics can be fused into a single object with new properties.
“Just as M3D started the home 3D printing revolution in 2014, today we continue to drive the evolution of consumer color 3D printing with the introduction of Crane Quad… For M3D, this launch is not just about introducing groundbreaking innovation – it represents our company’s commitment to the full-color 3D printing movement, and our dedication to providing consumers with the tools to get closer to the widespread on-demand use of 3D printed products that we know is the future,” said Armani.
As well as Crane Quad, there are another two new printers available called the “Crane Dual” and the “Crane Bowden”. The series pricing starts at $199, with Bowden being the base model. Crane Dual can mix filament colors or materials and has many of the same features as Crane Quad.
M3D points out that every Crane 3D color printer is tested, shipped fully assembled and has a six-month warranty. Find out more about the specifications of the Crane series on the M3D website.
Source: Press Release
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