mUVe 3D Offers Open Source UV Resin Based 3D Printer

It wouldn’t really be fair to say that material extrusion printers are commonplace, but you can’t swing a spool of filament on a crowd funding site without hitting two or three. Systems that offer other types of processes at a cost most individual users can afford are far less common. One such 3D printer is the Form 1, which brings stereolithography to the desktop.

Startup company mUVe 3D is also bucking the trend by offering a UV resin based 3D printer, called the mUVe 1, via funding from Indiegogo. While dedicated hobbyists can find plans for other open source resin additive manufacturing (AM) systems by digging around, mUVe is presenting potential customers with all the tools necessary, including materials, to get up and running in a single location.

As far as specs go, the mUV3 1 has a 145 x 145 x 185mm (5.7 x 5.7 x 7.2 in.) build envelope, which is comparable to most other hobbyist AM systems. It also sports and expandable frame, which could lead to a larger build area. The 3D printer uses a 20mW laser (upgradeable to 200mW), which can build objects with a planned .01mm resolution. The mUVe 1 also comes with a heated reservoir for the resin.

For Indiegogo backers, a full kit runs $1,099 (plus shipping), making it middle of the road in terms of cost for a home system. The project has already receive full funding, so, even if you aren’t a fan of the crowd funding scene, or just missed out, the system should become available sometime later this year.

If you are a regular reader, you’ll know by now I’m not a fan of 3D printer kits as a method of long-term consumer acceptance. I doubt most folks who would want a 3D printer either know, or care, enough to put one together by themselves. In this case, that may not actually be an issue. Most hobbyists get plenty of AM power from a material extrusion printer, without messing around with a vat full of resin.

Below you’ll find the Indiegogo mUVe 3D video.

Source: Indiegogo