Now that the relevant patents have expired new entrants are rapidly developing personal 3D printers using photocured resin technology. One of them is the M-One 3D printer by MakeX.
It’s a DLP device, meaning it uses a matrix of light to solidify a whole layer simultaneously. This approach can make printing much faster than lasers that must trace all solid portions of each layer. And it looks pretty good, too.
The M-One’s specs are good for a personal 3D printer, but typical among resin machines: 0.02mm layer size and 150 x 110 x 160mm build volume. You can’t build very large items, but you can certainly produce very finely detailed objects. This also leads to a very small desktop footprint. MakeX has produced custom software to prepare 3D models for printing on the M-One.
The M-One is actually not available yet, but their China-based manufacturer is seeking your feedback on the project. We’re very curious to find out the final retail price of the unit; if typical manufacturing patterns hold, it might be less expensive than comparable units for sale today. Stay tuned for their Kickstarter launch.
Via MakeX (Hat tip to Anderson)