The ARC-One is a 3D printer option that isn’t getting enough attention.
This device is from a new startup, Arcadian3D, who seem to have put together a device with many useful features at a decent price.
And what might those features be? This relatively large-format plastic extrusion device has several features we like:
- Very large build volume of 400 x 400 x 400mm, able to hold pretty much anything you’d like to print
- Fully automated bed leveling
- WiFi, network, optional webcam, cloud services including remote viewing and management
- Five inch color touch control panel
- Print speeds up to 150mm/second, which is not the fastest speed we’ve seen, but still better than typical competitors
- Heated print bed
- High-temperature hot end capable of printing almost any material, including Nylon
- Minimum layer size of 0.05mm
- THREE physical inputs: 2 X USB and one SD card slot
- Print queuing
- Filament profiles to ensure best print results for a given material
- LED lighting
Yes, this is a long list of highlights (there’s more actually). What our point here is that the ARC-One has a very healthy combination of features not typically found on other machines, and it’s available at a decent price, too: USD$1,399.
What’s wrong with the ARC-One? Not much, but we could note that it uses entirely open source software so the software experience is not differentiated from any competitor.
But one thing is important: Arcadian3D launched the ARC-One via a Kickstarter campaign, which appears to have fallen far short of it’s very ambitious goal of USD$300,000. As of this writing, they’ve raised around USD$50,000 and likely won’t be funded.
Does this mean the project may fail? Not necessarily, as the company may choose to proceed building and selling equipment anyway. It could also mean the end for the ARC-One, but we’ll have to wait and see what Arcadian3D has to say.
Had this project been launched a year or two earlier, it would likely have easily hit its funding target. Now, however, with literally hundreds of 3D printers on the market, it’s very difficult to gain sufficient attention and sales. In spite of all this, we really hope to see the ARC-One project go forward.
Via Arcadian3D
