A new Kickstarter project should be of considerable interest to 3D printer operators.
No, there isn’t another 3D printer on the platform. The days of suspicious 3D printer launches on Kickstarter are long gone. But every now and then, something of interest pops up.
This time it’s a tool called the “Hanboost C1”. It is a “wireless ultrasonic cutter”. Basically it’s a scalpel that is able to vibrate at an incredible 40,000hZ.
Instead of sawing back and forth with a blade, the Hanboost C1 “saws” by itself, 40,000 times per second. This means that it cuts through many materials like a hot knife through butter.
This will be of interest to 3D printer operators for a couple of reasons.
The major reason is, of course, support structure removal. While it is possible to fine tune support parameters to enable snap-off structures, that doesn’t always happen. In those cases you must resort to carving off the fused supports. That can be quite troublesome, but the Hanboost C1 would likely be able to slice through the supports without much effort. This would be very welcome for large and complex prints that have a lot of support material.
For prints where the supports came off easily, there are usually still some nubs attached to the prints that must be sanded off. However, with the Hanboost C1 it might be possible to slice off these bits and easily make a smooth surface. Support removal would work on any common 3D print material, such as PETG, PLA, ABS, resin prints, and even TPU, which can be challenging to cut.
The cutting head is made from titanium, so it’s not going to wear out easily. The blade is angled at 30 degrees for easy work on most projects, and can be swapped out when dull. The Hanboost C1 uses standard blades, so there’s no requirement to buy expensive blades from the manufacturer afterwards.
The device weighs 205g, which is pretty lightweight and should be usable even for longer periods. The battery lasts about 2-3 hours per charge, depending on usage.
The cutter has three different cutting power modes, which can be quickly adjusted to match the material type. An onboard LED light helps illuminate the crevices where you might be cutting, which is a very good idea.
They say that the Hanboost C1 operates completely silently, and it is wireless; it contains a battery to eliminate the need for cords.
The price of the Hanboost C1 is set at US$109, which is a bit steep compared to standard knives. However, this one has much more capability.
In spite of the relatively high price, the project seems successful, with almost 1500 backers spending nearly US$200,000 on the device as of this writing.
Is this a tool a 3D printer operator should have in their toolkit?
Via Kickstarter
