Posted on 10/17/2016, 12:39:22 AM by 2ndDivisionVet
Remember the Trinus 3D printer? While 3D printing startups have previously been responsible for some huge crowdfunding successes on Kickstarter, Kodama and their Trinus 3D printer showed the world how it’s done by raising more than $1.64 million USD during their extremely successful campaign. That achievement grew out of the appeal of the all-metal Trinus 3D printer, the first all-metal 3D printer to dip below the $500 price point. In fact, early bird pledgers picked one up for just $199. While huge Kickstarter successes sometimes create equally huge logistic challenges, Kodama seems to have thought of everything and the first batch of Trinus 3D printers are ready for shipping already.
Despite its Japanese name, startup Kodama is actually a small team of San Francisco-based artists, designers, and engineers. Their name is a tribute to Hideo Kodama, the Japanese engineer who developed the world’s first working 3D printed prototype back in 1981. And their huge success is even more remarkable because the Trinus is actually their first creation.
But it’s appeal is obvious, as the Trinus doesn’t suffer from the same problems faced by other budget desktop 3D printers – such as nozzle clogging, flimsy frames and component errors. “Trinus is made with all premium aluminum and steel parts. Not only does it have a metal frame, it also has metal internal components. No loose belts or plastic gears. As a result, Trinus performs at a level far above its price point. By backing our Kickstarter, you’ll be getting Trinus at a special price, and helping us achieve our vision of bringing professional-grade 3D printing to everyone,” the Kodama team argued during the summer on Kickstarter. What’s more, the 3D printer is also compatible with a laser engraver toolhead.
That message caught on, and quickly disrupted existing desktop 3D printer market conventions with its easy-to-assemble modular structure and metal frame. The campaign’s initial target was reached in less than 54 minutes, and over $1.64 million was raised during the following month.
Sometimes, however, the problems only begin once that large sum of money has been pledged. Many startups simply don’t have the manufacturing capacity to deal with 3000+ backers. Kodama, however, partnered with internationally renowned supplier Flextronics to cope with this massive demand, and is completely on track to complete delivery before Christmas. Various backers serving as beta testers already received their 3D printed and provided extensive feedback. “This immense variety of feedback enabled Trinus to evolve into a machine of incomparable value,” the Kodama team revealed.
What’s more, the Kodama team has ensured their backers that the quality of the machines will at least match their promises – if not exceed them. This is partly the result of the excellent circumstances they encountered at Flextronics. “When the Kodama team inspected the production line, Flextronics’ professionalism exceeded all expectations as even custom tools had been made to ensure the best possible assembly for every Trinus machine,” they just revealed.
If you happened to back the crowdfunding campaign, you might have received your 3D printer already. Visible above is Junichiro, a Tokyo based Kickstarter backer who received his model on October 3rd 2016, the birthday of Kodama's Development Manager Lukas. The rest of the three thousand 3D printers are currently being shipped or prepared for shipping, and should arrive before Christmas. If you were too late to join the Kickstarter, pre-order discounts can still be found at trinus3d.com, with official retail starting in early 2017.
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What’s the price point? What are the specs?
Both are at the link.
Looks good.
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