[UK] £299 Full 3d printer reprap kits April 2011

Hi,

if this is the wrong forum then please move it.

I am someone who has for many years been interested in cnc which recently lead me to reprap. I am in the process of finishing the design of a reprap type of machine which will be similar to the makerbot/ultimaker which Im planning to sell as a kit for £299+P&P.
It will have linear bearings on all axis and ramps electronics. The axis are probably going to run on 10mm rod so that it could be used with a dremel for pcbs. The build area will be 150mmx150mmx120mm.

I am at the moment experimenting with an extruder using off the shelf parts.

My timescale is to start selling kits in April 2011 and will offer three different types.

Kits without electronics and extruder.
Kits without electronics but with an extruder.
Full kits.

The full kits will be £299 with all others being a percentage of the cost.

Do people think this is a fair price and can anyone foresee a problem with selling these kits?

I do admire the reprap community and Adrian Bower and will hopefully be able to provide a lower cost means of joining this community.

Richard

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2011 03:42PM by progomez.

WOW - if you can do a kit at about £300 then I am sure you will have people snapping them up from all over the world!!!

I don't see how you will be making money out of such a low price! Maybe by volume, but I don't know if you will be able to get the volume sales required.

If you look around you will see that the average price for a complete kit is closer to £700 - £1000.

Of course, it also depends on the quality of your kit.

£300 is the price Im aiming for and by my sums will be doable.

I wouldnt feel right making a massive markup on time and knowledge given free, but feel it should be possible to put one on most desks. My idea is that maybe a family member buys one and then uses it either to make a bigger machine, ie mendel, or a machine for other friends or family.

I think its the extruder technology that needs refining, although its more than usable at the moment, as the rest is basically a cnc machine and by expanding the user base this can only benefit everyone especially when it comes to bringing the price of PLA down.

good luck with the venture.

I'm very interested in these kits! I will wait for their production, hoping it will not become an April Fool's joke = p

Ahh, but the question is in what quantity/time can you produce them, and at what quality?

I want pictures

Any news?

Still on for April 2011. nema 17s all round.

Sounds great.....Let me know how it turns out!

Are you located in London?

I would be interested as well.

If I had money, I'd be interested in the kit without electronics but with an extruder, being as I have an arduino, steppers, and motor controllers, that's pretty much all I'd need. T___T I just don't have money right now. (Saving every scrap I can so I can keep my car atm)

O-o you wouldn't happen to know what you'd be pricing the kit without electronics but with an extruder would you? Cause I guarantee that I can do all of the electronics cheaper then outright buying them, but that stuff I have no clue, and apparently I'm not good for creating my own version. (bought some stuff, never really even got started apart from using some jbweld on some nuts and pcb piping.)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2011 01:23AM by Caliber Mengsk.

If you are on the level, I am 100 percent interested in being an early adopter. I am a design engineer and not shy at all about working the kinks out of the project. I am anxiously awaiting pictures and more details.


-Brendan

Thanks. Its coming together well. trying to see if I can add a lcd and sd reader at the price as I would really like standalone printing. Im thinking at the minimum to add a built in lcd into the design.

Im still looking at an April unveiling.

Thanks for the update! I didn't mean to come off as confrontational with the "on the level" comment. I know that everyting will be as represented, but you can never be too sure on the internet.

I take it that you are designing some of your own electronics?


-Brendan

No it will use standard ramps for the first iteration. Easier for the end user to change or upgrade.

it seems that this will become the best selling kit a little curiosity: there is the heated bed?

Its April now.....im ready for the unveiling....

Woa I'd love to grab one of these :] I'd be ready to even pay for the shipping

looking at huxley wich costs £599 so could wait if this comes off?

^ I'm in the same boat.

so I was not the only one looking for a kit that doesn't cost too much ...

I think this will be a common theme. The current 800-1000 USD pricetag for a Reprap kit is just a bit high for the younger generation of 20-somethings most likely to be interested in participating in the open source development of a project such as this. If the price could be brought down under the 500 USD range, I feel that that would be enough to persuade all the "interested" parties to take the plunge. Hopefully this project will get the ball rolling.

this is exactly what I think ... this project will not be able to expand between young people and future generations if a kit has these prices!

rabble rabble rabble

as an engineer and a gadet geek im interested in this kit..and if i can be an investor or even an advisor then i would be very much interested..please get in contact with me if your serious about this project

Any more updates? Would like to get in on the 3d printing scene soon, have lots of ideas need
proto-typing that may change the world, or at least open a bottle of beer

waiting...

Not long now.

A £300 printer will certainly be a bargin. I did some summing up a couple of days ago and my total spend stands at over £900 !!!

Sounds fantastic - do you have any plans for kits with a slightly larger build envelope (250ish*250ish*120) and can you give us an idea of print resolution?

+1 with Pacca, a heated bed would be great.