OLO’s and Trinus’ perfect results on Kickstarter

April was a month of 2 great campaigns on Kickstarter. An Italian company Solid3D gained over 2,3 mln $ for OLO – a project of  a revolutionary device changing smartphone into 3D printer printing from resin, an American company Kodama collected over 1,6 mln $ for a 3D printer 3D Trinus, which has a chance to became the most popular kit for self-assembly in the world. Will their success be comparable with achievements of Formlabs i M3D?

Kickstarter is a lotery… In the ranking of 10 most founded 3D printers on Kickstarter, 2 project defeated (RigidBot i Buccaneer), and the creators of the third one still have problems with shipments (Flux). Of course, there are more projects of this kind, like for example Omni3D, which didn’t realise its project of AirEnergy 3D – a movable 3D printed wind turbine. Fortunately, it gives money back to bakcers. A successful campaign is only a beginning of a real work on your project.

On the other hand, Kickstarter is a place, where a lot of meaningful companies from the 3D printing industry were born. The best example is of course M3D –  a creator of Micro,  a Kickstarter top player in category “3D printers“. The company had some problems with carrying out of shipments, but nowadays it is one of the biggest manufacturers of low-budget 3D printers in the world. It delivered 2o.444 devices in 2015, what was 9% of total market share.

Another respectable, which are known thanks to Kickstarter are Formlabs – a leader of global sales of 3D printers using light-hardened resins, 3Doodler – a creator of popular 3D printing pen or Printrbot an Robo 3D – leading American producers of cheap, consumer 3D printers. Also our Polish Zortrax began on Kickstarter and it realised deliveries ahead of time.

OLO 3D is one of the most recognisable campaigns of the last years. The company received 2.321.811 $ what makes it the 5th most founded 3D printer on Kickstarter. It was ordered by 14.982 people. A special one costed 9.999 $. To compare with,  MakerBot sold together 18.673 devices, so only 3,5 thousand more.

I have also backed the campaign and I am waiting for my package (it should happen in September 2016). The device prints from light-hardened resins and it uses for it a light emitted from smartphone. You can manage with it with your mobile and use library of 3D prints an put your models on workbeds.

Some people are sceptical and wonder if it works (can the light from my smartphone really harden a resin?) but almost 15 000 people trusted in it. If it doesn’t work, it will be even a bigger scandal than in case of Singaporean Buccaneer. If it works, in the worst case the company will be comparable with 3Doodler, a producer of an interesting gadget, used sporadically to print simple objects. In the best case – it will be a new Formlabs.

It looks totally different in case Kodama and Trinus. The campaign finished on April 30th. It collecte 1.621.021 $. Over 3000 devices were sold and they will be delivered in the summer.

Trinus is something great for people, who need a cheap and small 3D printer for a home use. In contrary to Micro or  da Vinci Junior, Trinus is made from solid aluminium and steel components. The 3D printer is sold in form of a kit to self-assembly, but the most important components like extruder or stepper motor are assembled and installed. A user should do the rest in 30 minutes.  If it is true, it is a beginning of the end of cheap, Chinese kits, made from plexiglass.

What is interesting, Trinus is also manufactured in China. A company which is responsible for production of mechanic components is Panowin, and filaments are delivered by Polymaker. Electronics is manufactured at American Flextronics.

Trinus is not only a 3D printer – the device is equipped with a nozzle to engrave with laser, and in the future more functionalities will be added. If it becomes a fact ZMorph will have a serious rival. What is more, Trinus will sell id machines above all on the American market, which is a priority for ZMorph.

All things considered, April was a perfect month for manufacturers of low-budget 3D printers. Although I backed OLO, I cheer Trinus on, because it is possible, that it will be a really great machine.