Raspberry Pi 3 powers Kodak's new desktop Portrait 3D printer
Kodak and Smart International, the company that licenses the Kodak name for 3D printing, have launched a 3D printer that's powered by a Raspberry Pi 3.
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The era of film once dominated by Kodak might be over but the iconic brand is being used to capitalize on the 3D printing market, offering a range of cheaper models catering to designers, hobbyists, schools, and consumers.
Kodak and Smart International this week took the wraps off the Kodak Portrait 3D printer, a dual extrusion desktop system and the first Kodak-branded 3D printer since the companies announced a licensing agreement last October.
At the core of the $3,500 Kodak printer is a Raspberry Pi 3 running on the Raspbian-based 3DPrinterOS. The 3D printer features a five-inch color touchscreen with Kodak branding and can be accessed over Wi-Fi, Ethernet port, and USB.
The Kodak device can be signed up to the Kodak 3D cloud, which is used to upload, share and adjust objects. There's also a camera to remotely monitor jobs underway. The device automatically records a time-lapse movie of the job.
The printer employs LED lights to show its status. Blue means it's idle and available to use, while orange means it's heating up, and white means it's actively printing.
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The companies are also selling Kodak-branded 3D filaments, including different grades of PLA, ABS, Flex 98, HIPS, PETG, water-soluble PVA and two grades of nylon.
According to Kodak, the 3D printer is aimed at the professional market. However, as Kodak admits in a brochure, its first 3D printer is joining a "very crowded marketplace with hundreds of models".
But the Kodak printer stands out with "above-average print volume" of 10 liters. It fits on a desk and can be carried "by a person or two".
According to Kodak, the filaments are "specially manufactured and packaged to ensure low moisture and high dimensional accuracy, and come in a wide color palette, including, of course, Kodak's Trade Dress Yellow".
At the core of the $3,500 Kodak printer is a Raspberry Pi 3 running the Raspbian-based 3DPrinterOS.
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