Smart, crowdfunded 3D printing projects (photos)

Form 1 markets itself as an "affordable, professional 3D printer" for professional creators.

The project's mantra is that there are no low-cost, affordable 3D printers currently on the market which reach professional standards. With this in mind, the Form 1 team, previously from the MIT lab, decided to create an easy-to-use printer using stereolithography. 

Stereolithography, a printing process which uses lasers to draw on a liquid plastic resin and hardening one layer at a time, is often very expensive but up to professional standards. The team say that after a "great deal of research" -- although this research is not explained in great detail -- they worked out a way to make stereolithographic printers at a far lower cost.

The company is now taking pre-orders for the 3D printer.

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $2,945,885 based on a $100,000 goal.

The File2Part crowdfunding campaign was launched with the aim of building software to make 3D printing easier.

Taking a CAD file to the final revisions to build and print a part, the software was developed to make the 3D printing and design process simple for the average enthusiast. The team says rather than having "one program to orient and scale the part, another program to fix errors in the .stl files, another to slice the file and create g-codes and another to send the file to your printer," slowing down the 3D printing process, File2Part aims to keep all of these individual processes together in one package.

File2Part will work with any 3D printer that uses g-codes. 

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $20,625 based on a $8,500 goal.

Creating another use for your empty plastic bottles and packaging, Filabot aims to recycle plastics to give you a supply of plastic filament for 3D printers.

The Filabot team say that any number of plastic items can be used; including milk bottles, soda and shampoo bottles and product packaging. 

By processing these items through the Filabot, plastic pieces up to 4 inches across can be fed into the machine's barrel and melted down at the correct temperature. After extrusion, plastic can be sent through a roller to become the correct diameter for 3D printing, where any oversized pieces are cut away.

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $32,330 based on a $10,000 goal.

The 'Open Source Universal 3D Printer Extruder' campaign, began by Chelsea Thompson, is described as "A universal, 100% open source plastic extruder" for a variety of 3D printers.

Manufactured with a single or dual extruder, the developing team hopes that adoption of the new hardware will lower the price of 3D printers worldwide -- making it easier for the average consumer to get their hands on one. The 3D extruder was created by taking Makerbot's open-source design and trying to improve reliability by "replacing the hobbed gear with a 20 tooth spur gear (ala Makergear) with a groove machined into it which centers the filament along the axis of movement", and changing the plunger -- ultimately also cutting manufacturing costs.

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $73,361 based on a $5,000 goal.

It isn't just commercial industries that have an interest in 3D printing -- as a school in Baltimore wants to fund a 3D printer for a high school classroom.

High school engineering teacher Weston Schreiber began the crowdfunding campaign, in the hopes of securing enough funding to buy a 3D printer in order to "inspire" students at the Maryland Academy of Technology and Health Sciences to pursue a technology or engineering career.

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $3,146 based on a $2,000 goal.

One of the smaller projects on Kickstarter was started by Brock DeBoar, who wants to explore the possibilities 3D-printing has for porcelain sculpture.

The artist said:

I will be using the 3D printer to produce original ABS plastic forms which will later be reproduced in porcelain and other materials. The 3D printer will allow me to produce much more complex forms and explore relationships between fabrications and components.

The ultimate aim is to use the printed objects as a "starting point" for functional items including cutlery and plates.

The project's Kickstarter campaign managed to secure $2,585 based on a $2,500 goal.