3D printing is all the rage today. However, one of the biggest hurdles to adoption is the high cost and large sizes of the devices. Kudo3D the makers of Bean 3D Printer are looking to change that with their device which is an affordable 3D printer.
Unlike traditional 3D printers which use a laser or DLP to generate patterns, Bean is an LCD-based SLA 3D printer. This means it has a high-resolution 2K LCD panel coupled with a purple 405 nm LED lamp that projects slices of a 3D model onto the floor of a resin container. The device prints at a 50 micron XY resolution (capable of 10 microns Z layer thickness). The printouts of Bean have a high resolution comparable to DLP 3D printers. The device has a uniform maximum build area of 2.7in x 4.7in and a build height of 5.9in.
With this setup, only the Teflon film needs to be replaced while the lifetime of the resin component depends on the size of the printed model. On average, the estimated lifespan is 20 to 50 prints.
Bean is controlled via the web browser and mobile devices. An integrated version of the control system is going to be developed after the Kickstarter campaign.
Since the peeling starts from one side of the printed model, the printing is more reliable, preserving the details, and printing larger models.
Bean 3D printer has a footprint of 8x8x16 in, weighs 15 lbs, has a speed of 10-20 mm/hr, and is compatible with 3rd party resins. It also only consumes 50W of power, one of the lowest in the industry. It’s also pre-calibrated before shipping and comes with a spring loaded self-leveling build platform.
The name Bean primarily comes from the theme of being green (a “green bean”). As mentioned earlier, the light source is comprised of LEDs which results in lower power consumption and longer part durability. Additionally, the two edges of the device are rounded to resemble the shape of a bean.
So far the makers of Bean have raised over $301,000 over their goal of $50,000 via crowdfunding with an estimated shipping date of January 2018. Super early bird pricing for the device starts at $199 which is significantly lower than the suggested retail price of $1,200. Super early bird purchases include a Bean 3D printer, a bottle of 250mL green resin, a resin container, a build platform and a starter kit.
