Micro 3D Printer Launches Kickstarter Campaign At Just £120 For Early Adopters

A US company has debuted a new 3D printer that it claims is the “first truly consumer” version of the innovative range of devices costing just $199 [£120] for early adopters.

Related: CES 2014: 3D printing unleashes upon businesses and consumers

The Micro, which launched on Kickstarter earlier today, is looking to raise some $50,000 [£30,000] using the crowd-funding service for a device that will appeal to both the novice and expert ends of the market.

“The mainstream consumer is eager to try 3D printing, patiently waiting for a truly affordable printer that comes with intuitive software. We’ve designed The Micro to be easily accessible with a compact, portable size that can rest on any table-top. For the first time, consumers, designers, and engineers alike can experiment with new ideas. They can customize and fix things around the house, print artistic models shared by others, and make technical prototypes.  After years of developing this printer to provide an enjoyable user experience,” said Michael Armani, founder of M3D.

M3D’s device is designed to be used straight out of the box and in terms of compatibility it can be used with a Mac, PC, or Linux system through a direct USB connection. For more advanced users, it has expert settings that can be used in conjunction with other software including open source slicers.

The software that comes with the device is made to be attractive and fun for those using it and also has touchscreen capabilities with the interface allowing users to search and browse a large number of objects online as well as those created by the printer owner.

The Micro supports a variety of different materials including ABS, PLA, nylon, chameleon as well as M3D micro-filament spools or standard 1.75mm filament spools.

Its release comes around six months after 3D Systems’ Cube became the only 3D printer certified for home use but costs more almost 10 times more than The Micro at a retail price of £1,195.

Anyone that is interested in backing The Micro should head over to the Kickstarter page where Super Bird Early Bird adopters only need put down $199 [£120].