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The first truly consumer 3D printer should be incredibly intuitive, easy to own, and seamless by design.

...And That's Why We Made The Micro

It is the most affordable 3D printer that can be used right out of the box.  Perfect for beginners and experts alike, just plug in the printer, download or create models, hit print, and watch your custom creations form right before your eyes.

The Micro is Designed For Everyone

Bring your ideas to life, turn them into businesses, educate, learn, personalize products, make toys, make jewelry, start a curriculum, run a modern workshop, and unleash your creativity.  The power of creation is yours!

A Fantastic 3D Printing Experience

We've built The Micro with reliability, consistency, and accessibility in mind.  Micro Motion Technology is a sensor and feedback system built into the print head, providing auto-leveling and auto-calibration.  This means that every time you run the printer it works, even after thousands of hours of use! The Micro is not only a useful tool, it makes 3D printing an enjoyable experience for the every-day person.

Material & Filament options

You can use PLA or ABS, as well as our Micro filament spools or standard 1.75 mm filament spools available on the market.  

What's the difference?  We made Micro filament spools so that people can print with more materials and colors, by adding $12 to their pledge amount per spool.  These spools fit inside The Micro, allowing it to be portable and seamless.  They weigh nearly 1/2 lb (225 g) of.That is enough material to make 45 of the vases from the time-lapse in our video!

The Micro filament spools are fed from inside the printer.  Alternatively, you can use an external filament access port located on top of the extruder.  

Software Options

3D printer software should be as fun and futuristic as the printer itself.  That's why we've designed the M3D software to be as interactive and enjoyable as a game, making sure it’s fully touchscreen-capable with a minimalist and simple-to-use interface. It allows you to search and browse countless objects online, organizing 3D models you've downloaded into an easy to view library.  Just pick a model, drag it into the printer, adjust the model if needed, and hit <print>. Software shouldn't be a barrier to 3D printing, and it’s our goal to make The Micro accessible to everyday users.

Advanced users can use the expert settings as well as other software such as open-source slicers.  

Technical Specifications

  • Printer Dimensions: It's a cube, 7.3 in (185 mm) per side.
  • It is lightweight, roughly 2.2 lb (1 kg).
  • It can also be used with any Windows, Mac, or Linux based system.
  • USB-Compatible connection.
  • Supports many different materials: ABS, PLA, Nylon, and more.
  • Filament: standard 1.75mm. Nearly 1/2 lb (225 g) rolls.
  • Standard filament rolls also supported.
  • Removable Print Bed.
  • 50-350 micron layer resolution.
  • 15 micron X and Y positioning accuracy.
  • Dimensions: Print height: 116mm (4.6"). Base Print Area: 109mm x 113mm.  Print Area Above 74mm: 91mm x 84mm.
  • M3D software for an effortless, plug-and-play experience.  
  • Supports and uses open source software (for advanced users).

How Did You Create The Micro?

Starting with a seamless design, the Micro evolved from two years of productive debates between engineers, artists and production experts.  Since everyone was involved from the beginning, their vision of the product was fully integrated into the final result.  This led to 15 innovations in the field of 3D printing and we are very honored to share the result of all that hard work with you.

But the work doesn't stop there. We want your feedback on The Micro, and help us build a community that can be a part of this exciting project.

15 Innovations

M3D has introduced many innovations in the field of filament-based 3D printing with the introduction of The Micro:

1. Most space-efficient 3D printer ever made.  
2. Light-weight, portable design fits nicely on your desk.
3. Micro motion chip provides completely automatic leveling and calibration.
4. Most quiet 3D printer ever made.
5. Lowest power consumption 3D printer ever made.
6. Carbon fiber rods: light, sturdy, self-lubricating and long-lasting
7. Ceramic heater for rapid heat-up, power efficiency, reliability and safety.
8. Bold colors. Choose from Silver, Black, Blue, RedOrange, and Green.
9. New filament materials like Chameleon PLA.
10. Inspirational Micro filament spools.
11. Modernized touch-capable software.
12. Replaceable print beds for alternative materials.
13. Replaceable nozzles for experimenters.
14. Designed for fast assembly in the US for quality control.
15. An ABS-based print bed allows you to print larger ABS parts.

Designed & Assembled in The USA

The Micro was designed for assembly and production in the USA.  We will use a combination of imported and domestic components to assemble all of the printers near our Bethesda, MD location.  

Your Backing = Earlier Delivery

We're ready for production and really need your support to ramp up assembly to get printers to you as early as possible.  We've been preparing for this stage for over a year by buying and testing parts from over 100 manufacturers and talking with hundreds more.  

By pre-ordering now you’ll help us reach our last crucial milestone: purchasing the injection molds that will provide us with high-quality, high-volume 3D printer parts we need to assemble the most affordable consumer 3D printer ever.  In return, you'll get one of the first Micro 3D Printers and be an early adopter of this exciting project.  For that we cannot thank you enough.

What's Included with My Reward?

Besides our eternal gratitude, we’ll assemble a Micro 3D Printer with great care in the US and send it to you along with M3D software, instructions manual, USB cable, country-specific power adapter, and one Micro filament spool.  You can unbox it, install the software, and print right away - it’s as quick and as simple as that.  

Why We Need You

As far as we've come, we've only just scratched the surface of what's possible using this technology. We need your help to take it further, and make The Micro a reality.

Production Timeline:

The Incredible M3D Team  

Everyone at M3D has a single-minded focus to deliver an amazingly fun and fulfilling 3D printing experience for everyone. To get here has been very rewarding, and we've formed an amazing team of gems. We would like to give a special thanks to so many supporters, motivators, backers, team members, and advisors that helped us get to where we are so quickly:

Thanks For Your Support!   

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

As with any innovative project, we face several key risks and challenges. The primary risks include:

INJECTION MOLDING
We consider this is our only significant risk. Injection molding has very large capital expenses and thus we can only secure one manufacturer. In addition, when making the specification for the seamless frame of The Micro, we demanded only the best quality surface finish. Injection molding is one part science and one part artistic optimization. Thus the mold may take up to 4 months to produce and perfect. For this reason we have put a great deal of careful planning and strategy into the sourcing of our injection molded parts such as working with suppliers in North America to ensure that the long lead time parts are closest to us.

SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS
Before starting we noticed that some projects can encounter unexpected hurdles when going from prototype to production. That’s why we have done so much work to test The Micro with over 100 manufacturers to ensure that our designs are production ready and designed for both manufacturing and assembly. The last pieces to be ordered are the very expensive injection molds for plastic parts. To verify these designs we’ve had them CNC’d and 3D printed so that the injection molds are as close to our prototypes as possible.

FAQ

  • COMMON QUESTION: I am an international backer how/can I support your campaign?

    We are very excited to have international backers and have planned for your support. If you can register for an Amazon payments account, then you’ll be able to back us through Kickstarter. We’re also pleased to have worked out deals with major shipping providers to give international backers competitive rates.

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  • COMMON QUESTION: How much will shipping/delivery cost?

    Shipping will cost (roughly) $25 in the US and between $50-$75 for international backers. T-shirt shipping will cost much less. Shipping will be calculated and collected when we send the backer survey. This will be just before your rewards are sent to ensure the most fair shipping rates.

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  • COMMON QUESTION: Where are the printers made?

    The Micro 3D Printers will be hand assembled by us in the USA with a mix of custom domestic and imported parts. We believe this is essential to bringing you a quality printer at an affordable price and on schedule.

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  • COMMON QUESTION: I’m a journalist and have questions, who do I contact?

    We’d love to help answer all of your questions. Please contact us at M3D@dynamopr.com

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  • ABOUT MY PLEDGE: If I pledge now will money be taken out of my account immediately

    Payment is not collected immediately. During the campaign, backers commit to fund their reward tiers at the end of the campaign. At the end of 30 days, if the campaign is successful, Amazon Payments will collect the funds through your Amazon account.

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  • ABOUT MY PLEDGE: How do I request printer color or filament color?

    When Kickstarter ends, we’ll send everyone a survey asking them exactly what they want. We’d like your feedback too during the campaign as we finalize the filament color options.

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  • ABOUT MY PLEDGE: How do I add extra Filaments to my pledge?

    You can modify your pledge at any time to increase the amount. Please add $12 to your pledge for every roll of filament you’d like included with your Kickstarter reward. Please note that international shipping is calculated by weight, thus those backers may need to pay a little more for shipping for each extra rolls.

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  • ABOUT MY PLEDGE: When will my Micro arrive?

    We are working hard to prepare our supply chain and manufacturing operations to make sure you get your Micro as soon as possible. Each tier description includes a projected delivery date.

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  • ABOUT MY PLEDGE: How do I order?

    Through Kickstarter and Amazon payments, you’ll be able to pre-order your Micro by choosing one of the available rewards tiers and proceeding through to make your commitment. Payment is only collected if our campaign meets our target goal.

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  • MATERIALS: What materials can I print in?

    We optimized The Micro to print both PLA and ABS. There are many other materials available and we’ve experimented with some of these and expect a wide range of material compatibility in the future.

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  • MATERIALS: Do you have a material/filament cartridge

    We designed The Micro to have two filament options. We provide each M3D Micro with a filament roll, which is almost 1/2 lb. roll (at least 200 grams) of standard filament (1.75 mm), tucked away inside the printer base. You can also use other material provider's filaments through a port at the top of the print head, or by re-winding your own Micro filament spools. Everything is open.

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  • MATERIALS: Where do I get replacement filaments when Kickstarter is over?

    We are working with materials and filament manufacturers in the USA and the UK to provide the best quality filaments to you. We’ll be offering filament rolls through our website after the campaign, and eventually through our distributors. You can also use market standard 1.75 mm filaments.

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  • MATERIALS: How many parts can I print with a spool?

    The vase shown in the timelapse video was about 5 grams. You could print that vase about 45 times with a single Micro filament roll (or about 25 cents cost per print).

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: How does it connect?

    If your computer has a USB port, you can run a Micro 3D Printer.

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: How big is the Micro?

    185 mm cubed or 7.3” cubed

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: What’s the build area?

    The Micro can printer objects as tall as 116mm (4.6"). The base print area is 109mm x 113mm (4.3" x 4.5”). Above a height of 75mm the print base area is 91mm x 85mm (3.6” x 3.3”). A clear visual of the print area can be seen at http://themicro3d.com/#tech-specs

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Does The Micro Print in ABS?

    Yes. We’ve been printing in ABS since our earliest prototype.

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Is there a heated bed?

    The Micro has an auto-leveling function which allows printing of ABS in combination with a special non-heated print bed. Both were specifically designed for reliable printing of ABS.

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Can you explain the resolution metrics (feature size, layer thickness, X/Y resolution etc.)?

    You can print between 50 micron and 350 micron layers. Most prints have the best print speed/quality balance between 150-250 micron resolution. The X/Y positioning resolution is 15 microns. However, the minimum feature size is defined by the printer’s nozzle diameter. Our standard nozzle diameter is 450 microns, but we’re looking into providing users with the option to purchase a smaller nozzle to print finer features.

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: What is the printhead speed?

    We’ve optimized The Micro for movement of 60 mm/s.

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  • TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Will the printer and parts last?

    The Micro was meticulously designed to be a great printer with no compromises and last thousands of hours without maintenance other than changing filament spools or the printbed.

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  • ABOUT M3D: Where are you guys based?

    We are located in Bethesda, MD near the nation’s capital.

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  • ABOUT M3D: What stage production are you at?

    We have spent the last year preparing for production, working with almost 100 manufacturers abroad and several dozen in the USA to produce and test the parts that we could. The remaining parts that have not been produced are the plastic injection molded parts. We’ve invested as much of our own friends' and families' funds as we could, and now we need the Kickstarter funds to help pay for the tooling required to make high volume production parts.

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  • ABOUT M3D: How did you make it so affordable?

    We invented many parts and systems to bring a 3D printer to market than has the look, the cost and the performance that we wanted. The design was accomplished through countless conversations between artists, engineers and production experts over the last two years. For a more complete explanation, please read our “How we did it” paper: http://www.printm3d.com/M3D-The_Micro-How_We_Did_It.pdf

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  • ABOUT M3D: What is the retail price of the Micro?

    We have not set a post-Kickstarter retail price yet. Our Kickstarter supporters are definitely getting special treatment for supporting us!

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  • ABOUT M3D: Are you looking for help or hiring?

    We’re always happy to speak with enthusiastic and talented individuals, companies, manufacturers, volunteers, community members, and those who have suggestions that can help contribute to our goal of making 3D printing more accessible.

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2,729
Backers
$741,350
pledged of $50,000 goal
 
 
Funding period

- (30 days)