Sintratec’s laser sintering 3D printer creates usable items with moving parts
Is this the next big thing in 3D printing? Do you need a wrench in an hour or so?
Ready for something new in the 3D printing space? Sintratec thinks it has the answer, and the upstart company is about to launch a crowdfunding campaign to reach prospective makers.
Its product, also called the Sintratec, is billed as the “world’s first desktop laser sintering 3D printer.” Sure, that’s a string of words, but what does it all mean, and why does it matter?
Effectively, it means the Sintratec can print durable nylon objects without the help of support structures for overhangs, stacked items, and other tricky designs. More specifically, the printer can create 3D items that feature moving parts and are usable right out of the printer – well, after they’ve been scrubbed of loose material.
As the video above shows, the team designed a simple Swiss Army knife using its software and then sent it to the printer, which effortlessly printed the object one tiny layer at a time using its precise laser. Once done, the excess material (most of which can be used again) just has to be scrubbed off, but then you have a working tool with no assembly required. Because it was just made from scratch.
It looks amazing, although it could prove a pricey process. TechCrunch says the IndieGoGo campaign launching next week will offer the Sintratec printer for US$4000 (about £2550), and that doesn’t take into account the Polyamide 12 powder you’ll need (and a sturdy toothbrush for all that scrubbing).
Still, it seems like a potentially amazing advancement in the field, and it’s something we’ll be paying close attention to as Sintratec brings its technology to the general public.
[Source: Sintratec via TechCrunch]
READ MORE: iBox Nano is the world’s smallest, cheapest 3D resin printer
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
