Rapide One can print layers as thin as 100 microns (0.004 in) with features as small as 300 microns (0.012 in) in a build volume of 170 x 170 x 170mm. The Rapide One is 532 x 449 x 345mm when closed.

Melbourne, Australia -- (SBWire) -- 12/03/2013 --A team of Australian designers and engineers have designed an affordable Professional Desktop 3D printer that could redefine what 3D Printers should look and feel like.

"When designing Rapide One we looked at all the current 3D printers in the market... What we found in our research is that there was a big gap in the market between the low-end 3D printers and professional-quality 3D printers." says the Rapide 3D Team.

Rapide One is a 3D printer which uses FDM technology to produce 3D print designs. "We think we have created a design that is easy-to-use but still rivals the output of high-end printers at a fraction of the cost." Notes the Rapide 3D Team.

Rapide One's design is innovative, dynamic and fresh. It comes with a unique fully enclosed housing and a simple to use cartridge system. The large glass front and back ensure you can view the print with ease. The interchangeable cartridge system placed in the top of the printer not only saves space but also allows easy change of color on the fly.

Rapide One's chassis has been crafted from the aircraft grade aluminum to provide a solid foundation. A polished aluminum heat bed is not only flat and level but very stable, which means limited warp or curling in the print process.

Rapide One can print layers as thin as 100 microns (0.004 in) with features as small as 300 microns (0.012 in) in a build volume of 170 x 170 x 170mm. The Rapide One is 532 x 449 x 345mm when closed.

The software for Rapide One is designed to be simple and intuitive. A key advantage of the Rapide One's software is the ability to precisely generate beautiful designs. Rapide One can print using either a Mac or PC.

When the Rapide One is released, it will be able to ABS, PLA and PVA filament developed specially for Rapide One.

Specs:

-Chassis: Aluminum
-Body: Aluminum, Glass, PVC
-Build Platform: PCB Infused Polished Aluminum
-XYZ Bearings: Wear-resistant, slider K bearings
-Stepper Motors: 1.8 degree step angle w-1/16 micro-stepping
-Layer Resolution Settings: High: 100 microns [0.0039 in] / Standard: 200 microns [0.0078 in] / Low: 300 microns [0.0118 in]
-Positioning Precision: XY: 11 microns [0.0004 in]; Z: 2.5 microns [0.0001 in]
-Filament Diameter: 1.75 mm [0.069 in]
-Nozzle Diameter: 0.4mm & 0.3mm
-Software Supports: Windows (XP 32 bit/7+), Ubuntu Linux (12.04+), Mac OS X (10.6 64 bit/10.7+)
-Weight: 17 kg

Rapide One has been designed to be scalable and to incorporate a dual extruder in the future. Rapide 3D's future printers will also include the possibilities to print both sugar and chocolate.

The Rapide 3D Team have more than 11 years experience with design and development of advanced technology and have offices in Perth, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou and design and production facilities in China.

The company started the Rapide project in 2012 and in 18 months, they have produced 3 generations of prototypes, a production run of alpha machines and a run of beta machines. Currently the chassis with components and industrial design are already complete, Rapide 3D is now testing the software with prototypes.

Rapide One is set to launch on indiegogo on Dec 2, 2013. The retail price of Rapide One with single extruder is $2,499, but Indiegogo supporters will receive special treatment for being early supporters: $1,499 (Early Bird) or $1,649 for Rapide One with one cartridge of ABS or PLA.

The first full-production shipment is set to release in March 2014 to early contributors, and April 2014 for other contributors.

The Rapide One will be manufactured in Rapide 3D’s own production facility in Shenzhen, China.

"We didn't invent the 3D Printer but we believe we have moved the benchmark for what a 3D Printer should be and in the process made professional quality 3D printing a reality for many." says the team.

About Rapid 3D
Rapide 3D is a team of Australian Designers and Engineers dedicated to bringing the most advanced technology to the world sooner rather than later. Rapide 3D has offices in Melbourne, Perth, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and a state of the art production facility in Shenzhen, China.