BuildOne is a $99 WiFi 3D printer with Auto Bed-Leveling (Crowdfunding)

3D printers have become more and more affordable with products like Anet A8 3D printer that sells for a little over $150, and now many models are below $200, such as the Prusa i3 clone just reviewed by Karl. But BuildOne is going a step further by bringing the price right below $100, at least during the Kickstarter campaign, and the basic model.

BuildOne 3D printer specifications and key features:

Print volume – 125 x 125 x 125 mm
Minimum layer resolution – 50 microns (100 to 300 recommended for most prints)
Horizontal position resolution – 20 microns / 0.02 mm
Filament size – 1.75 mm
Filament type – PLA (ABS, nylon, and more with a heated bed)
Notable features – Auto-calibration, auto-leveling, LED status, panic button to interrupt prints, modularity with easy to replace parts and optional add-ons
Connectivity – WiFi to print from a web browser or smartphone
Power Supply – 12V
Dimensions – fits inside a 200mm cube
Weight – About 2 kgs

The 3D printer uses a modified version of the Marlin firmware with the ability to have the head unit communicate via I2C to reduce the wiring required and allow for future upgrades. That also means you’ll be able to modify the 3D printer source code if you wish to do so. The printer is compatible with most sliders and interfaces such as Slic3r, Cura, Craftware, etc…, and can also optionally connect to a cloud service, so you could print from anywhere, as long as your print is online.

Four models are available:

BuildOne Basic Edition ($99)
BuildOne Plus Edition ($114) with extra PEI build plate
BuildOne Deluxe Edition ($149) ABS ready, with display upgrade, PEI build plate, and heated bed
BuildOne Ultimate Edition ($174) based on Deluxe Edition plus a full enclosure and carrying case

You can also pledge for upgrades independently:

$35 for heated PEI bed
$15 for display upgrade with OLED display, tactile joystick
$30 for full enclosure and carrying case
$15 for premium PLA filament spool

Robotic Industries LLC, the startup behind the project, aimed to reach $100,000, and they’ve already done that with 27 days to go. Shipping adds $20 to $25 for the basic edition and goes up if you add more options (up to $30 to $45). Delivery is scheduled for September 2017, so it looks like they are basically done with development, and are just getting funds for mass production. Some crowdfunding campaigns fail, and the number of failures appears to be even greater for 3D printer projects (actually an unrelated $100 3D printer KS project was a scam), but Robotic Industries LLC claims to have a proven and experienced team, as well as industry partners such as Digistump, and Rigao electronics. Their website currently contains a picture with a link to Kickstarter.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.