June 14th, 2013
After a year of careful research, this was the day I was able to borrow enough money from my parents to buy a 3rd Generation, Solidoodle 3D Printer (order #13644). It was the end of my freshman year at college and I was eager to apply my newly learned engineering skills. This happened to be my first 3D printer and I was beyond excited.
I’m fairly techy so it only took me a few days of tinkering to get my Solidoodle up and running. The process was fairly straightforward and similar to many 3D printers today. YouTube videos back then were my saving grace when it came to learning how to set up my Solidoodle.
Vintage Solidoodle Unboxing Video
Additionally, much of my time early on was spent conquering some of the more obscure portions of the 3D printing learning curve. But first, let me breakdown the steps I learned were necessary to successfully prepare and operate a 3D printer:
Step 1) Plug in your 3D printer and make sure your computer (desktop or laptop, PC only usually) is able to communicate with it, this may require you to download and install drivers for your specific 3D printer
Step 2) Download a slicing software that works with your 3D printer
Step 3) Generate and/or download a model
Step 4) Convert your model to .STL file type (this is the most common file type used in 3D printing), adjust the .STL file’s resolution for best results
Step 5) Repair the .STL file, this makes sure there aren’t any errors leftover from the conversion in step 4
Step 6) Orient, optimize, and slice the .STL file in the slicing software you previously downloaded
Step 7) The slicing process converts your .STL file into machine code (G-code), now you must transfer this code to your 3D printer via usb, sd card, wi-fi, etc.
Step 8) Level the bed of your 3D printer, this ensures the 3D printer starts correctly
Step 9) Heat up your 3D printer, load material, and clean the nozzle (sorta like a glue gun)
Step 10) Press print to start your 3D printer when ready
That’s the cliff notes version of how to run a 3D printer in 10 steps. Unfortunately for myself and most users, it takes a while to master these skills and make 3D printed parts successfully.
Nevertheless, that was the status quo in 2013 and I was just pleased with the idea of manufacturing trinkets for my own amusement.
Sophomore year of college, I found myself in my dorm room 3D printing for profit and eventually starting a prototyping business which would operate upwards of 20 different types of plastic, photo-polymer, and ceramic 3D printers. As I studied away on my engineering class work, I kept a watchful eye on the 3D printing market.
Opening day for our first prototyping service office in 2014
I found it fascinating to watch the rise of 3D printing into the mainstream. Start-up company after start-up company, innovation after innovation. Business in 3D was booming… well until about mid-2015. That’s when things got a little rocky. I’m not quite certain of the root cause but the hype of 3D printing and its application to everyday life, met reality and so did many 3D printing related stock prices. Experts often referred to this time period as the ‘trough of disillusionment’, which is a now a well researched section of the 3D printing hype-cycle. This is the time when consumers began to realize that 3D printing wasn’t consumer ready. Unfortunately, during this same time period, Solidoodle, the company I bought my first printer from, went belly up along with many other 3D printing companies.
But 3D printing remained a personal interest and after graduating college in 2015, I landed my first full time job running metal 3D printers, specifically twin laser SLM 280HL’s. The German made SLM system is sorta like the Lamborghini of 3D printers, expensive, finicky, but when they are working, their performance is well worth the headaches.
SLM 280HL Metal 3D Printer
Eventually my career grew to the point where I was directing 3D printing operations within the company that now had 4 SLM’s and mutli-axis machining capabilities. I continued to play around with plastic 3D printers at home and continued learning about the latest and greatest as the 3D industry matured. This thirst for knowledge led me to pursue my master’s in 3D printing which I wrapped up in 2018.
2018 Masters Commencement
After my master’s degree, I took a look back at the 3D printing industry but this time around, I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who bought their first 3D printer in 2018. I quickly realized three things:
The ten basic steps above didn’t change since 2013 when I first began
The ten basic steps still take a long time to learn
Many people who bought 3D printers ran into technical difficulties almost immediately
That’s when the light bulb went off… Why don’t I use my expertise to eliminate the technical difficulties by automating the ten basic steps?
But how? And why hasn’t someone else solved this problem? Is there even a market for such a product?
Well, I quickly learned the most likely reason why nobody has achieved this before. Essentially, in order to automate the 10 basic steps, you really need to design a 3D printer from the ground up with the appropriate electronics and hardware such that the physical hardware will interface seamlessly with your firmware and whatever slicing software you are using to convert your model into machine code.
The 3D printing market today has become somewhat of a parana fest whereby Chinese manufacturers of 3D printers are able to sell relatively good machines at a fraction of the cost of competitors. Lulzbot, a household name within 3D printing circles, appears to have just laid off 100 employees and seems to be the latest victim of this trend.
With hardware manufacturers fighting each other to the bottom, not much meat has been left on the bone for innovation which is probably why the 10 basic steps really haven’t changed in the last ten years.
Me being me, I went back to the drawing board and devised what I would consider the most ideal 3D printer that minimizes cost but also provides an unrivaled user experience. The brainchild of this exercise became known as the Mantis, named after my favorite color variant of green offered by Lamborghini.
The Mantis is a 3D printer unlike any other. Modeled after the first 3D printer I fell in love with, the Mantis is sturdy enough to stand on, easy enough for anyone to use thanks to automation, and backed by a career’s worth of 3D printing experience.
Joe & Andrew w/ the first Mantis prototype
At the end of the day, the Mantis is a fully automated 3D Printing appliance. It takes 5 minutes to learn to use instead of hours, it’s able to automatically process and print millions of existing models that are freely available online, and for only a slight premium that allows us to build them right here in the U.S.A.
Below I’ve created a list and video showcasing the features of the Mantis that allow us to create a worry-free 3D printing experience.
Technical Specifications:
Fully Assembled for Immediate Operation w/ Optional Enclosure
SAV MKI Motherboard
Proven hard-coded thermal run-away and fire prevention procedures
Enhanced security, the SAV MKI requires physical possession to update the firmware
Unrivaled data transfer speeds for fast printing
Expansion bay and Bluetooth capabilities
Open Source Firmware Capable
Raspberry Pi 3B+ with upgradeable onboard solid-state memory
Single Z Lead Screw, Gravity Fed, Z-Axis System for Reliability
Purge bucket for Nozzle Self-Cleaning Operations
Regulated laptop power supply for power consistency
Detachable Spool holder for Portability
Touchless Auto-Bed Leveling Technology
Dynamic 9-point assessment for highest level mapping accuracy
Simultaneous 3-Axis operation for dimensional consistency
Controllable via a self-generated Wi-Fi signal
Internet compatible, simply plug in an ethernet cord from your home router
Pre-install of the latest OctoPrint 3D Printer operating system
Slic3r, Cura, Simplify3D Compatible
The SAV MKI allows for any baud rate speed which resolves data transfer issues currently encountered with other 3D printers
Pre-installed firmware for 10 step automation system
Fully automated material load, heat up, purge, nozzle cleaning, file preparation, material unload sequence, and cool down procedure.
Intuitive Device Dynamic Graphical User Interface for Ease of Use
Non-direct drive extrusion and core x/y gantry system for speed and reliability
Fiberglass Reinforced Belt System for Maintenance Free Tension Rigidity
Anti-Warping Heated Bed Technology for High Temperature Materials
Open Source hardware, for ease of repairability and maintenance
A premium powder coat of the highest quality to ensure the Mantis stands the test of time
Technical Breakdown
Circling back to the business side, the question remains: Is there a market for this product? I’m inclined to let you, the customer, decide.
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LinkenIn: Verde Mantis, LP