What materials can I print with the Discov3ry extruder?
The Discov3ry is capable of printing a wide range of paste materials. We have successfully printed hardware store silicone caulk, latex caulk, polyurethane sealant, and wood filler; from the food category, we have successfully printed homemade royal icing (see recipe in the forum section of our website) and Nutellaâ¢. We believe most other materials within this range should print well with the Discov3ry. We are still working on optimizations for clay and ceramic and will post updates to our forum once we have some good results. We are also investigating medical grade silicone. Last updated: Mon, Jun 9 2014 8:40 pm EDT
Does the Discov3ry use heat?
No, the paste materials are printed at ambient temperatures with Discov3ry, and the printed structures are typically air dried overnight (or per the material manufacturerâs specifications). Last updated: Mon, Jun 9 2014 8:48 pm EDT
Can I re-use the consumable parts?
In some cases, yes. If you are printing icing or other easily cleaned food, simply washing the consumable parts in soap and water will clean them. However, for materials like silicone, it is recommended to simply replace the consumable parts. We will sell replacement consumables through our website. Last updated: Mon, Jun 9 2014 8:48 pm EDT
Will the Discov3ry work with my 3D printer?
Discov3ry was designed to be widely compatible with most filament 3D printers. Printers that use a RAMPS/Arduino control system will very likely work well. Other systems that may be more proprietary might require further investigation to determine compatibility. The following is a list of the most common printers, and their compatibility with the Discov3ry. If you don’t see your printer listed, let us know and we’ll find out what we can. Easily compatible printers, using a RAMPS/Arduino control board: - Makerbot* - Ultimaker - Printrbot - Type A machines - LulzBot - LeapFrog - Felix - Deezmaker Bukobot/Bukito - Airwolf3D - Boots Industries - Solidoodle -Wanhao - QU-BD - RigidBot - Pirate3D Buccaneer** *The process will be slightly different for the Replicator 2 and Replicator 2x, we will provide precise guidance for these specific models **The Buccaneer is compatible, but will require slightly more modification due to the design of its frame.See the FAQs for more on the Replicator 2 and Buccaneer. Printers using more proprietary hardware - Micro3D - New Matter MOD-t We are confident that integration is possible with this second group of printers, but it will require more patience and technical consideration. We will continue to investigate these printers, and if possible, develop guidance around the installation processes required for each one. If you don’t see your printer in either of these lists, let us know and we’ll look into it, or you can reach out to the manufacturer with these questions: 1) Are your electronics based off the RAMPs architecture? Are they accessible? 2) Does your printer work with open-sourced software? 3) Is the extruder motor a NEMA17 stepper motor? 4) Is the nozzle chassis easy to access in order add or change extruder tips? Last updated: Fri, Jul 4 2014 5:02 pm EDT
Iâve never printed with paste materials before. How do I get started?
Please visit the forum section of our website where we provide tutorials to help you get started. We will continue to update the content as we try new materials, so check back regularly. Users can also share their experiences through the forum. Last updated: Mon, Jun 9 2014 8:48 pm EDT
How does it work? Why arenât you showing us the inner workings?
We hate being secretive, but weâve spent cumulatively over year working on this product. So we feel the need to protect our investment, at least in the short term. As we move forward, further developing our product and building up a community of makers using our products, we intent to open source the initial design. Last updated: Mon, Jun 9 2014 8:48 pm EDT
Do you know if there are any environmental considerations that need to be considered when using your extruder? Ventilation? Smells?
Environmental considerations are minimal, and mostly related to the materials you choose to print with. The operation of the extruder uses the same kinds of motor as a typical 3D printer The materials you choose may actually have less smell, and have much fewer volatile emissions than printing with molten plastics Compared to molten plastic, printing with play dough, clay or edibles like icing sugar is more environmentally friendly and health friendly (as long as you donât eat too much icing :) ). Last updated: Wed, Jun 11 2014 1:03 pm EDT
Will the Discov3ry extruder work with the Micro3D printer?
After contacting with the team over at Micro3D, we just received a response on the compatibility with the Discov3ry extruder. They were very receptive of the pastruder and here is their response: âThis is a fantastic and overdue addition addition to the field of 3D printers. âIn order to get the lowest possible price point, we had to reinvent our hardware, software, firmware, and electronics, all of which is non-standardized, with the exception that you could send standard Gcode commands to be able to use the system as openly as possible. We also provide fairly easy access to two motion subsystems on the gantry, as well as some additional input/outputs. However we need to test one of your systems in the future before making any firm statements, because we can not say whether The Micro will work with your system requiring some modification or not. âAgain, an expert user can easily control our micro motion subsystems through G-code programming in the same way RAMPS works. However the base electronics are not accessible without completely taking The Micro apart, but there is access to some of these components in the extruder head. Thus it will be easiest for them to use one of our extruder head motion subcomponents in the Paste Extruder, with some minimal modification to the paste extruder (possibly a single 3D printer adapter and a wire extension). That is something we can basically guarantee and hope happens for many such additions to the field of 3D printing! âThere is no dual extruder option at this time.â This means that the implementation with the Micro3D is possible, but will require a somewhat different instal procedure than an Arduino / RAMPs 3D Printer. You will be required to connect the wiring in parallel with the filament extruder and add a switch allowing only one extruder or another. The great thing is that the Micro3D takes geode, so you can use your favourite slicing software (ie. Slic3r) to modify your printing instructions and parameters. Last updated: Mon, Jun 16 2014 1:27 pm EDT
Will the Discov3ry work with my Makerbot 2x?
Andrew from Structur3D here, I currently own a Makerbot Replicator 2X. Although, I have not used the Discov3ry on it yet. It will work with a small amount of work. Mounting the tip is easy, you do not need to remove the 2 ABS extruders, you could simply fix it along side (using something as simple as a zip-tie, or more customized like a 3D printed mounting bracket). You will also need to connect your wiring for the Discov3ry to the electronics located beneath the 2X. You will need to decide to replace or add this to your ABS extruders. If you add this as a 3rd extruder, you may need to add a switch to go from “ABS/ABS” to “ABS/paste.” There is even the possibility to print with dual materials. Which we think will give pretty cool results. Last updated: Tue, Jun 10 2014 8:16 am EDT
Will Discov3ry work with delta 3D printers?
Yes, the Discov3ry should work with most desktop delta FDM printers. If your system uses NEMA stepper motors and you can access the wiring with relative ease then there should be no issues getting the Discov3ry installed. The small tip to mount at the head of the delta will actually be lighter and MUCH smaller than a filament extruder, providing more range of motion for some systems (with complete replacement). Last updated: Tue, Jun 10 2014 8:25 am EDT
How do I add a T-shirt to my Discov3ry order?
If you have (or intend to) purchase the Discov3ry extruder and a backer T-shirt. Choose the Discov3ry button and simply add $33 to the total (plus any additional shipping charges). Example: Discov3ry and T-shirt to USA = $299(Discov3ry) + $33(Tshirt) + $10 + $25 (both shipping charges) = $367 Last updated: Tue, Jun 10 2014 12:31 pm EDT
Will the Discov3ry work with the Buccaneer Printer by Pirate 3D?
We’ve done some digging around to find out more information on the Bucaneer, and it appears to be arduino/RAMPS based, which makes it compatible with Discov3ry. However – please have a look at this unboxing video (6:00 mark),https://www.youtube.com/watch… It shows the top view of the printer and the nozzle chassis, where you would connect the tip end of Discov3ry. So while this is a very doable project if you wanted to pursue it, it will take a little more work since this printer is designed a bit more for the “just push print” user experience. Also, according to the Pirate 3D support page (http://pirate3d.com/support), they mention simply using a non-PLA filament will void your warranty. Certainly, at this point, I would expect adding Discov3ry will void the warranty. While we don’t want to discourage you from buying our product, we do want to make sure you have an expectation of the experience. Last updated: Wed, Jun 18 2014 8:55 pm EDT
Current Estimated Shipping Date: September 2014
At this time, we don't anticipate any significant delays on delivery of the Discov3ry extruder. We expect to make delivery in the second half of the month in which delivery has been promised. That said, I would like to reiterate that we agree with what our backers have said; a quality product is more important than exactly meeting promised deadlines.
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