Solidoodle Press: A starter 3D printer at an affordable price

Have you been thinking of getting a 3D printer, but felt a little intimidated by the size, as well as the price, of one? Solidoodle has something for you.

The new Solidoodle Press is the company’s latest entry in the DIY manufacturing market. It’s a 512-cubic inch model that looks more like a hotel minibar than a traditional 3D printer. Solidoodle says the Press is available worldwide and will ship by late September for $599 (which converts to about £355 and AU$645). Early buyers can get the Press at prices as low as $350 (about £210 and AU$380).

The Press can create plastic parts of sizes up to 8 by 8 by 8 inches with a resolution of .1mm. It uses 1.75mm plastic filament (ABS or PLA). The unit’s “SoliTouch Technology” is designed to deliver one-touch printing without the need for manual calibration.

The Press is very compact, measuring just 15 inches by 15 inches by 19.2 inches (38.1cm by 38.1cm by 48.8cm) and is quite light at 18 pounds (8.2kg). The machine has a plastic body, but comes with only one extruder.

Apart from the Press, Solidoodle also announced two new printers for more advanced users, the compact 20-pound (9kg) Workbench Apprentice and the larger 30-pound (13.6kg) Workbench, which cost $800 and $1,300, respectively. (Also available worldwide, the cost of the Workbench Apprentice converts to about £475 or AU$860, and the Workbench cost converts to £770 or AU$1,400.)