This modular 3D printer adapts to your needs, whether that’s doubling its height or upgrading to a dual extruder.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: modularity continues to rise in popularity amongst the Maker crowd. Cognizant of this, UK-based NFire Labs set out to develop a 3D printer that would be truly scalable and adaptable to its user depending on the job at hand.
“If you purchase a small 3D printer and then want to print larger objects, currently you would have to buy a new 3D printer. Not anymore,” its 19-year-old creator Alex Youden explains.
Have you ever wished that you could quickly upgrade your printer’s Z-axis and double its build volume on demand? Or, have you found yourself in need of printing two colors at once? All that is now possible, thanks to the NFire 1 — “the world’s first truly modular 3D printer.” The latest delta-style printer to hit the rather competitive market is equipped with a sturdy aluminum frame, a Z-axis that can be extended from a height of 150mm to 300mm, as well as a dual extruder.
“Consumers are becoming frustrated with printers which are breaking due to poor quality parts. They end up spending more time fixing them than printing with them. This is why we are using the highest quality components to build the NFire 1 3D printer,” Youden shares. “Our mission is simple: Create something that can have every aspect upgraded and uses the highest quality materials and parts.”
Among the other notable features of the machine is its E3D-v6 Lite metal hotend that can reach 245°C and can be swapped out for the E3D Cyclops, allowing you to print in two. Beyond that, the NFire 1’s acrylic paneling comes in 21 different colors, divided into four different categories: the default black and white frosted, standard frosted (sapphire blue, jade green, chili red, saffron yellow and crystal clear, premium frosted (slate grey, Earth brown, aurora violet, azure blue, mandarin orange, citrus yellow, polar white and blush pink), and fluorescent (neptune blue, celestial blue, acid green, helios yellow, lava orange and Mars red).
In terms of hardware, NFire 1 is unsurprisingly built around the mighty Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4 board. While it may not come with an LCD screen, Makers are welcomed to add a display at their own leisure. Looking ahead, Youden and the NFire Labs team hopes to include even more options, such as a heated build plate, improved firmware/software, a built-in 3D scanner and an add-on display.
As if the modularity of the machine doesn’t catch the attention of Makers, perhaps its affordable price will. Interested? Head over to the printer’s Kickstarter campaign, where NFire Labs is currently seeking $46,788.
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