The first desktop CNC wire bender has hit Kickstarter with an Atmel MCU (ATxmega192/TinyG) under the hood. Created by Pensa Labs, the DIWire transforms drawn curves into bent wire that can be assembled to make just about anything.
“To date, desktop manufacturing has focused on 3D printers outputting plastic volumes and laser cutters cutting 2D planes. However, nothing exists that converts lines into bent rod, wire or tubular forms quickly, accurately, and repeatedly,” the Pensa Labs crew wrote in a recent Kickstarter post. “The DIWire can bend various metals and plastics, allowing for the output to be used as the final product. Additionally, the build volume is limited only by the length of the wire.”
Indeed, by being transportable, accessible and affordable, the DIWire fills the market gap between time-consuming hand-bending and large scale, mass production CNC wire bending, which is often too costly for custom, short-run productions.
This significantly changes the dynamics of STEM education, as well as local, mass customized, prototype and just-in-time manufacturing for industries ranging from aerospace, automotive, medical, to consumer products.
So what can DIWire be used to create? Specific examples listed on Kickstarter include antennas, robotics, architecture models, design prototypes, art, furniture, jewelry, small crafts, surgical implants, orthodonture, puppetry, lighting, stage sets and signage.
Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered DIWire? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.
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