A big build area, heated print bed and a wide range of cheap as chips materials make the 3DP1000 an interesting proposition at $400-a-month
Looking simply like a RepRap that ate up all its breakfast, the 3DP Unlimited 3DP1000 is easy to give casual dismissal to, although this surprisingly solid machine has an ace up its sleeve – price.
FDM is already among the cheapest options available for building models, even at the 1000mm x 1000mm x 500mm scale that the 3DP1000 offers (why yes, that is the biggest FDM build area in the business), although once you start getting big on a professional level the costs start spiralling – with heated build chambers and industrial printheads.
This is why the news of 3DP Unlimited teaming up with Lease Corporation of America has got our attention, offering its big unit at an epically affordable price – around $400 each month over 24, 36, 46 and 60 month periods.
The machine itself would cost $20,000 to buy, still a huge markdown off the cost of a similar sized Stratasys Fortus, enabling those with a need to go large to be able to afford the technology.
At the other end of the market, some in-house and external bureaus are even looking at the 3DP1000 as a cheap-running alternative to sit at the base end of their tool set.
Currently this is only available in the USA, although we’ll be expecting 3DP Unlimited to be fielding questions from interested Europeans come the trade shows later in the year.
