/ News
Revolutionary? Aurora Labs Reveals Their S1 Metal 3D Printer For Under $4,000
After reading the title of this article, many of you probably are thinking that this post must be some kind of extremely early April Fools joke. After all, most laser sintering machines, which work with metal alloys, cost upwards of $1 million, some even much more than that. Back in July of this year, we saw a company calledMatterFab announce their entrance into the realm of more affordable powder bed fusion metal 3D printers. Although a price was not announced, speculation still has these printers priced well above what most individuals could afford (likely $80-$120k).
Today, a Perth Australia-based company, called Aurora Labs may have just opened the metal laser sintering 3D printer space wide open with the launch of a Kickstarter project for their S1, S2, and S2+ 3D metal printers.
There is no doubt that if the cost of metal 3D printers were to come down in price to under $10,000 that the world would change as we know it. There are only so many applications one can use printed plastics for. The ability to fabricate metal objects at the push of a button, from one’s own garage could be transformative, not only for the manufacturing industry, but society as a whole. This is why, if legitimate, the Aurora 3D printer Kickstarter project may be one of the most exciting projects we have seen yet.
The company is working on three differet printers, starting at just $4,499 AUD (approximately $4,000 USD) for the S1, if you are one of their earliest backers. All three printers are capable of printing with a variety of metals, including:
- 316 Stainless Steel
- 420 Stainless Steel
- Inconel 625
- Inconel 718
- Hastelloy C
- Brass
- Bronze
- Mild Steel
- Over a dozen others
The main difference between the various printers, the S1, S2, and S2+, are their sizes, number of powder rollers, and price. Below is a quick comparison:
- S1 – Build Envelope: 150mm x 150mm x 200mm, 2 powder feeders – Kickstarter Price: $3,998 USD
- S2 – Build Envelope: 150mm x 150mm x 200mm, 3 powder feeders – Kickstarter Price: $6,219 USD
- S2+ – Build Envelope: 180mm x 180mm x 500mm, 3 powder feeders – Kickstarter Price: $7,110 USD
Currently the printers can all use, both direct metal laser sintering, as well as powder bed fusion techniques. The S2 and S2+ will be capable of printing with multiple metals at once, and according to the company their internal testing showed that objects printed with these three machines had a 99.5% density level, similar to a high quality casting.
“We see a time in the near future where every engineering workshop has a couple of these and most homes have one as well,” stated the company. “With this machine people can build a 10,000 pound (4,500 kg) thrust rocket motor – for about the price of a plasma TV ($500-$1,000) in materials.”
If this company does come through, it will certainly make waves within the industry. They have also stated that they are working on a selective laser sintering system for these printers, as well as a capability to print with plastics and ceramics as well. Let’s hear your thoughts on these incredible machines. Have Aurora Labs, and their founder David Budge actually figured out a way to bring metal 3D printers into the home affordably? Discuss in the Aurora Labs metal printer forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the company’s Kickstarter pitch video provided below.
Source: http://3dprint.com/16298/aurora-labs-s1-s2-3d-printer/
/ About us
Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.