I will be soon releasing a Indiegogo campaign for a low cost injection molding machine.
Tentative early backers for $185 and the rest for $220 plus shipping.
A lot of the production parts will be made on the MPCNC with a plasma torch attachment.
Put the link up ASAP
Where are the dam pictures, arghh you killing us slowly…hurry.
Looking forward to the concept.
Cheers
If no link, do you have pictures or anything? I am super curious. My robotics team would buy one up in a heartbeat.
Any update on this?
Its still coming along, sorry delays. Got swamped with a router project that started out as a open builds style machine and evolved into a monster for a client.
Had meeting today with the job shop that will be building them out.
Working out a few details as to whether some parts should be welded or bolted. We can do a jig and weld them, or punch them and put bolts in which will look cleaner.
Appreciate the update! Considering this is supposed to be a consumer thing most likely purchased by “makers” the ability to take something apart/adjust it may be useful.
Still coming along. Now that I got all the router projects done and a little cash to work with here.
Version one was basically a Gingery design. It works Ok, but the molds do not fit in it well.
Version two which I will be releasing photos and video of, use 2 inch square tube pipe, and flat bar all welded together.
I am awaiting more heaters from China to arrive.
Due to the changes in the design I will have to raise the initial release price to $300. I added in a drill press vice which adds in cost along with covering for better shipping packaging.
Version 2 also has a funnel on the top to make filling it easier. Similar to the $1500 machines.
Awesome to see another update on this project!
New frame arrives today.
Working on two different designs simultaneously.
One is easier to manufacture but not sure on the strength and costs vs design number three.
Number two might be cheaper to make and is strong, but takes a lot more running around to get made. Laser cutting, cnc bending, powder coating will add in costs, so at this point still working on both angles.
Getting closer to the finished product.
My indiegogo campaign should allow for shipping within 8 weeks of close of campaign. Mostly due to handling customs and shipping details of a 4 to 6 week transit time for a couple crucial parts from China that are too heavy to ship in bulk by air.
I probably will opt for the fedex flat rate box for shipping or if there are enough orders, sea freight to the US and postal ship from there.
By postal ship do you mean USPS? I don’t know about other places, but in the town my college is in fedex and ups work way better, especially for larger items. But that is just one place, I am sure it flip flops back and forth depending on location. As a buyer, if I were presented with the 3 main options in the us (usps, ups, fedex) and price ranges for each, I would probably pick ups personally.
Unless it fits in a flat rate box, No one can even come close to those prices. I call the other guys once and a while and try to negotiate a better rate, conversations goes good when I tell them typical box size and weight, monthly volume ect. Then I tell them I 'm shipping usps flat rate…change of tone “We can beat that but, we offer…”
No I mean Philpost postal shipping.
I am a American expat in the Philippines.
I was referring to the FedEx flat rate boxes I use to ship 3d printer kits to Europe.
UPS here is a joke. Philpost rapes us on air mail rates and steals anything not in registered surface mail.
So like I said, options are snail mail, FedEx flat rate, or I palletize it, and sent to the US in a container with someone on the other end to dump it in the US mail. A container will cost me 2500 dollars which means that I got to do at least 50 kits to beat the air freight rate.
Ok, Some delays that just got cleared up here. I needed clevis connectors for the piston in the injector. I tried making them locally and they were just crap, so I found a them in china for $2 each.
The heater block has undergone a few revisions. I got a CNC router medium duty grade that is awaiting the spindle (delivery tomorrow) and then I can machine out the last final heater block/melt chamber.
I decided to stick with the lasered steel/CNC bent frame vs cast or some of the other concurrent designs. The steel frame seems to the the strongest and lest amount of flex along with the simplest to manufacture.
Couple more days and the last bits machined, paint applied and then its some more testing and photos/video.
Looking at $300 for the machine plus shipping, and first batch ready 8 weeks after close of campaign.
I have production capacity to handle several hundred in house, if it goes past that, I have a job shop locally that can take on the extra work load.
I bought a second CNC router this week, to handle machining tasks as well.
It will ship as a knock down kit to save on shipping cost. its simple to assemble, just need 12mm and 13mm wrench and a phillips screw driver.
Awesome update!
Looking forward to finally getting to see one.
Great to hear, congrats on your progress, will be watching closely.
What techniques do you see your target market using for mold making?
Could anything be done like lost PLA like what I’ve seen for casting?
Any idea what your max anticipated mold volume will be?
Around a half ounce shot. Any larger and i risk making it unreliable.
Love to have info on this. I am restarting a business and will have to take my molds to a facility 2hrs away unless I can do something myself.
Any update?