The first 3D printer capable of printing fully-functional electronics. It’s equipped with 8 extruders, retractable smart nozzles and an extra large build platform that have been meticulously designed for a seamless user experience. eForge fits in any environment and instantly increases the creative potential of amateur and professional creators anywhere.
Curtis Hill, senior materials engineer and subject matter expert for NASA’s In Space Manufacturing Project, said he’s excited for the potential of Glenn’s [Co-Founder] product in future space expeditions.
“This project fits well with our overall plans in ISM to develop capabilities for multi-material 3D printing that we might be able to use in our manufacturing development for the International Space Station and future habitats on the moon and Mars,” Hill said.
Unlike conventional 3D printers, eForge is capable of printing both electronic and mechanical materials. The results open up an entirely new world of possibilities.
Sensors are everywhere and now you have the ability to print your own on-demand. Print temperature, pressure, haptic and plenty of other sensors exactly how you need them.
Everything is better with lights, Including 3D prints! Develop a simple circuit to light up your design. Who knows, maybe it will even lead to a thriving business.
You are no longer limited to just printing on the platform. From fabrics to circuit boards, you can print on various materials to push your creativity further.
Forget about ordering photo/solars, PN diodes, PNP/NPN transistors and amplifier circuits. Utilize eForge filaments to print whatever you need, right when you need it.
Our 6 patented filaments include: Conductive, Insulative, Capacitive, Resistive, N-Type Semi-conductive and P-Type Semi-conductive properties. They have been developed after years of university research and initial funding from NASA. These materials are incredibly unique and can only be printed with the eForge printer which incorporates the properly engineered elements needed to print functional electronics.
eForge was designed with great emphasis on usability, quality and reliability. We carefully selected premium materials like powder-coated steel and aluminum casting to ensure the highest level of performance and durability. It works following modified Bowden extrusion principles to push material through fitted PTFE tubing and has individual motors designed to accommodate the unique material hardness levels. It’s a redefined 3D printing system.
Functional electronics typically use 3-4 different materials to produce. That is why we included 8 independently controlled extruders to provide the most capability and convenience possible. Effortlessly bring all your designs to life in a single print without worrying about your designs complexity or constantly changing materials.
The 8 independently controlled retractable smart extruders are equipped with automatic speed and oscillation controls to reduce material contamination. Optimized cooling fans and precision nozzle openings allow the filaments to exit through friction controlled systems for quality print every time.
The never-ending quest to accomplish perfect resolution will continue throughout our development process as we understand it’s a top priority. We have a very high resolution for FDM printers (down to 20 micron). Below is a picture of the resolution we can guarantee:
To further show eForge’s capability we used the open-sourced Kickstarter Test file for 3D Printers. Developed with Autodesk, this print is a great way to see the fine feature flow control, xy and z-axis alignment, bridging, dimensional accuracy and overhang capability.
Not having enough space for your print is annoying. We made sure our extra-large build platform will accommodate even your biggest ideas.
We relentlessly focused on user-experience while designing eForge. From initial setup to complete customization on your prints, the main objective is to empower as many creators as possible.
Design your print in whichever software you prefer, our software is compatible with all popular programs such as; Solidworks, Fusion 360 and TinkerCAD. Once you have a .stl or .obj file, just upload it in the eForge software where you can easily prepare your design for printing.
To bring you the most robust software for preparing your design to print and assigning materials, we have teamed up with AutoDesk. The result makes assigning different materials is as easy as matching colors.
We realize there will be questions regarding these new filaments and we plan to be there with full technical/customer support every step of the way. There will be a dedicated toll-free number available 24/7 for all backers once eForge is shipped.
In the mean time, here are a few additional notes about the new filaments to get you started:
Remember, the opportunity to imagine the electronic device shapes and architecture is up to you! We will be there to help you out along the way though. Count on us throughout the campaign to give you monthly updates and answer your questions if they are not already in the FAQ section!
The potential with eForge is beyond our imaginations and our material lab is constantly developing new filaments. As resolution improves, imagine a world where you can print smartphones, watches or virtually any electronic device in hours from the comfort of your home.
We will release the eForge premium library and community after launch. Here, you will be able to create, access and share thousands of files that are ready to print in minutes. We can innovate together as a community!
There are 3 versions of eForge (same printer, different markets);
We have split these versions up in order to comply with different country certification requirements and to ensure you are getting the printer that meets your area’s regulatory requirements. Each version includes the following:
Co-creators, Dr. Chance Glenn and Dr. Wing Chan have led a team of electrical engineers and university researchers for years in efforts to revolutionize the 3D Printing Industry.
In 2016, Dr. Glenn and team won a Phase I STTR contract with NASA with the goal of developing the capability to 3D print electronic devices.
In 2017, they realized their goal by creating the proprietary filaments necessary for printing electronics and a number of early version eForge printers.
In 2019, after we finished our printer design, we built our next prototype. Check out our first print with the modified multi-material printing software.
We have worked tirelessly for the last few years developing eForge and the NEW materials. A cross-functional team has been established, prototypes with production in mind have been built and relationships with manufactures locally and internationally have been established. We are ready to take the 3D Printing Industry by storm!
Monthly Updates: We understand there’s a waiting period for eForge, so we are committed to giving backers consistent monthly updates including founder talks, print design contests and first access to our next new materials.
Manufacturer Partner: Manufacturing expertise is key to delivering the project to you and we have joined forces with an experienced 3D Printer manufacture, CreatBot to work with throughout development and mass production.
Certification: As we go through the process of proper regulations / qualifications, we will ensure that all certification testing is done through a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).
The choice to go to Kickstarter was a back and forth decision. Ultimately, we developed this project for a community of makers and educators passionate about creating and inventing so we thought Kickstarter was the best way to initiate that outreach. We have been fortunate enough to work with NASA to start our journey of delivering this printer and new materials to you, but we need your help in crossing the finish line.
Mechanical
eForge is an incredibly complex machine with a lot of new to the world
components that need to work together seamlessly. That’s why our team
is full of engineers with experience in consumer product development.
Supply Chain
To manufacture such a complex product we inherently will work with many
suppliers, which will be a challenge to manage and ensure that components
are made properly. In order to be close to our suppliers, we have spent the
last eight months working with the printer manufacturer overseas and the
filament supplier in the USA. While developing eForge we have amassed a
network of suppliers with specific capabilities in 3D Printer manufacturing.
We will return to our overseas factory to complete the mass production design
of eForge in person to kickoff production.
Quality
Assembling each 3D Printer will be a challenge to ensure that everything works
properly. However, we are committed to having a robust quality team on site
with technical expertise to maintain our identified standards. We are committed
to full oversight of the process to ensure you receive a quality machine.
Software
eForge’s user-centric slicer software still needs development – currently we run
on open sourced programs. The software development will begin after Kickstarter
and will run in parallel with our manufacturing efforts.