If you have a 3D printer at home, you know that though 3D printing is fun and convenient, it is not hassle-free. One of the big issues that those who use 3D printers at home routinely face, is having to use glue or tape to get parts to stick to their print bed.
This “fix” can be frustrating because you have to reapply the tape or glue every couple of prints, and sometimes the adhesion strength can cause objects to warp or break during printing.
GeckoTek, a company founded by science geeks—a couple of the founders have backgrounds in Polymer Science and Nanotechnology– have come up with a solution to the glue-tape-print bed conundrum.
Yesterday, the company announced its answer—the GeckoTek build plate–the world’s first 3D printer build plate developed with a permanent coating specifically designed for 3D printing.
The creators of the 12-by-12 inch build plate say that it’s high performance, versatile, cost-effective, and super simple to use. You can use the build plate over and over again without replacing it, and it is formulated to work with a variety of filaments including ABS, HIPS, and nylon.
The magic behind the build plate lies in its coating. It allows for just the right level of adhesion and is extremely durable to boot. The company also offers a variety of specialized magnetic bases for the following popular 3D printers:
- RepRaps (any printer that uses a MK1 or MK2 214 x 214mm heated bed)
- Makerbot Replicator 2 and 2X
- PrinterBot simple
- Solidoodle 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen
- Ultimaker 1 and 2
The GeckoTek build plate is available exclusively on Kickstarter for $39 at the moment. The developers made working prototypes and have gone the crowdfunding route to scale up production and reduce manufacturing costs.
“We are fresh out of graduate school and very low on funds. We have spent everything we had on the development of GeckoTek,” the guys behind GeckoTek said on their Kickstarter page. “We need your support to collect the necessary funds to scale up our production. If we meet our funding goal we will be able to buy materials in bulk and invest in automated equipment to do the production.”
The campaign has already reached its $15,000 goal. The company plans on introducing several stretch goals, asking those who backed the project to let them know what they’d like to see offered.
Have you backed the GeckoTek build plate? Let us know at the GeckoTek forum thread on 3DPB.com. Also check out the Kickstarter pitch video below:
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