3D printers continue to play a pivotal role in pushing boundaries for creativity and innovation. Creation, design, validation and iteration is now possible in the shortest and most economical means possible - giving everyone the power to discover new concepts and technologies. Kappa - the latest innovation in 3D printer design is the result of our effort, facilitated through 3D printing. We’re really excited in its possibilities and we’d love you to be a part of our journey in bringing this to life!  

We have been developing Kappa for more than one and half years at the National University of Singapore. Our core objective while creating Kappa is to make it user friendly for beginners, deliver quality expected by makers, keep it affordable and intrigue the interest of innovators.  

Kappa is the world’s first 3D printer which integrates in its innovative design, an improved version of the Scott Russell Straight Line Mechanism. Using the Design For Manufacturing (DFM) process and with more than two decades of experience in the 3D printer and hardware manufacturing industry, Kappa's functions have been optimised - right from production for customer satisfaction.

Kappa’s unique design is derived from the Scott Russell Straight Line Mechanism. Used in the automobile industry and in pick and place operations as a robotic manipulator in manufacturing industries, this proven technology guarantees precision and quality consistently. 

Kappa’s frame is made from customised extrusion mould using high-grade raw materials followed by the CNC milling process ensuring precise technical specifications, resulting in a sturdy and reliable frame.

The heat generated by the internally housed motors and extruders is conducted throughout the aluminium profile tower, acting as a heat sink and allowing the printer to operate for longer time-span.

The linear movement of the nozzle to the bed facilitated by the dual arms gives the user a large build volume (200 x 200 x 200) for a small footprint area.

Kappa’s modular design keeps assembly to a minimum and is completed in just a few minutes. The main frame comes completely assembled and you’re ready to print after fitting just 6 screws. 

The detachable heated bed allows easy removal of prints and the use of magnetic holders keeps the bed positioned perfectly, eliminating the need to re-calibrate the machine after each use, so that your 3D printing experience is uncomplicated.

The design makes Kappa compact in terms of size and weight, utilizing much lesser desk space in comparison to other 3D printers of similar print area. Moving the arm’s sliders in the opposite direction brings the hot-end closer to the frame leading to less desk space utilization.

Attaching the motors and extruders to the tower makes the movable parts lighter. This smart positioning provides effortless movement at the end of the arms and reduces the motor stress.

Kappa is built from scratch for the makers who have all sorts of requirements. Whether your printing requirement is big or small - Kappa can handle it with ease.

The custom-made, high-quality PCB board is slotted into the tower while other electronic modules fit onto and inside Kappa. No more dangling wires, confusing connectors, messy cabling or re-wiring issues making fitting and replacement of the PCBA really simple.  

Kappa’s brain is a powerful mbed LPC1768 32-bit micro-controller used for the kinematic calculations.

Kappa supports non-proprietary filament and also allows the user to print exotic materials such as Wood, PETG, ABS etc. Using your favorite slicer, adjust the filament temperature and you are ready to go. 

Traditionally, the Scott Russell Straight Line Mechanism consists of two arms (one short and one long), one being about twice the length of the other. Both ends of each arms are connected to a vertical beam and the other end of the short arm is connected to the middle of the long arm. The end of the short arm connected to the vertical beam is stationary while the other end of the long arm moves up and down the vertical beam creating an exact straight-line motion in a horizontal direction.

Adding an extra long arm provides additional support and ensures that the nozzle points in a downward direction at all times. Moving both arms independently creates an additional motion to the existing implementation resulting in an improvement on the traditional Scott Russell design. 

Developing Kappa has not been easy, as is the case with any innovative project. We have been bootstrapping for more than a year now. A lot of hard work, dedication, sleepless nights and sacrificing time away from family has gone into this project. We intend to see this through and our journey has just begun.

By backing us, you would be providing us with the means necessary to bring Kappa to life.

Risks and Challenges

Prototyping and production are two different aspects. We understand that. Which is why we have always kept production in mind even during the design and development stages. All our prototypes were manufactured using the same machinery required for mass production which has helped us identify issues that may not arise during prototyping.

Early on, we have identified our manufacturing partners, who have more than a decade long experience in manufacturing of high quality 3D printers. We are benefiting from our partner's relationship with the trade and this critical collaboration has resulted in saving crucial time in identifying, negotiating and selecting reliable suppliers.

Hardware manufacturing is challenging and every measure is being taken to ensure the timely completion of the project. Certain aspects of the printer design and production timelines may however change as we begin commercial production. The team lead in product development has been in China for the past 8 months, working tirelessly with our partners. This saves time in dealing with issues as and when they may arise.

To everyone who backs us, thank you! We've put in our all and more into this project. We are confident that you will have the same enjoyable experience in using Kappa as we did in creating it.