The Stalactite 102 is a high definition resin 3D printer designed to meet the most demanding standards, with innovative technology, yet still at an affordable price.

WE ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE STALACTITE 102, A HIGH DEFINITION RESIN 3D PRINTER

At Stalactite we are convinced that excellence resides in the details. The excellence we intend to convey through uncompromised industrial and product design. We opted to introduce innovative ideas and key improvements to pre-existing concepts that often did not deliver on what had been initially promised. We are now unveiling our desktop 3D Printer, designed from the ground up by our team of engineers and product designers. Be ready to be amazed!

SPECS:

• Minimum layer thickness down to 25 microns (hardware can support layers as thin as 10 microns).
  
• High DPI (dot per inch) density on the X/Y plane (100 microns NORMAL mode, 50 microns FINE mode).
  
• High quality precision components.
  
• Mechanized aluminum and laser cut steel components.
  
• Innovative decoupled dual peeling system (patent pending)
  
• Proprietary software with fast slicing and automatic supports.
  
• Wide choice of printing materials: currently up to 4 different resins with a variety of properties.
  
• Build Area: 102mm x 76,8mm x 180mm
  

THE 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY ALLOWING FOR HIGHEST DETAIL AND QUALITY

Although Laser 3d printers are an interesting solution for certain applications, our know-how in the field led us to develop our devices around the DLP technology, mainly for two leading properties:

• Resolution: With DLP (Direct Light Processing) we can reach feature details of 50 microns, which is a six-fold improvement compared to Laser 3d printers that are limited by the geometry of the Laser beam (pointer diameter, varying shape, focus and raster speed).
  
• Build Times: The Stalactite 102 builds each layer within a constant exposure time, making the size of the object within the X/Y build area independent of the build time. It doesn't matter how many objects you fit within the build area, print times will always remain the same, depending solely on the number of layers in the Z-axis. There's no rastering time, no head or pointer movement process, as is prevalent in the FDM, Inkjet and Laser 3D printing technologies.
  

Some examples where you can see the impressive resolution achieved by the Stalactite 102:

A WIDE PALETTE OF MATERIALS

We develop the resins in-house, meaning that we can offer a wide range of materials with different properties. At launch date there will be 4 materials available and several more in the development pipeline. Each material offers different physical properties:

• STANDARD: Our entry level resin. Affordable and suitable for general 3d printing needs, from figurines to maquettes or quick prototypes.

• PROTOTYPING: A hard and thought material, aimed at print objects that require improved physical properties. It has similar properties as ABS or Nylon plastic. Ideal for electronic housings, cogs, Iphone holders... Use this for your engineering and über-nerd projects!

• ELASTIC: A resin with very peculiar properties: It's elastic and flexible!! This opens up a world of options for your prototypes and props!

• WAXY: It demonstrates similar properties to investment casting waxes. Once you print your model you will be able to use the lost wax investment process and cast your designs to bronze, silver, gold or any meltable metal. This resin is particularly well suited for jewelers and miniature figurines manufacturers!!

A MACHINE DESIGNED TO LAST

We stand behind the quality of our products. We do not concede to programmed obsolescence or marketing smoke-screens. We are passionate designers, and you can see how this shows in our products. We want you to accompany us in this pursuit of distinction. From a beautifully crafted steel chassis, to ZERO_MAX (TM) couplings, to our innovative dual peeling system. This machine is designed to last a lifetime (perhaps even your children will use it down the line ;) ).

SOFTWARE

Following our philosophy, the software is elegant and minimal, allowing to spend less time in cryptic configurations and spend more time printing. Automatic and manual supports are available, with configurable thickness, base size and rod diameter.

Select the material in advance and calculate the cost of each print.

GOALS

We need the contribution from people like you to help us to make this launch a success! Our objective is to provide high quality 3D printers for a demanding public.

• To prepare for production, to engage as soon as our campaign concludes. Status: 80%

• Polish up last design details: Status: 99%

• Establish manufacturing facilities: Status: 30%

• Create Web-store, a Forum with a vibrant community and a knowledge base. Status: 20%

WHO ARE WE:

Stalactite is a Start-Up based in Barcelona, created by a group of young entrepreneurs. We share a clear vision and passion and contribute with a diverse set of skills. Our work is based in the research of new mechanisms, design, material research and ergonomics, applied to high resolution 3d printing.

Team & Collaborators:

Joan Raventós - Founder & Concept designer.

Oriol Raventós - Technical designer.

Ferdinand Muñoz - Materials Specialist.

Chris Martin - Marketing.

Andrew Leek - Firmware Specialist.

Steve Hernandez - Software Developer.

Santiago Raventós - Adviser.

With the highly regarded help and good job of Eduard Carulla.

FAQ's

1. What is the retail price of the Stalactite 102? The cost in our website will be 2.895€ (plus VAT where applicable). Our Indiegogo supporters are definitely receiving special treatment for believing in what we do!
2. When will my Stalactite 102 arrive? We are already working hard to plan our supply chain and manufacturing operations to make sure you get your Stalactite 102 as soon as possible. Each pledge has an expected delivery date at which we will start to deliver. Shipping times may vary once the package has left but will be sent by insured courier mail where available. We hope the package will travel for less than a week between pick-up and delivery, along with tracking ID that you will be communicated.
3. Why isn´t shipping included? Shipping prices vary by location and country. It will be easier to handle this step in personalized way. After Indiegogo campaign is over and we are ready to start shipping, we will contact you to require your shipping data and calculate the final shipping costs.
4. How much does international shipping cost? Shipping for European countries will be calculated for each destination. No extra import taxes are required, as all taxes come included in the price. For non-EU destinations, a custom tax may apply on top of the shipping cost. We do not know exactly what the custom taxes may be, so that you will need to inquire and take care about these yourself, in need be. After our Indiegogo project ends, you will be asked to log into our website and pay the appropriate shipping charges.
5. How much will the print material (resin) cost? Starting at 80€ our Standard version, Prototype & Flexible version 90€ and Waxy 125€ (plus VAT where applicable).
6. How does the resin system work? Can you leave the resin in the tray? You will just need to pour the resin in the Stalactite 102 vat, just enough to print your object. 5 or 6 mm of resin in the vat goes a long way. The colored shield will keep light entering the build area and help maintaining the resins fresh. We recommend emptying the vat after a long print and pouring it back into the opaque bottle, for longer shelf life (over 6 months). This will also allow the vat to keep in contact with air, which helps keeping it clean and non-stick.
7. Can the resin be burn-out, for lost-wax casting? Yes! Our Waxy resin is designed to be used this way.
8. Does the resin need to be carefully handled? Do you have an MSDS? We have MSDS sheet for all our materials. We have formulated them from the get-go with user safety in mind. We will always strive to make them as user friendly and ecologically sound as possible. Our resins do not contain any solvent or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and are chosen to be as little irritancy as possible. As for handling them while they are in the liquid form, the stage where they are more reactive, we recommend using gloves so that you do not irritate your skin in case it´s specially sensitive, after curing and post-curing, the materials are rather inert, but do not recommend using them for prolonged food storage and handling.
9. Can you design with the print Software? What operating systems will be supported? The print software does not allow for a design phase. You will need to design the object in one of the many available softwares, such Sketchup, Z-Brush, FreeCad, TinkerCad... Once the object has been designed, you can export it to .STL format and this will be read into our print software, where it can be manipulated to fit the build area. We will try to have our software available in all major platforms, by the moment Windows versions are the priority.
10. How many parts can I print with 1 Kg of resin? This depends on what object volume you print. Our software will calculate for each object how much resin you will be using. In our experience, 1Kg of resin will last for many, many prints.

WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWED:

Here after some of the most relevant articles!

Tech Crunch

3D Printing Industry

3D Print . com

3ders.org

Thanks to all for sharing our campaign!