Peter Todd
CEL Robox Root Mote Tree
The three new additions to the Robox 3D printing system: Root, Mote and Tree
Product design company, CEL has today launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking support for a series of additions to its Robox desktop 3D printer.
Robox was launched on Kickstarter three years ago, and now CEL is enhancing the printing system’s capabilities with Root, Tree and Mote.
Root is a remote-control device which will allow users to share, control and monitor multiple prints via a wired or wireless network. Tree is a compact furniture system which can house multiple Robox units in a small footprint and improves productivity through enhanced workflow and throughput. The final piece of the system, Mote is a simple, dedicated, low-cost, touchscreen interface for Root.
Together, the three new additions to Robox will enable users to share hardware and carry out multiple jobs at the same time at a greater speed, and with increased reliability.
“Although a typical user will have just one Robox, Root is a really exciting addition to the system,” said Chris Elsworthy, CEO of CEL and creator of the Robox. “Users can remotely start and stop prints even when the printer is in another room. If they choose to open the system to the web, they can access it from anywhere. The system can alert users when a job is complete or of any problems, filament running out or becoming tangled or jammed so they can resolve the problem and resume the print.
“In a business environment, or where there are multiple Robox units available, these new systems will make prototyping and development much more efficient. Each Robox connected to Root can be visible to others on the network, so an office full of individually controlled printers is also a networked print farm. More printers allows faster printing but also redundancy and increased flexibility.”
CEL Robox
The Robox was launched on Kickstarter three years ago
Robox was originally developed to ensure maximum flexibility and to be future-proof. Root, together with Tree, enables Robox to outperform larger, more expensive systems in terms of speed and reduces the risk of total part failure with RAID-like redundancy. Attaching Mote to a Robox Tree, the integration system becomes a stand-alone print farm shared by an entire office.
CEL has aligned itself with RS Components and Polymaker to further immerse the company into distributed manufacturing. With Robox producing prints, Polymaker supplying innovative PolySmooth materials and RS providing the hardware, users will be able to marker finished products without the need to outsource production.
The Robox manufacturer is also partnering with local makers and services globally to produce and distribute Root, Tree and Mote, reducing transportation costs and making distributed manufacturing possible via the Robox.
“Distributed manufacturing gives back to the community,” Elsworthy added. “It unites makers and users with less impact on the environment through reduced transport and inventory built to order, rather than mass produced. We’ve seen dramatic improvements in 3D printing speed, reliability and quality over the past few years and Robox Tree, Root and Mote represent the next stage in the evolution of Robox.
“None of the development carried out so far on the Robox project would have been possible without the support from our Kickstarter backers. They have become a crucial part of our community and we’re appealing to existing and new 3D printing enthusiasts to help make this next phase a success.”
The Root, Tree and Mote campaign launched on Kickstarter on Wednesday 11th January 2017.
