We are delighted to announce that we are now an authorised Robo 3D distributor in the UK and Ireland. Robo 3D is an American 3D printer manufacturer with headquarters in San Diego, California. Founded in 2012, Robo 3D started on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter with their first product, the Robo 3D R1. Now, five years later, they have launched the Robo C2 and Robo R2, two smart desktop 3D printers that also found success on Kickstarter with a total $382,027 pledged.
Robo 3D was founded with a vision to create affordable desktop 3D printers with smart features. However, far from simply wishing to create a more affordable 3D printing solution, Robo 3D’s founders also wanted to create a better one. Reliability and print quality is at the heart of all Robo’s hardware, and when creating all their printers, they decided to opt for an open filament system, to give users access to the widest possible range of materials. On their most recent printers, they also decided to include Wi-Fi connectivity, something which is curiously lacking from several desktop 3D printers at this price point.
The Robo R2 and Robo C2 are outstanding desktop 3D printers. We are now authorised to sell both these printers, which we believe are the first truly consumer-friendly 3D printers on the market. Below, we’ll take a closer look at them to help you decide whether they are the right 3D printers for you.
Robo C2
Specs:
Build volume: 127 x 127 x 152.4 mm
Resolution: 20 – 300 microns (0.02 – 0.3 mm)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and USB
Control: 5″ colour touchscreen, mobile application
Software: Cura 2.5
The Robo C2 is a compact desktop 3D printer that undercuts the price of its rivals, despite offering more advanced features. This 3D printer has a 127 x 127 x 152.4 mm (5 x 5 x 6 in) build volume, which makes it suitable for manufacturing smaller models and parts. It is a Fused Filament Fabrication printer with an open filament system, so you can print with third party materials, and it prints at speeds of up to 16 mm3 /s.
Despite its low price, the Robo C2 boasts Wi-Fi connectivity, a 5″ colour touchscreen panel and lets you print from your phone with the Robo companion app, which is called simply the Robo App. Interestingly, this 3D printer has many of the premium features of its bigger brother, the R2. This includes the R2’s integrated model slicing feature, which simplifies the path to 3D printing by eliminating the need for files to be sliced beforehand. Most importantly of all, though, the C2 is incredibly accurate with a layer resolution as low as 20 microns, and an X, Y accuracy of 12.5 microns.
Robo R2
Specs:
Build volume: 203.2 x 203.2 x 254 mm
Resolution: 20 – 300 microns (0.02 – 0.3 mm)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and USB
Control: 5″ colour touchscreen, mobile application
Software: Cura 2.5
The Robo R2 is a high-performance desktop 3D printer with all the best features of the Robo C2. This is a more advanced 3D printer, with a larger 203.2 x 203.2 x 254 mm (8 x 8 x 10 in) build volume. It has an open filament system with the ability to print PLA, Nylon, Flexible TPE, Flexible TPU and many more materials, and boasts dual high-performance fans for cooling. This model also supports dual print heads, so you can print with two materials at once.
The R2 has been engineered to deliver outstanding print accuracy and consistency. It has an X, Y, Z accuracy of 12.5, 12.5, 5-microns and prints at a 20-300-micron resolution, which is incredible for a FFF 3D printer. This model has an automatic self-levelling print bed, filament run-out detection, and integrated model slicing – three features which save precious design and build time. Wi-Fi and USB connectivity make up the connectivity options, and you control the Robo R2 through a built-in 5″ colour touchscreen. As with the Robo C2, you can also control the printer using the free Robo App.
In the boxes
In their boxes, both 3D printers include the 3D printer (of course), a power cable, spool of filament, quick start guide, a USB stick with 3 models to get you started, 1-year Autodesk Fusion 360 subscription (a 3D CAD / CAM software) and a tool kit. The Robo app is free to download on iOS, MacOS and Windows devices. Android support is coming soon.