09-21-2016: Robo 3D launched a Kickstarter campaign for the C2 and R2 3D printers

It was second attempt on Kickstarter in company's history

On September 21, 2016, Robo 3D – an American manufacturer of desktop 3D printers – launched a Kickstarter campaign offering two new 3D printers: the C2 and R2. In terms of functionality and design, these were a complete departure from the debut model R1, which had also launched on Kickstarter four years earlier, in 2012. While the company repeated its success, it was on a much smaller scale.

Robo 3D was founded in 2012 by a group of engineering students from San Diego – Braydon Moreno, Coby Kabili, and Mike Pilkington. Their first project was the Robo R1, based on the Prusa i2 kinematics. Enclosed in a stylish white case with black and blue accents, the 3D printer became one of the early Kickstarter hits, securing $649,663 in funding in December 2012.

On September 8, 2016, Robo 3D merged with the Australian company Falcon Minerals, which allowed them to enter the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). This move aimed to raise additional funds for product development and international expansion. The first step in this direction was the Kickstarter campaign featuring the two new 3D printers.

The campaign was successful, securing $382,027 from 394 backers.

The Robo C2 and R2 were a complete departure from the R1 design. The kinematics were based on CoreXY. The printers were enclosed in very sleek, rounded but entirely plastic casings.

The C2 was a small yet user-friendly 3D printer. It lacked a heated build plate, so it could only print with PLA. The R2 was larger, and could work with most filaments available on the market. Additionally, the 3D printers were equipped with WiFi connectivity, automatic calibration, and very user-friendly, colorful LCD displays.

While the original R1 was developed in the USA, the production of the C2 and R2 was handled by China’s Foxconn. Without meaning to offend anyone – while the R1 was an average 3D printer, the C2 and R2 were simply weak. I say this because I owned all three.

The C2 was a fun toy, perfect for printing very small and not-too-demanding 3D models. I’d say it was ideal for a child’s room, if it weren’t for the fact that it was very loud (the plastic casing creaked with every head movement).

The R2, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. The auto-calibration often failed (resulting in a scratched build plate from the head being too low), and the prints were poor quality. Eventually, one day, the sensor broke, and the print head started heating to an infinitely high temperature. Fortunately, I saw it happen and turned it off just in time, with the last reading showing several hundred degrees... Just like Chernobyl.

Both 3D printers are no longer manufactured being replaced by now green E4 models.

Source: www.kickstarter.com