BFB discontinuing Rapman and Touch lines
From Facebook:
On April 1, 2013 we will be discontinuing the 3D Touch and Rapman and integrating our website and social channels with 3D Systems. Both printers will continue to be fully supported with more information to come. Please join us on our 3D Systems social channels and 3D Systems consumer community, Cubify. On Cubify you'll be able to share in the marketplace, play with new apps and design tools, turn your models into apps, and monetize a 3D business. Take your 3D printing passion to the next level!
April fools day? I'm afraid not....
Speed,
It is no joke. I just ordered a extruder upgrade and recieved a similar notice. I've only had my 3dt a month........
W
Might be a good plan to make sure you have backup copies of axon 2/3, firmware,manuals for machines/software etc. As the website and social channels are integrating with 3DS they might not be so easy to find.
Good idea. Sure wouldn't be surprised that they'd get buried somewhere or eventually become lost forever Ooops. Did that yesterday... as far as I could get, that is. Not surprisingly, their PDF generator throws an error and barfs, so trying to archive the dumb online manual and its various parts is near impossible. All you can do is get whatever pre-made PDFs there are, save the individual html pages and hope for the best. Even save complete doesn't work. C'mon, guys, stop being so hard to deal with. It isn't rocket surgery. Can you say: "Hung out to dry?"
Just a thought.
Something to think about before We trash our BsB 3D printer and decide they are worthless Because they are not supported as we would like.
They are as said the most rock soiled printer on the market for now and with the flexibility of software and filament and other functions ever thought that this could go the other way. That they will become for a short time at lest the most sort after second had printer on the market and develop a bit of a following. So instead Of thinking I wish I never purchased this thing maybe you should be buying another one.
Well that what I did today. now have TWO.
wouldn't the company hate that?
cheers
If you discontinue selling your only 2 products, haven't you pretty much gone out of business?
And are you nuts buy another one ... yeah that'll show 'em .... buy all their inventory and clear their shelves for 'em. Ha! That'll teach 'em. That guy must be from the BFB SALES team.
I'd like to say that 3D Systems is going to destroy the whole industry .... but that's only from the point of view of most of US. From the point of view of 3D Systems I'm sure they see themselves as raising the whole industry to a new level importance, relevance, and efficiency. hmm anybody notice I didn't say anything about fun? :-)
Yes of courses you are correct on the bigger picture. Still think look at the tech for what it is. very functional and versatile system with good hard ware.
I will wear it out before it becomes no longer relevant technology.
I know better than most how short a life span consumer electronics has. It will last longer than your latest mobile phone or laptop.
We the contumer have always decided which companys will live or die.
I am just saying lets not throw the baby out with the bath water just yet.
Perhaps,
But if you looks at cubex on the cubify website....it look like 95% of a BFB touch with proprietary cartridges. So it does not look the the 3000 or touch archetecture has been completely abandoned.
Speaking from someone who owns 4 other 3d printers, the physical hardware of the 3dt is 100% superior.
I'm seriously considering buying another one to see if I can retrofit reprap electronics with the BFB rock solid infrastructure. IMO reprap firmware had advanced far beyond BFB's. The combination could make a serious contender. I hate to lose the powerful PIC32 that BFB uses compared to a souped up arduino that reprap uses ---- but the things we can do with open source firmware is awesome..... Unfortunately, this does not help those would want to download a STL and hit print. The effort to do this is significant.
W
I am with you on the Processor thing to I am a Pic programer for almost 15 years and the other one ARR. LOL but Open source is better.
GOOD Idea to build i Hybrid. would love to see that.
If you are within your warranty i HIGHLY suggest getting your money back. This company thinks nothing more than to get money fast and not think about the customer.
How many times have you all requested a heated build platform?
How many times have you all requested an enclosed case?
How many times have you all requested software updates?
Thats why I dumped my 3dTouch and got a makerbot, BEST decision I have made.
I wonder if this stuff would be a good material to build the frame out of?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=v-slot
I'm thinking about backing it although the reward of 1.5 meters of track doesn't sound like much.
Hey guys, don't bother.. there is an alternative controller board for rapman: http://reprap.org/wiki/R2C2_RepRap_Electronics
I think just the hot end will be a problem in case 3D Systems will discontinue manufacturing it.
What you guys think about a Leapfrog Creatr?
In case anyone is interested, I have one BFB3000 Plus machine running on Ultimaker PCB (RAMPS compatible) and it works with Marlin firmware and Slic3r. I use it to print with ceramics so I did a quick test with the plastic extruder (worked) but never really compared quality etc. Its pritty straight forward, you only need to move the reed switch end stop cables because they pick up noise from the stepper wires. BFB pcb seems to filter that out but we had issues with the Ultimaker PCB and randomly triggering endstops. So you can deffenitly replace the PCB to get the 3000 frame 'open' and working with the pletoria of open souce tools out there. There are also people manufacturing replacement hot ends out there (Lazlo) and I think more people might get on to that wagon. I think the extruder drive mechanism will be more a problem ones BFB stops manufacturing these.
Has anyone seen this machine: http://kuehlingkuehling.de/kuhlingkuhling-reprap-industrial/ Sure looks like a 3000 inspired RepRap :)
ps. just got confirmation from BFB HQ that they are unfortunatly indeed discontinuing their own printer lines.
From recent directions taken, the underlying attitude that has surfaced and the relative lack of support and activity in these support forums, I can't say that I'm surprised. The handwriting was on the wall but wasn't understood until now. I had expected this at some point, but not so soon. All products have a finite life but learning of BfB's agenda after having spent $4K+ on what I was led to belive was a going product of the first quality that had a future and to have it discontinued less than a year later; replaced by the same machine, but with expensive proprietary supplies, is rude and unprofessional. A classic case of a company being led around by the nose by the marketing department.
I like my machine. Too bad BfB doesn't. All they see is the cash cow in their shiny new $100 cartridges. Same ol' marketing approach made (in)famous by Gillette. Give away the razor and extract the maximum amount of money long term from their customers by selling razor blades to fit it.
Could've done the Right Thing and kept the 3D Touch as a Pro machine for people who don't need hand-holding. A previous statement led us to believe that this would be the case. But, no...
http://www.bitsfrombytes.com/usd/forum/post/axon-30-alpha-1-released#com...
IF this is an April Fool's joke, I'll happily delete this post or at least edit it to be more positive. Of course, the move to a different forum will make anything voiced here become squelched. Nice. Pretty much adds salt in the wound by making this change on April Fool's Day. If there was any question... not happy and feeling rather disrespected. Really unsure about how/what to tell my partner who reluctantly got behind me on this purchase when we didn't have the money and let me invest extra in what I was told was a superior company and product. Don't get me wrong. The product is. Waiting for the other shoe to drop now on discontinuing said support of it, because that is sure to follow, RSN. You know, that old "end of life" crap. I guess I'll just stuff it and not say anything for as long as I can muster. Thanks for putting me in this position. Of course, it was my decision to be gullible, so I guess it's all my fault.
Bloody frakkin' Bites, this does.