There’s another super inexpensive metal LPBF device coming: the SCRAP 1.
The device is made by Colorado-based Scrap Labs, a startup barely one year old. But don’t let the young age of the company fool you: CEO Matt Woods has been using LPBF systems for quite a while:
“I’ve worked on metal printers from nearly every major manufacturer and have been building lower-cost metal 3D printing systems for over a decade. That experience taught me that there’s a lot of over-engineering in the industry. Once you identify where innovation truly needs to happen, and you compound enough small engineering innovations that boost efficiency and cut waste, the numbers finally start to add up. Eventually, those incremental gains stack into something that truly breaks the mold.”
The SCRAP 1 is to be sold as a kit for assembly, and it has these notable specifications:
- 100 x 100 x 100 mm build volume
- 30kg weight (very low for an LPBF system)
- Single-phase power (not three-phase as required by most other systems)
- 200 W laser (comparable to more expensive systems)
- 1500mm/s scan speed
- Klipper firmware
- Argon/Nitrogen gas compatibility
- Optional nitrogen generator
- 99% part density claimed
The system is quite new, so they haven’t even got a picture of how the system looks when completed. We have only a ghostly render.
But we did obtain some pictures of metal parts printed with the SCRAP 1, which look quite decent.
The duck here is quite interesting because of the nearby pen. This clearly shows the possible resolution achievable with the SCRAP 1. The specifications say the laser dot is 0.135mm in diameter, so you can get a feel for the detail that can be produced with the SCRAP 1.
As far as LPBF systems go, the SCRAP 1 isn’t overflowing with features. That’s because their goal is to lower the price point to unlock metal printing in many more workshops.
The company said the initial price of the system is US$9600, which is significantly less than many industrial metal 3D printers, and also less than mid-range metal 3D printers from companies like Xact Metal.
However, after the end of April, they say the price will revert to normal levels at US$14,200 — a 48% jump in price. They will also provide fully tested and assembled systems for US$17,990, and shipping will be early in 2027.
Scrap Labs intends on showing off the device to the public for the first time during the Rocky Mountain RepRap Festival on April 18-19, only a few weeks away.
If you’re in the area and interested in low-cost precision metal 3D printing, you might want to take a look at the SCRAP 1.
Via Scrap Labs
