At the heart of the Crane Quad lies the QuadFusion 3D print head, guided by a powerful Duet 2 Maestro control board. Together, they can control the stabilized mixing of the four different filament in order to achieve color mixing. How exactly? Just like how any color palette works, the Crane Quad can extrude percentages of each filament throughout the print. That means it can print 100% of one color or mix ratios among the four filament to achieve color creation or shared filament properties. 

Further, the Crane Quad can allocate different materials between support, wall and infill. Say, for example, you have a complicated model with lots of supports needed and which is set to have thick walls. For convenience sake, the Crane Quad can print the supports in a dissolvable material and, for cost savings, print the infill with ABS-R filament. That alone is a reason why the Crane Quad provides so much value.

Here is the heart of the Crane Quad, the QuadFusion four-filament extruder:

THE CRANE DUAL COMES WITH ITS OWN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF CAPABILITIES, TOO! 

Those who are starting to master their first single-extruding 3D printer will really enjoy the Crane Dual and the capabilities that come with dual-extruding 3D printer. Features, offered at a very competitive price point, makes Crane Dual the perfect 3D printer to advance your skills further.

Those familiar with 3D printing know that a mixing dual extruder is a big deal as many other dual set ups are independent. And while that's a big step up from single extruding 3D printers, the mixing ability of the Crane means being able to merge filament properties. More seamless transitions between filament types means stronger prints and greater usability with the end product. 

WHY IS A MIXING DUAL COMPOUND EXTRUDER A BIG DEAL?

Here is a sample of what the Crane Dual can do:

LAST, AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, IS THE ROCK OF THE CRANE SERIES, THE CRANE BOWDEN

The Crane series of 3D printers was only made possible by having a strong base... and that's the Crane Bowden. It's a 3D printer that is easy to use, prints beautifully and is a reliable work horse. 

For those just getting started with 3D printing and are looking for an approachable open source 3D printer, the Crane Bowden is for you. Coming fully assembled means you can use it right out of the box and without fear of faulty installation a couple hours of assembly that normally comes with these types of printers. As an open source printer, rest assured there is a huge community behind it, in addition to M3D's own passionate community, with lots of ideas, support and troubleshooting material to guide you through 3D printing.

Further, as part of the larger Crane series, Crane Bowden users can easily update their printers to a direct drive system for printing flexible filaments, in addition to the Dual and Quad multi-filament setups with readily available parts. 

MANUFACTURING PLAN

The production philosophy for the Crane represents a new generational strategy for M3D as we’ve honed our value as an integrator, innovator, assembler, and quality control checkpoint in the USA.  Our goal is to combine the value of highly affordable printers with the reliability and innovation typically seen at much higher prices so that users can do more with less and even operate fleet of printers that they can count on...  

M3D is doing this by combining recent strategies used by low-cost manufacturers, expert innovators, and community contributors.  Low cost manufacturers leverage proven designs and high-volumes to offer great value, but they can miss the mark on customer service and quality control, leaving buyers with a bit of a gamble.  On the other hand, innovators invest in R&D which leads to innovations that enable users but are often proprietary and expensive, which usually restricts the users freedom. Finally, open-source and community contributors often develop products with real value, but manufacturers tend to take rather than nurture these independent innovators.  By integrating all three we’ve realized a product that is standard in its approach and easy to modify, while also providing the most competitive foundation on which several innovative options can be added.

Simply put, many companies try to pair their innovations with excessive changes.  We’re taking the things that work well in our industry so that our innovations can shine.  We’re one of only a handful of companies to take on color 3D printing and the first to do so under $500.

ADD-ONS

To help customize your Crane to better fit your needs, below is a sample of add-ons we plan to make available during the check out process: 

• Direct drive adapter
• Extruder expansion board
• Infrared bed leveling sensor with LED
• Hot section
• Motors
• Fans
• Nozzles
• Filaments
   

NOTEWORTHY COLOR POINTS

We feel it's necessary to be as forthcoming as possible: multi-color printing is experimental. We have made progress in printing gradient and spot-color prints in recent weeks which is encouraging. We ask that all Crane Quad supporters recognize that this is the beginning of a larger color movement; one in which we plan to be an active coach and mentor. As always, we'll have daily conversations in Discord with those wishing to contribute to the color 3D printing movement and will be posting updates, files and all information to GitHub. 

The following are examples of what we plan to tackle as an open source community together:

• File formats being made specifically for color printing
• Slicing such files
• Calibrating various filament colors and types
• Exploring different filament types and their mixing relationships

This is a journey, not a race. In making the Crane Quad available at an affordable price, it is our goal that more people will be able to join us as we create a whole new way for consumers to 3D print.

CAMPAIGN DETAILS

• Product prices are dependent on when you want to receive the printer. Per our current timeline, Batch 1 shipments are planned to begin in August. 
• Like all 3D printers from M3D, the Crane is designed, assembled and supported in the United States.
• Shipping fees will be calculated as shipping times approach and any add-ons are added to the order. VAT will need to be paid to the carrier at the time of delivery.
• With every purchase, a portion of the sales will go back to Duet3D to support the development of Duet hardware and RepRapFirmware (RRF).
• All Crane 3D printers come with a six-month warranty

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING OUT M3D'S CRANE SERIES OF 3D PRINTERS

It's been quite a ride since our company sold its first printer four years ago. Since then we've been able to innovate new 3D printing solutions and we're excited to expand our offering with these printers. We're a small, passionate team with big dreams and we're truly grateful for your support!