3-D printers are powerful but limited tools: you can make anything you want, but only out of a specific kind of plastic. But combine that with a CNC machine that shapes metal, and a laser etcher for fine detail, and you have an all-in-one workshop that doesn’t require you getting your hands dirty.
BoXZY is a Kickstarter project to create a 3-D printer that goes full Transformers, turning into a CNC machine or laser etcher without too much effort. On the surface,the idea makes a lot of sense: all three kinds of production require a head that moves around, and as such all three machines have a lot of commonality.
The printer/drill/laser pulls off its trick thanks to interchangeable heads, which can be changed fairly easily between plastic-printing and lazer-zapping. The package isn’t exactly cheap, with BoXZY plus two attachments running you $2,000, or the full fabrication motherlode up for pre-order for $3K. And, as always, the usual Kickstarter caveats apply: although shipping is slated for November of this year, you’re still pre-ordering a product, and there’s no guarantee that what shows up in your mailbox will bear a resemblance to the snappy Kickstarter GIFs.
