A desktop metal printer is heading to Kickstarter for $3,500

Studio 3e8 has put a distinctly industrial object on a desktop schedule. Its Mesa 1 is a metal 3D printer the company says will launch on Kickstarter on December 1, starting at $3,500. That is a planned crowdfunding launch, not a printer available to buy today.

The unusual pitch is in the process, not just the size. Studio 3e8 says the printer uses sealed cartridges containing metal and scaffold material, then sinters the printed part in an integrated furnace. The company says there are no lasers or binders and no loose metal powder or separate support removal after printing. Those are company claims, not independent safety or print-quality tests.

The intended buyers may be small engineering teams and makers who need metal parts without an industrial facility. The starting price puts a practical question in front of them: what setup, finishing, maintenance and materials are included? The announcement does not answer every ownership-cost question.

Desktop metal printing sounds like a category-changing shortcut. It will be worth judging by finished parts, repeatability, material options and the full workflow once independent users can test it. For now, Mesa 1 is a bold hardware announcement with a future Kickstarter date, not proof that metal fabrication has become plug and play. Read the Studio 3e8 announcement.