wireless 3d printer software

Max-K: How a StartUp Launches a Printer with AstroPrint and Google Assistant

AstroPrint Staff

Last month, Max-K (Emot3D), a start-up manufacturer based in Mexico, presented its new 3D printer at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The printer comes with Google Assistant and it’s powered by AstroPrint software. Thanks to both integrations, the 3D printer can be controlled from any device and print with a few clicks. In addition, you can control multiple printers from one device and execute voice commands specific to the 3D printer such as bed leveling.

We asked Jose Luis Ku, founder of the company, about his experience making a smart 3D printer:

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Cloud connected 3D printing

Why Cloud-Connected 3D Printers Sell More

AstroPrint Staff

It is clear by now that cables and SD cards are not the future of 3D printing. As more users demand their printers to be wireless, 3D printer manufacturers are increasingly making wifi-connectivity a priority for their printer line. However, many of them are simply connecting a desktop 3D printer to a local network and that, is not the future.

A step further is to connect printers to a cloud platform. We live in the era of the internet of things, where every device gets connected to the cloud. However, most 3D printer manufacturers don’t really understand what the cloud does for a 3D printer. What are the advantages of cloud versus local network for 3D printers? Do 3D printers gain value when they are cloud-connected?

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Astroprint and Raspberry Pi 3

How to Build a Astrobox Gateway with a Raspberry Pi 3 for Wireless 3D Printing

AstroPrint Staff

Introduction

As you know, we have discontinued the pcDuino based Astroboxes and have switched to Raspberry Pi 3 as the primary method of creating an Astrobox Gateway.

Side note: The AstroBox Gateway is different from the AstroBox Touch, which is a premium touchscreen that cannot be built at home. The AstroBox Gateway, on the other hand, is the free, open source version that can be built by anyone (which is covered in this guide). If you are NOT interested in creating your own AstroBox Gateway, you can buy a Raspberry Pi 3 Astrobox Gateway kit directly from us. Also, before you continue with either option, it’s a good idea to check out our printer compatibility page to make sure your printer is compatible. 

This is a brief guide on how to create an Astrobox Gateway using a Raspberry Pi 3.

You can skip steps #2 and #3 if you already bought a pre-flashed SD Card from us.

Let’s get started.

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