09-11-2013: the Swiss company Zeepro introduced Zim - the first dual-head personal 3D printer
Despite its high build quality, design flaws led to the company's career being extremely short and ending in a rather dramatic event
On September 11, 2013, the Swiss company Zeepro unveiled Zim - the first consumer-grade 3D printer to feature a dual-color printing head, Ethernet & WiFi connectivity, an onboard micro-camera, smartphone and tablet control, and an exclusive refillable cartridge system. Two days later, the 3D printer debuted on Kickstarter, where it secured $347,445 in funding. Unfortunately, despite the huge hype and users' appreciation for the device's build quality, it did not deliver all the promised functionalities. In 2015, the company ceased its operations.
Zim was the first Swiss 3D printer. It was created by three experienced managers - Philippe M. Guglielmetti, Pierre Gerard, and Florent Cogneaux. Zim was intended to be equipped with everything that is now a standard but was offered 11 years ago! 3D printing with two independent print heads. Remote control via smartphone, tablet, or PC using the printer's built-in Ethernet and WiFi. Zim was also equipped with a micro-camera and an original cartridge system with filament storage inside the device. The build volume was 15 cm / 5.9" in the XYZ axes. The bed was not heated.
But the two most important features of the 3D printer were its really nice design, which significantly stood out from its competitors at the time, and its low price. The single-head version cost $599, and the dual-head version was $899 ($799 as an early bird). Considering that all the above-mentioned features would actually work and the build volume was slightly larger, even today, it would be a very good price for a dual-head 3D printer!
Unfortunately, Zim didn’t work as expected. Zeepro’s Kickstarter campaign is full of comments from disappointed users. Complaints were made about the cartridges and problems with the print heads. A major issue was the lack of support from the company. Although the devices were successfully produced and shipped (unlike The Buccaneer), the 3D printer did not deliver on all the promises made (much like The Buccaneer).
In 2015, Zeepro's founder, Philippe M. Guglielmetti, experienced a personal tragedy that effectively ended his involvement with the company and took him out of professional life for several years. The other two founders also left the company in the same year.
The Zeepro Zim was one of the 3D printers that was ahead of its time. An ambitious attempt that failed, but inspired many other manufacturers with its design and functionality (e.g., Polish Omni3D and Pi 3D printer).
Source: www.prnewswire.com