Reverse 3D printing has added a new member: Lemontron.
On December 24, 2024, Lemontron was officially launched as a new free and open source portable 3D printer. Its printing plate size is similar to that of Tuozhu A1 Mini, but the structure of the whole machine is more compact. After folding, it can be easily placed in a standard 1 kg consumables box.
In fact, Lemontron is a derivative of Positron, born in 2021. But Lemontron has made great improvements in details and is easier to assemble. It abandons the design that once required custom CNC parts and instead uses 3D printed parts, significantly reducing production costs. In the past, making a similar machine yourself usually cost between $700 and $800, but today it only costs $413.
Unlike most 3D printers, the Lemontron uses an inverted H-bot style gantry design. Its hot end and XY gantry are located under the build plate and mounted directly to the bottom base of the printer. By mounting most of the moving parts, such as motors and guide rails, on the base, Lemontron allows the machine to have a lower center of gravity, improving printing stability.
If you also want to build a machine like this, it’s definitely possible.
Lemontron provides a complete bill of materials which, in addition to standard components such as the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W controller board and SKR Pico, also includes specific parts such as the Positron V3.2 hot end, capable of extruding material at a high speed. 90 degree angle. Currently, the kit is not officially sold directly, so you will have to source all the components yourself. It’s worth noting that some of these necessary parts will require you to make them yourself on another printer.
As assembly is not simple, Lemontron also offers a complete assembly video tutorial. In addition, a more detailed graphical guide is being written. The Fusion 360 CAD file for this machine is now available for download from MakerWorld.
Obviously, if you’re new to 3D printing, Lemontron may not be your first choice. After all, the machine cost of almost 3,000 yuan is enough to buy a finished and high-performance printer. In addition, you also need to have enough practical skills and patience to complete the assembly.
Of course, if you are still looking for a stable and reliable multi-color inverted 3D printer, then SOTA, which was just released for pre-sale by KOKONI Magic Core Technology, will be one of the few choices.
Additionally, you might be curious if an inverted 3D printer can print without supports. The answer is that support is always needed.
Although the printing direction is different, the main role of the support is to provide a mounting surface rather than primarily resisting gravity, so it remains essential regardless of the printing direction. To be precise, except that the printing direction is upside down, the reverse 3D printer is no different from existing printers in other aspects.
