Scrap Labs, a Boulder, Colorado-based startup, has announced the Scrap 1, a desktop metal 3D printer available as a kit starting at US $9,600. The company will unveil the system at the Rocky Mountain RepRap Festival (RMRRF) in Loveland, Colorado, on April 18–19, 2026, with pre-orders now open and shipments estimated to begin in early 2027.
The Scrap 1 is a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system positioned to bring metal 3D printing below the US $10,000 mark for the first time, targeting individuals, research laboratories, and small manufacturers who have historically been priced out of the technology.
Desktop Metal 3D Printer Specs
A desktop metal 3D printer is a compact system that uses technologies such as LPBF to produce metal parts layer by layer, offering a more accessible alternative to full-scale industrial machines. Traditional LPBF systems typically cost upward of US $100,000, require three-phase power, and demand dedicated facility space. The Scrap 1 departs from that model on several fronts:
- 100 × 100 × 100 mm build volume
- 30-micron layer thickness with closed-loop XY positioning
- 135-micron focused laser spot size
- 200 W laser with 1,500 mm/s scan speed
- 99% part density claimed
- Argon and nitrogen gas compatibility — compatible with a wide range of metal 3D printing materials — with optional nitrogen generator
- Browser-based interface (ScrapSlicer, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer); Klipper firmware
- 30 kg system weight
- Single-phase power
The Scrap 1 is designed for modular assembly, tool-less removal of the build platform, and rapid material changeovers.
From SpaceX to Affordable AM
Scrap Labs was founded by Matt Woods, an engineer with more than a decade of experience in metal additive manufacturing hardware. Woods previously printed production rocket components at SpaceX and led technical teams developing complex machines before starting Scrap Labs.
“Scrap Labs exists to put high-performance metal printing into the hands of builders who want real parts, fast iteration, and a system they can actually understand.”
— Matt Woods, Founder and CEO, Scrap Labs
Woods attributes the Scrap 1’s pricing to compounding incremental engineering efficiencies rather than cutting corners on safety or performance. The company maintains that its approach applies first-principles thinking to question legacy assumptions in metal 3D printer development, identifying where genuine innovation is needed and eliminating over-engineering elsewhere.
Scrap Labs manufactures, designs, and prototypes in Colorado and has built a global community of supporters who are central to the platform’s ongoing development. The company’s longer-term vision extends to enabling advanced manufacturing in off-earth environments, an area where metal 3D printing is already being tested aboard the ISS, framing its mission around multi-planetary manufacturing capability.
Pricing and Market Context
The Scrap 1’s early-bird kit pricing of US $9,600 is valid through April 30, 2026. After that date, kit pricing rises to US $14,200, representing a 48% increase. Fully assembled and tested units start at US $17,990. Shipments are estimated to begin in early 2027.
The pricing places the Scrap 1 below systems from companies such as Xact Metal and significantly under the threshold of most industrial laser powder bed fusion printers. For workshops, university labs, and individual engineers, the prospect of a sub-US $10,000 desktop metal 3D printer represents a shift in who can access precision metal part production.
Attendees at the Rocky Mountain RepRap Festival on April 18–19 in Loveland, Colorado, can visit the Scrap Labs booth to meet the team and view demonstration parts printed on the Scrap 1.
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