About

Hi, my name is Dan Brogan, and I founded Fractal Robotics in 2022 with the vision to accelerate the development of mechanical solutions. In support of that vision, I focused my efforts towards making advanced additive manufacturing technologies more accessible.

This whole project started by observing the gap between the limitations of 3-axis FDM and the inaccessibility of current 5-axis FDM technologies. 3-axis FDM necessitates support structures for overhangs that increase material waste, print time, and risk damaging the part during removal. Another downside of 3-axis FDM is that part strength is limited due to planar layer deposition, making parts more vulnerable to shear forces applied along the layer lines. Non-planar 5-axis FDM addresses both of these issues by modifying the surface of each layer to follow the contour of the model's shape; however, advanced CAM softwares and steep learning curves are typically required to take full advantage of this additive manufacturing method. Multidirectional 5-axis FDM is an alternative method which focuses primarily on mitigating the need for support structures, but has the potential for providing a much more accessible user experience compared to non-planar 5-axis.

These observations prompted an investigation into the needs of 3D printing practitioners across different industries. The insights from dozens of customer interviews helped inform and focus the design of an accessible multidirectional 5-axis product package (hardware & software) that addressed many customer needs with a focus on ease of use. The result was the development of the Fractal Cortex slicer and the Fractal 5 Pro printer.

I have taken this project as far as possible with internal resources and have decided the best course of action is to release both the Fractal Cortex slicer and designs for the Fractal 5 Pro under an open source license so that others can learn from, build upon, and contribute to it.

Open sourcing this project allows me to stay true to the original vision of Fractal Robotics. By sharing my work, I hope to support researchers, developers, educators, and makers exploring similar ideas.

I'm excited to see where others take this work next.

While I am officially the only member of Fractal Robotics, I would not have made it this far without the help of family, friends, and mentors from the Rhode Island startup community. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way.