I also wanted to make an ‘all-in-one’ machine for inventors and schools that had the same interface and footprint and that was lower in cost than most machines out there.” “Since we had already developed the extremely robust CNC Piranha for woodworkers, it just seemed logical to expand the Piranha’s functionality in a way that made it more sophisticated and capable as well as affordable. Owens says that while other CNC machine competitors are building single-function laser engravers, 3D printers and CNC carvers, none offer much in terms of compatibility and functionality. The inspiration for Piranha Fx came more than a year ago, when Next Wave began its initial research and development process. Doing so, Owens says, will enable them to receive Piranha Fx about 60 days after the campaign ends versus later in 2015. Those still interested in the attractive startup pricing can become Kickstarter investors until March 31. And, the Kickstarter campaign continues now. Judging by the performance of the Kickstarter campaign, however, Owens has landed on a ready market: in just under two weeks, Piranha FX reached its $75,000 startup goal, thanks to backers who could pledge from $1 up to $2,899 - the wholly inclusive cost for the machine and all of its accessories. The project would only move forward into production stages with Kickstarter backing.
Had the Kickstarter campaign failed by the end of March - its original deadline - Owens says Piranha Fx would have gone back to the drawing board for more development. “Technology moves so quickly, and we wanted to make sure we were creating the right mix in our Piranha Fx machine.” Owens used Kickstarter to raise the startup funds and to test the waters for this new breed of CNC functionality. Unlike previous CNC models, which Owens developed and launched independent of investors, the new CNC Piranha Fx is coming to market with many financial backers already in place. “(Piranha Fx) is a product that’s in line with our philosophy at Next Wave: high quality, functional technology made in the USA at an affordable price.” “We like to keep things interesting and to push the advancement of the market,” Owens says of his Holland, Ohio-based company, which he founded eight years ago. It will be the first machine of its kind to deliver carving, laser engraving and 3D printing all from one benchtop sized unit.
It will be called Piranha Fx - a hybrid CNC machine geared toward woodworkers and makers of all sorts. Soon, there will be a new predator fish in the company’s “school” of options, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that launched in mid-February and hit its financial goal ahead of schedule. Next Wave also produces several iterations of the popular CNC Shark machines, as well as Ready2Rout and Ready2Lift automated router table products. Last fall, Tim Owens, founder and CEO of Next Wave Automation, launched CNC Piranha - the smallest machine in its growing line of CNC solutions for small-shop woodworkers.