Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to remove a support structure from a 3D print by pulling harder, only to damage the fine details of your part in the process. The usual advice is to start with the accessible supports and stabilize thin features, but with a precision cutting tool, one can reduce the bending and sudden release that often damages a finished model.
And there is a second problem, one faced by those working with EVA foam, model board, leather, or soft plastics: The tool gets hot quickly, actual usable runtime is far shorter than expected or excess heat is often transferred into the material, causing melting, deformation, or messy edges.
To address these issues, US-based company SonicMax Inc. has developed the ultrasonic cutter. Named Slice 10, the device, according to SonicMax, benefits from a high-efficiency transducer, a real-time adaptive output control, a redesigned power & thermal system and other smart features such as lift-to-Activate sensing, OLED status display, and built-in LED cut-line illumination.
While these features are designed to ensure better controlled workflows, keep in mind that results always depend on the material used, thickness, blade, geometry or even your own technique.
Why this one, why now
3D printing users are certainly aware of this: ultrasonic cutting is not new to the field.
Until now, users have had two realistic options: corded benchtop units which deliver steady power but restrict the operator to a control box or cordless tools that free the hand but often result in physical constraints.
In both cases, any energy that doesn’t turn into blade vibration turns into heat. For short, quick cuts, it’s barely noticeable but on long jobs with lots of support structures, the tool warms up, the output weakens, and the built‑in heat protection stops the session early.
To avoid this, SonicMax focuses first on the transducer itself, which is the source of the problem. The company explains that Slice 10 runs with a much higher Q factor, above 500, compared with the roughly 150–250 range it cites for typical cordless tools. The team combines that with active cooling and a replaceable 5000 mAh 21700 battery.
Focus on 3D printed parts
If you are a regular reader of 3D ADEPT Media, you probably already know how much we have talked about support removal after the 3D printing process.
On FDM 3D printed parts, supports attach to the delicate areas such as overhangs, thin walls, and small details. Cutting them off gently helps reduce flexing, avoids surface marks, and lowers the risk of snapping off features that took hours to print.
With resin 3D printed parts on the other hand, supports come away mostly clean while the parts are still green, before UV curing makes them brittle. That window is short, which is why an interrupted session can quickly become costly.
According to SonicMax, Slice 10 is the precision cutting tool that can make the difference in such cases: it can adjust output power and vibration frequency to help keep the cut smooth and stable, adjusts to how dense the material is, uses built-in motion sensing, and runs for about four hours on a single charge.
Live on Kickstarter
SonicMax Slice 10 has already launched on Kickstarter. Backed by 756 backers at the time of writing, the campaign has already reached €87,682, with 20 days remaining. The first 200 Super Early Bird rewards are gone. The current limited Early Bird reward is €102 ($119), with estimated delivery listed as October 2026.
For readers who want to follow and take part in the campaign, it runs on Kickstarter until September 10.
Watch the SonicMax product video on YouTube.
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