InfiMaker, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer, is bringing its K1 desktop 5-axis CNC machine to Kickstarter, with hands-on coverage published July 24 confirming the hardware is engineering-complete and production-ready ahead of the campaign. The pitch: factory-grade 5-axis milling with automatic tool changing, shrunk into a machine meant to sit on a workbench rather than occupy a shop floor.
What “5-axis” and “automatic” actually buy you
Most desktop CNC machines — including Makera’s Z1, covered here previously — top out at 3 or 4 axes, which limits them to milling from a fixed set of approach angles and often requires manually repositioning and re-zeroing a workpiece to machine a different face. True 5-axis motion lets the cutting tool approach a workpiece from continuously variable angles without repositioning it, which is what makes complex geometries — undercuts, curved surfaces, multi-sided parts — practical to machine in one setup instead of several.
The K1 pairs that with a 6-tool automatic changer, letting the machine transition between roughing, finishing, drilling, and tapping operations in a single unattended run rather than requiring an operator to manually swap tooling between steps. Specs from InfiMaker put positioning accuracy at ±0.015mm with 0.01mm repeatability, driven by a 1,500W spindle at 20,000 RPM, with a maximum 5-axis workpiece size of 120 x 120 x 120mm inside a 220 x 160 x 180mm travel envelope, and a machine weight of 110kg — heavy enough to hint at the rigidity needed to hold that accuracy under real cutting loads.
Pricing and where it lands
Ahead of the Kickstarter campaign, InfiMaker has offered a refundable $50 deposit that locks in a $4,999 VIP price, versus $5,199 for backers who don’t reserve a spot early. That places the K1 well above hobbyist 3-axis routers and firmly in the price range of professional prosumer fabrication tools — a bet that jewelry makers, instrument builders, product designers, and small manufacturing shops will pay a real premium for genuine 5-axis capability with hands-off tool changes, rather than working around a cheaper machine’s angle limitations. Shipping is expected in Q3 2026, with InfiMaker citing monthly production capacity of 3,000 units at its Shenzhen facility.
Related Reading
- I milled an Android figurine out of a solid block with an AI-powered 5-axis CNC machine — Android Authority
- Introducing InfiMaker K1: The Pro-Grade Desktop 5-Axis CNC Machine — InfiMaker (official)
- InfiMaker K1: The Pro-Grade Desktop 5-Axis CNC — Kickstarter
- Infimaker Introduces New 5-Axis CNC on Kickstarter — Industry Today