3D Systems Announces New ProJet x60 Line of Full Color Printers

3D Systems has launched a new wave of additive manufacturing (AM) systems with the announcement of its ProJet x60 line at the Inside 3D Printing conference in New York City. The line is fueled by new VisiJet PXL materials, which have been developed specifically for the ColorJet Printing (CJP) technology that drives the x60 series. 3D Systems is offering six different x60 systems as part of the launch.

The new printers are the ProJet 160, which has been designed to be compact and affordable, with monochrome printing; the ProJet 260C, another compact system, though this one offers full color 3D printing; the ProJet 360 is a professional 3D printer, offering a larger build area with monochrome printing; the ProJet 460Plus, a professional 3D printer with full color printing; the ProJet 660Pro, an industrial-sized system that offers full color printing; and the ProJet 860Pro, an industrial 3D printer with the largest build area for the new series and full color printing.

“These exciting, next generation color printers embody 3D Systems’ commitment to democratize access to powerful and affordable 3D printing solutions for professionals, educators and consumers, alike,” said Michele Marchesan, vice president and general manager, personal and professional printers for 3D Systems. “The new ProJet x60 series builds on our innovation heritage, leverages our expanded line of 3D content-to-print solutions and enables users to create more, faster.”

Let’s have a look at a more detailed breakdown of each new AM system.

The ProJet 160 prints in monochrome with a layer thickness of 0.4mm (0.01 inches), vertical print speeds up to 20mm (0.8 in.) per hour, with a build envelope of 236 x 185 x 127 mm (9.3 x 7.3 x 5 in.), and a resolution of 300 x 450 dpi. The 260c shares the same specs, but offers full color prints.

The ProJet 360 is a monochrome printer with a layer thickness of 0.4mm (0.01 inches), vertical print speeds up to 20mm (0.8 in.) per hour, a build envelope of 203 x 254 x 203 mm (8 x 10 x 8 in), and a resolution of 300 x 450 dpi. The 460Plus has the same specs, but can build objects in full color.

The ProJet 660Pro offers CMYK color printing, and, according to the company, is capable of reproducing  90% of the colors used by Adobe Photoshop. The system has a layer thickness of 0.1mm (0.004 in.), vertical print speeds up to 28mm (1.1 in.) per hour, a build envelope of 254 x 381 x 203 mm (10 x 15 x 8 in.), and a resolution of 600 x 540 dpi. This AM system has been designed with motion animation, professional model shops, and fine art production in mind.

Last, the 860Pro offers the same CMYK color printing and general specs as the 660Pro, but with an increased build envelope of 508 x 381 x 229 mm (20 x 15 x 9 in.), and a print speed of 0.2 – 0.6 in./hour (5 – 15 mm/hour).  The 860Pro was developed for building large architectural models, industrial molds and castings, and single-piece scale models.

Along with the potential offered by the new systems, the x60 launch also highlights the manufacturing power of 3D Systems. Most companies launch one, or maybe two, new printers a year. The ability to roll out an entire line at once positions 3D Systems as one of the leaders in the AM sector.

Below you’ll find the launch video for the x60 series.

Source: 3D Systems