3D Systems Updates Printer Line

3D Systems announced a slough of new 3D printer models this month, including a full-color plastic printer, and new ProX and ProJet units.

The ProJet 4500 3D printer is the company's first and only continuous-tone, full-color plastic 3D printer. The unit builds on the ColorJet Printing (CJP) technology platform and comes with a new class of sustainable VisiJet C4 Spectrum materials.

It delivers strong semi-rigid parts, pixel-by-pixel, straight out of the printer, in high-resolution, pantone-like color with a superior surface finish, the company says.

"Leapfrogging from monochrome to full-color functional plastics redefines 'the possible' for designers, engineers, architects, marketers and artists," said Buddy Byrum, vice president, product and channel management, 3D Systems. "For the first time ever, users can get directly out of a 3D printer real-use parts, vibrant models, and functional prototypes in full color, quickly, accurately and affordably."

According to the company, the ProJet 4500 prints fast, generates minimal waste, requires no supports and delivers ready-to-use, full-color, functional parts and assemblies without post-processing or painting.

The ProX 500 SLS 3D printer delivers parts with greater precision, durability and quality in a compact production-grade Selective Laser Sintering system. Designed for the manufacturing floor, the ProX 500 produces ready-to-use functional parts and complete assemblies for a variety of aerospace, automotive, patient specific medical devices, fashion products and mobile device use cases.

The compact printer was developed in tandem with the new DuraForm ProX material to produce smoother wall surfaces and injection molding-like part quality.

The ProX 500 is equipped with 3DS' latest print drivers, automated part nesting on the fly and an optional, automated material handling module that streamlines production and recycling of materials.

The new ProX 950 Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer is equipped with 3DS' newest PolyRay print head technology, and the company says it can manufacture real parts at up to 10 times the speed of other printers. According to the company, the printer yields the highest total material usage of all classes of additive and subtractive manufacturing.

The ProJet 1200 is a new micro-SLA 3D printer for small, precise, detail-rich parts and casting patterns, such as jewelry, electronic components and dental wax-ups. Smaller than most coffee makers, it prints ready-to-use parts and castable patterns that cost less than one U.S. dollar.

"For the first time ever, a dental technician, an electronic component designer or a jeweler can afford to have their own professional 3D printer on their workbench," said Michele Marchesan, COO, 3D Systems. "This is a significant step in democratizing access to individualized professional 3D printers for localized, distributed manufacturing."

With a 43 x 27 x 180mm (1.69 x 1.06 x 7.08 inches) print volume, the Projet 1200 prints 30 micron layers at a 585 dpi resolution. It uses 3DS' new VisiJet FTX Green material, a durable and rigid material that is tailored for plastic prototyping and casting patterns, making it ideal for jewelers, dental labs, and designers of very small detail products such as collectibles and electronic component parts.

For more information, visit 3D Systems.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.