A Faster Way to Print Jewelry Castings

For jewelers looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve time-to-market for new designs, EnvisionTEC’s cDLM (Continuous Digital Light Manufacturing) printing technology could be the answer. The solution, which debuted at the JCK Las Vegas trade show this month, could cut the time to create models for direct investment casting from hours to minutes, according to the company.

According to a report from SmarTech Markets, the value of jewelry and other fashion items made via direct and indirect methods of 3D printing could reach $11 billion by 2020. The EnvisionTEC Micro Plus cDLM could help manufacturers ramp up production faster — much faster — given that the company claims the printer can create castable rings within 15 minutes.

The company built casting-ready models on the show floor using PIC 100 and EnvisionTEC’s own material, QView.

“The addition of cDLM technology to EnvisionTEC’s Micro Plus 3D printer is a game changer for the jewelry industry,” said EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani, “Traditionally, 3D printing castable materials such as our PIC 100 would take hours to build. With cDLM, bridal and fashion rings can be designed, grown and ready for investment casting the same day, which is a huge advantage for the jewelry market.”

The Micro Plus cDLM has average build speeds of 10 to 20 minutes per inch in Z for the full build envelope, and a build size of 45 x 28 x 75mm. The printer also features an industrial UV LED light engine, integrated PC with Wi-Fi, and a built-in touchscreen.

The printer will be available in August.

Source: EnvisionTEC