Mcor Technologies Announces Release of the Iris

Selecting the right 3D printer for the job is kind of like picking which knife to use in the kitchen. Sure, you can use a butcher’s knife for about any task, but sometimes a smaller, more agile blade is really what you need. Using stereolithography to create some types of functional prototypes is the same kind of overkill.

Other than build envelope size, one of the continuing developments in additive manufacturing (AM) is use of color. With a few exceptions, very few printers offer anything like multi-color prints during the same run. If the project you are working on requires full color, the number of knives you have available becomes very small.

Enter Mcor Technologies' newest offering: the Iris. This new AM system offers full color prints, rather than simply different blocks of solid colors.

“With the IRIS, what you see on your screen is what you get in your hand, and that’s limited only by your imagination,” said Dr. Conor MacCormack, co-founder and CEO of Mcor Technologies. “Ink was intended for paper, which is the ideal canvas for bright, high-resolution colour.”

The Iris uses the same process as Mcor’s earlier printer, the Matrix 300, which, for those unfamiliar with the company, is what the ASTM calls sheet lamination. Unlike other printers which use metal or plastic to build objects, Mcor printers use standard printer paper. These objects aren’t going to be used in an automobile anytime soon, but, when infiltrants are added, are much sturdier than one might expect.

The build size is 256 x 169 x 150 mm (9.39 x 6.89 x 5.9 in.). Layer thickness is 0.1mm (0.004 in.) for standard A4 paper. Color resolution is where the Iris really stands out, with 5760 x 1440 x 508 dpi. Mcor’s new 3D printer accepts the usual STL, OBJ, VRML file formats.

Mcor Technologies is offering the Iris for just under $16,000 as part of its Free D plan. The plan also includes machine use, free materials and service.

Below you’ll find a video demonstrating the Iris.

Source: Mcor Technologies