Stratasys's New Objet Connex3 Prints Multiple Materials in Multiple Colors

At SolidWorks World Stratasys Ltd. has launched the next generation of its Objet500 Connex line of 3D printers, the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D printer, which combines colors with multi-material 3D printing. Previous 3D printers, notably from 3D Systems' ZPrinter line and Mcor's line of paper-based 3D printers, have been capable of 3D printing in multiple colors. Stratasys' own line of Objet printers have been capable of producing 3D prints in multiple materials. However, the Connex3 is the first 3D printer to combine both in what the company calls "virtually unlimited combinations of rigid, flexible, and transparent color materials as well as color digital materials" in a single print run.

Engineers at beta user Trek Bicycle in Waterloo, WI, are using the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer for assessment and testing of accessories like bike chain stay guards and handlebar grips prior to actual production.

“The Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer changed the way we manufacture at Trek, augmenting our traditional, time-consuming CNC processes with fast, iterative and realistic prototyping and functional testing,” said Mike Zeigle, manager of Trek’s prototype development group via a press release. “Now we produce bicycle parts that look and feel like production parts. We are particularly excited about 3D printing our models directly in color. This gives our designers the ability to graphically display color contact pressure map data on rider contact parts like seats and grips. We are also working on doing the same with FEA (finite element analysis) and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) stress data on structural bike components."

Representatives from Trek and special effects studio Legacy Effects were on hand at SolidWorks World 2014 for the Connex3 announcement.

Legacy Effects used this model from the @Stratasys Connex3 #3dprinter to get approval to make a 22' version. #sww14 pic.twitter.com/S1n63IBPZm

— Desktop Engineering (@DEeditor) January 27, 2014

Material World

The ability to use different materials to create more realistic prototypes can help get a project approved, but during the announcement, Stratasys' Bruce Bradshaw indicated the company is looking beyond prototyping to end-use parts.

"On the Connex2, we had the ability to blend two materials, well now we have the ability to blend three materials," he said. "I can now start to combine colors, or combine materials to give you more mechanical properties."

Similar to a 2D inkjet printer, three color materials — VeroCyan, VeroMagenta and VeroYellow — are combined to produce hundreds of colors. These color materials join Stratasys’ range of PolyJet photopolymer materials including digital materials, rigid, rubber-like, transparent, and high temperature materials.

"What's neat about Digital ABS, is we have the ability to take the two best characteristics of the two separate materials ... and blending those together in the same part to get a very tough material and high temperature material," Bradshaw said. "With the Connex3, I have the ability to do that, plus overmolding."

Some examples of what @Stratasys new Connex3 color, multi-material #3Dprinter is capable of printing. #sww14 pic.twitter.com/o41KG9Mvy8

— Desktop Engineering (@DEeditor) January 27, 2014

The company also announced six upcoming palettes for a new rubber-like Tango Flexible Material, which will be released in the second qurter of 2014. Tango colors range from opaque to transparent in various shore values.

Featuring a build size of 19.3 x 15.4 x 7.9 in. and horizontal build layers down to 16-microns (0.0006 in.), the Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer is capable of high capacity production, according to the company. Print jobs can run with about 30kg of resin per cycle.

The Objet500 Connex3 Color Multi-material 3D Printer is commercially available today.

Below is a video from Connex3 early adopter Trek Bicycle on how it is using the new 3D printer: