3D printing at a lower price
Z Corporation is releasing the Zprinter 450, which is claimed to be the first colour 3D printer to break the $40,000 (EUR30,000) price point, as well as the most highly automated and the most compatible with contemporary office environments.
Z Corporation's full-colour 3D printers transform electronic 3D data into handheld physical models. Colour dramatically communicates the proposed look, feel and style of engineering product designs. The Zprinter 450, however, is said to introduce first-ever capabilities for a colour 3D printer, as outlined below.
Automated operation: The Zprinter 450 simplifies the 3D printing process with automated operation at every step. New features include automatic setup, powder loading, and self-monitoring of materials and print status. For the first time, the 3D printer automatically removes and recycles loose powder.
Time saving: Automated operation and new quick-change material cartridges reduce 'touch time' by 40 per cent. The Zprinter 450 also produces colour in a new way with a single tri-colour print head instead of multiple print heads, thereby reducing cost and enabling 66 per cent faster changes.
Office friendly: The Zprinter 450 is optimised for an office environment. It is quiet, uses safe build materials, employs 'negative pressure' and a closed-loop system to contain airborne particles, and produces zero liquid waste. New 'no-touch' powder and binder cartridges enable clean loading of materials. An integrated fine-powder removal chamber reduces the footprint of the system. And, unlike 3D printers that attach support structures to models that later require removal with sharp blades or chemical baths, the Zprinter 450 supports models with loose powder that is removed automatically. These capabilities are said to make the Zprinter 450 as safe and unobtrusive as a standard copier.
Desktop and printer control: Users can control the Zprinter 450 from either the desktop or the 3D printer itself. New Zprint software lets users monitor powder, binder, and ink levels from their desktops, and remotely read the machine's LCD display. The expanded on-board printer display and interface enable users to perform more operations than ever at the machine.
Like its predecessors, the Zprinter 450 is claimed to produce models and prototypes five to ten times faster than competing printers at half the cost. Models cost about one-half to one-sixth the cost of models produced on competitor machines, plus the Zprinter 450 prints in high-quality 300 x 450 dpi.
The Zprinter 450 is due to be available early in the second quarter of 2007 through Z Corporation's worldwide reseller network.
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