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Latest Objet desktop 3D printer prints in seven killer materials

Wow, there has really been a lot going on in the 3D printing arena lately, with Stratasys offering bundled, complete 3D printing packages (see Designfax article in Issue 17) for its Dimension line of printers starting at $560 a month, and then turning around two weeks later and releasing its low-price, professional-grade Mojo system (see Designfax article in Issue 19) on May 8.

Classic car model printed in the seven materials available for the Objet30 Pro. The parts were 3D printed separately for each material type and then assembled.

 

 

Now it's Objet's turn to impress design engineers.

The Israeli company launched a new desktop 3D printer at the RAPID 2012 show in Atlanta at the end of May. What makes the Objet30 Pro a standout? Material choices, of course. When it comes to 3D printing, Objet is tops at multi-material capabilities. And now Objet30 Pro users have some serious choices for printing objects – seven to be exact. Yup, seven materials and four functional properties to choose from, including, for the first time on a desktop system, a clear transparent material and a high-temperature-resistant material.

And how lucky that makes the new owners of this unit, who can use:

• Objet clear transparent material (Objet VeroClear) for simulating PMMA/glass;
• Objet high-temperature material for heat-resistant static functional testing;
• Objet polypropylene-like material (Objet DurusWhite) for simulating snap-fit parts; and
• Four rigid, opaque materials for standard plastic simulation (Objet Vero Family in black, white, gray, and blue).

This machine takes its place as the new top-of-the-line addition to Objet's existing desktop 3D printer line, which starts at $19,900*. With a small footprint, professional 28-micron print quality, and wide-ranging material versatility, the Objet30 Pro offers designers and engineers a world of possibilities.

The build tray size is 300 x 200 x 150 mm (11.8 x 7.9 x 5.9 in.), perfectly suitable for printing various size and shape models or multiple models on the same build tray at the same time. Also, the expanded material capabilities of the Objet30 Pro are available as an upgrade for existing Objet30 or Objet Alaris30 desktop 3D printer customers.

"Having the correct tools and resources to advance our product development is critical for our organization," says Gregory Janice, engineering manager at Princeton Tec. "The Objet30 Pro's ability to print parts made with a clear transparent material on a desktop 3D printer combined with its ease of use and versatility made the Objet30 Pro a sound investment for our team."

Collcap Packaging Ltd., an Objet customer creating innovative cosmetic, perfumery, and personal care packaging, has also been testing the new Objet30 Pro desktop 3D printer. Adam Smith, technical manager at Collcap, says, "We knew a desktop machine would meet our capacity requirements quite happily, but for the packaging work we do, we really wanted the range of materials that has previously only been available with bigger machines. The clear transparent material, for instance, is ideal for prototyping our bespoke fragrance bottles and other glass or clear plastic products, whilst the range of colored rigid materials work perfectly for simulating plastic bottles, caps, and fittings. The excellent surface finish and detail provided by the Objet30 Pro are also crucial so that our eye-catching designs look and feel as they're supposed to when we present them to our customers for approval."

And now for a little Objet30 Pro fun ...

OK, for the really interesting part, now watch how they made the movie above using the Objet30 Pro and all seven of its material choices. Notice the incredible detail on the miniatures.

*Price for US. International pricing may vary. Price excludes VAT, taxes, duties, options, shipping and installation.

Source: Objet

Published June 2012

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