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Jenée D. White, December 10, 2007
Objet
Geometries Ltd. has launched the Connex500, a 3D printer that uses a new
technology to combine two distinct photopolymer materials for one
printing operation. The ability to blend two distinct materials -- what
Objet calls ‘Digital Materials’ -- should find a ready market in design
and manufacturing settings already taking advantage of various rapid
manufacturing technologies. The ability to mix and match materials and
properties adds a new element to the design process, as engineers
discover new ways to combine materials for form, fit, and function.
The patent-pending PolyJet Matrix technology works via the
conjunction of two preset combinations of Objet’s FullCure model
materials. The Connex500 can use 21 types of Digital Materials on
demand, allowing the mixing of composite materials to create specific
properties. The technology should reduce prototyping production costs,
as simulation of double injection products can be viewed in the early
stages of the design process.
Digital Materials are formulated by simultaneously jetting two model
materials to create new composite materials. The mechanical properties
of Digital Materials are different from the two model materials that
were used to create the composite. Printing parts and assemblies with
multiple model materials eliminates the need to design, print and glue
together separate model parts to make a complete model.
“This is an industry first,” says industry expert Terry Wohlers of
Wohlers Associates. “This opens up exciting new options that before were
impossible with methods of additive fabrication. I anticipate strong
interest in the technology and materials from a wide range of
organizations worldwide.”
Objet says it sees its first market for the Connex500 among companies
that design and manufacture consumer, industrial, and medical products,
as well as sporting goods. Example products are toothbrushes and razors
that typically require over-molding in the manufacturing process, and
the grips on other handheld devices, such as communication devices and
power tools.
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