Entering 3D Printing 2.0 with New 3D Systems Production Equipment

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Entering 3D Printing 2.0 with New 3D Systems Production Equipment

The inventor of 3D Printing has done it again, moving the technology to version 2.0 with the introduction of new innovative 3D Printers.  At the recent EuroMold 2013 Expo, 3D Systems announced a family of products that leap frog the competition.  While many new products are often just incremental improvements in performance, 3D Systems’ machines demonstrate why the South Carolina-based company is the industry leader.

As a mid-Atlantic distributor for 3D Systems, Potomac is excited to be a part of the progress in 3D Printing technology.  In our contract services division, we first help customers build prototypes, then develop processes for their specific applications and later produce parts in production.  But if it is necessary to move production in-house, Potomac will have already created the exacting manufacturing knowledge to help customers select the right production 3D Printer for the job.

According to Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems, “The exponential speed, size and capacity gains we are delivering together with advanced material options and new scan-to-design and inspection tools, defines the very essence of 3DPRINTING 2.0 and accelerates our customers’ ability to Manufacture the Future.”  We’re excited to be part of the 3D Systems team and want to give you some insight into the new product options.

Here are the highlights:

Ability to Print Multiple Materials
A major drawback of 3D Printing has been the inability to print multiple materials.   The ProJet^® 5500X changes all that.  This revolutionary 3D Printer can for the first time print and fuse together flexible and rigid composite materials.   The rigid, white ABS-like material has high durability and high temperature resistance, the black rubber-like material is very flexible, and a see-thru polycarbonate-type material resists scratching.  Colors can be mixed for shades of grey.

The impact of the ProJet 5500X reaches beyond this 3D Printer alone.  With this breakthrough, 3D Systems is on the path to a fundamental change in the 3D Printing world.

Full Color Plastic 3D Printer That’s Eco-friendly

With the new ProJet 4500 designers and engineers can create functional parts or prototypes that utilize almost one million colors and a high level of surface finish.  But even cooler is the 3D Printer’s fully integrated material recycling capability to reduce costs and impact the environment a lot less.  Just about no post-processing is required and with full color, no painting or coloring will be needed for the most complex designs.

There are a number of other new 3D Printers including an industrial-grade direct metal printer, an economical Micro-SLA machine and software that bridges design and inspection.  To get the full picture, and help with determining which 3D Systems 3D Printer is right for your tough manufacturing job, contact Potomac at 301-459-3031.