In The Register, Lester Haines looks at a new 3D printer that promises a lot more colour:
Those of you frustrated by the monochrome, single material output of 3D printers, and who happen to have very deep pockets, are directed to the Stratasys Objet500 Connex3, hailed as the world’s first full-colour machine.
The tech behind these impressive capabilities is Stratysys’s proprietary “PolyJet 3D“. The company explains this is “similar to inkjet document printing, but instead of jetting drops of ink onto paper, PolyJet 3D Printers jet layers of liquid photopolymer onto a build tray and instantly cure them with UV light”.
It continues: “The most advanced PolyJet systems combine diverse 3D printing materials in one model by jetting multiple materials simultaneously. This means you can selectively position multiple materials in one printed prototype and even combine two or three materials to create composite digital materials with distinct, predictable properties.”
However, as you might expect, the new printer isn’t cheap — £200,000 ($330,000) is the quoted starting price.
