It is the most advanced 3D printer yet, based on multi-color rubber palettes

Jan 27, 2014 08:05 GMT  ·  By

We have encountered multi-color 3D printing once before, when 3D Systems released the ProJet 4500, back in early December 2013, but Stratasys has just raised the stakes on that front, by a significant margin. This was actually kind of expected. After all, Stratasys bought MakerBot last year, and MakerBot is already a household name in the 3D printing industry, so to speak.

And the Objet Connex 3D printer was already pretty much the best multi-material 3D printer in the world.

So jumping from multi-material to multi-color was bound to happen sooner or later. In fact, one might say it was a shock when a full-color 3D printer was not revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014), earlier this month.

It's been launched now, though. Called Objet500 Connex3, it made its debut at Solidworks World in San Diego, California.

The Connex3 uses a new triple-jetting technology to combine droplets of three base materials and, thus, produce parts with unlimited combinations of transparent, flexible or rigid color materials.

And no, you won't have to print any parts separately. The object will be made according to the design you choose, in a single run.

So you can achieve all the characteristics of an assembled part without actually having to assemble anything at the end of it all. Much time is saved by this, and the durability of objects should benefit as well.

To enable the color range, MakerBot (and, thus, Stratasys) had to go with several ways of combining materials. For Vero materials, three primary colors are combined, like on 2D inkjet printers (VeroCyan, VeroMagenta and VeroYellow are the new colors).

The Stratasys range of PolyJet photopolymer materials is supported as well of course (digital materials, rigid, rubber-like, transparent, and high temperature materials). Still, we have to pay special mind to the six palettes for rubber-like Tango colors (opaque to transparent colors in various shore values).

The printer should be available to designers and other customers in the manufacturing industry from the second quarter onwards. Maybe even earlier, although some materials (like the Tango colors) won't be out before then. The price is, sadly, unknown.