ROCK HILL, South Carolina – 3D Systems has announced the expansion of its ProJet® 1200 suite with the arrival of five new materials engineered specifically for the desktop printing capabilities of its micro-SLA 3D printer. These five new materials join the previously introduced VisiJet® FTX Green material, expanding the capabilities of jewelers, dental labs, manufacturers, engineers, and 3D artists in the creation of casting patterns, small end-use parts, figurines and presentation models.
ProJet 1200 – Jewelry
Advancing the production capabilities and throughput of jewelry designers, the ProJet 1200 now has an advanced FTX Cast material, a wax/resin hybrid material developed specifically for compatibility with a wide range of jewelry casting methods and materials, and FTX Gold and FTX Silver for stunning jewelry samples and presentation models.
Jewelers can easily integrate FTX Cast, which casts much like traditional wax, into existing workflows with the added benefits of 3D printed parts. Combined with the precision and fantastic surface quality of micro-SLA from the ProJet1200, FTX Cast can be used to create exquisite, detailed pieces from rings to pendants. With glimmering gold and silver particles embedded in the materials, FTX Gold and FTX Silver provide the wow factor that brings customer presentation models and counter samples to life.
ProJet 1200 – Dental
Dental labs use the ProJet 1200 with FTX Green for the production of highly accurate, casting-friendly wax-ups for a range of small dental prosthetics. The ProJet 1200 prints in 30-micron layers at 585 dpi resolution for the production of up to 12 high-quality wax-ups in an hour, right on the desktop. The ProJet 1200 and FTX Green combine for an accelerated workflow with the exceptional results of traditional methods.
ProJet 1200 – Engineering and Manufacturing
Along with the casting capabilities of FTX Cast, engineering and manufacturing customers can take advantage of the arrival of FTX Gray, a high-contrast gray material that’s perfect for prototypes and accentuating fine features, and FTX Clear, a transparent clear material that can be applied in end-use parts and components. As part of the reimagined engineer’s desktop, the ProJet 1200 and FTX Gray and Clear allow engineers a fast way to locally create precise design prototypes of small assembly or components. Micro-SLA parts in FTX Gray and Clear also combine the strength and precision necessary for end-use applications and final one-off custom components, such as electronic connectors, robotics components and more.
ProJet 1200 – 3D Artists and Designers
Many 3D artists, designers and professional model makers also require strong, precise micro parts for toys, figurines, model aircraft, cars, model trains and more. The expanded ProJet 1200 materials selection provides even more opportunity for creative expression. Precision FTX Gray parts are paintable and they accentuate the fine features for which the ProJet 1200 is known. On top of that, beautiful, transparent FTX Clear parts project a hint of iridescence for stunning clear parts, perfect for a range of sculptures and model components. For artisans creating small cast sculptures, FTX Cast provides a less work intensive way to make accurate casting patterns in the workshop.
“The addition of these five materials represents our commitment to revolutionizing desktop 3D printing and bringing new capabilities to dental techs, jewelers, artists and engineers,” said Buddy Byrum, Vice President of Product and Channel Management, 3DS. “Now a jeweler, for instance, can design a ring, prototype it in FTX Gray, print a customer sample ring in FTX Gold and FTX Silver, and create a final casting pattern in FTX Cast—all from the same machine.”
