It's All Wax

3D Systems has announced the ProJet CPX 3000 3D printer, and it's claim to fame is that it can produce objects of fine detail using wax as the medium.

This is a pretty specialized device, as you can't just print a wrench or part requiring stability and strength using wax. And yes, it won't sit out in the sun for too long, either. Instead, these wax objects are used as casts for further manufacturing processes, typically in the jewelry industry.

Why wax? For starters you can get very decent 3D print resolution, in the range of 0.001 to 0.002 inches or 0.025-0.05mm. The results are said to be smooth and apparently do not require polishing.

Another feature that caught our eye was the multi-head design, which permits a single pass to deposit a layer onto several objects. This could dramatically speed up production of wax casts.

Via DesktopEngineering and 3D Systems

Comments

[Andy from Workshopshed]

You could turn your wax into a "lost wax casting" and make a wrench that way. Often lost wax castings are used for more complex shapes and things like jewelry or sculptures