3D Systems offers a very large suite of 3D printers, from personal to industrial, but none offered before has the capability of their new ProJet 5500x. What’s so different about it?
The ProJet 5500x can print in multiple materials.
To put that in perspective, the only other manufacturer that’s offered such a capability is Stratasys, through their Objet line that uses the Polyjet process. 3D Systems now includes MultiJet Printing (MJP) capability in the 5500x.
This means that you can load two different kinds of materials into the 5500 and the print head will “precisely mix” them at the instant of printing. You can print mixes of hard and soft parts, mixes of colors, etc. This is a significant capability that is now offered by two companies.
The 5500x currently can use three different materials:
- A rigid, ABS-like white material
- A flexible, black rubber-like material
- A Clear, polycarbonate-like material
This car was printed on the 5500x, including the soft tires.
This is an example of mixing clear with a rigid plastic.
Choose any two and start mixing! That is, if you can afford the USD$250,000 price tag on the 5500x.
Via 3D Systems
