Flashforge CJ270: a desktop inkjet photopolymer printer with seven materials
Flashforge has announced the CJ270, a desktop inkjet photopolymer 3D printer. It uses MultiJet Printing (MJP) technology and produces high-resolution models in more than ten million shades. Machines like this have existed for a long time, but they have mostly been expensive industrial systems such as those made by 3D Systems and Mimaki. According to the author of the review, this new model is within reach of small businesses and even well-off enthusiasts, which is what caught my attention.
Like stereolithography, it uses light-curable resins, but the model does not grow in a vat. Instead, it is built up by jetting layers onto a platform. Each layer is leveled and cured with UV light before the next one is applied. The principle is similar to an ordinary office inkjet printer, except that photopolymers are printed instead of ink on paper.
Seven materials are fed through the head assembly at once. Six of them make up an expanded CMYK set: in addition to cyan, magenta, yellow and black, there are white and clear formulations. The seventh is a water-soluble support resin, which noticeably simplifies post-processing. Any one of the seven heads can be replaced separately if needed.
Because the minimum layer height is only seven micrometers, mechanical finishing is generally not required. For me the main question now is price and the cost of consumables, but the fact that a full-color inkjet printer of this kind has arrived in desktop form looks like a step forward for hobbyists and small studios.
Source: 3D Today
Like stereolithography, it uses light-curable resins, but the model does not grow in a vat. Instead, it is built up by jetting layers onto a platform. Each layer is leveled and cured with UV light before the next one is applied. The principle is similar to an ordinary office inkjet printer, except that photopolymers are printed instead of ink on paper.
Seven materials are fed through the head assembly at once. Six of them make up an expanded CMYK set: in addition to cyan, magenta, yellow and black, there are white and clear formulations. The seventh is a water-soluble support resin, which noticeably simplifies post-processing. Any one of the seven heads can be replaced separately if needed.
Because the minimum layer height is only seven micrometers, mechanical finishing is generally not required. For me the main question now is price and the cost of consumables, but the fact that a full-color inkjet printer of this kind has arrived in desktop form looks like a step forward for hobbyists and small studios.
Source: 3D Today
Comments 0
Leave the first comment, in any language.
Log in to comment