Mcor Engineers Enhancing ARKe 3D Printer Further Before Shipping: More Software, Strength & Color

While we write about many companies within the 3D space that enter the industry with one quality printer and go on to great success with users, it’s quite fulfilling to see ecologically-minded companies like Mcor evolve with a dynamic lineup of products, services, and programs.

Founded in 2005 by Irish brothers Dr. Conor MacCormack and Fintan MacCormack, this company—with headquarters now in both Ireland and the US—has already produced two popular industrial 3D printers with the Matrix 300+ printer and then the step up into full color with the IRIS. Unique in that they print with standard paper and a water-based adhesive, are priced affordably, and encompass an environmentally friendly concept all around, it almost seems too good to be true that Mcor has not only added a new printer to their lineup with the Mcor ARKe. but they’ve improved upon it already as well.

Just released and making a splash at the beginning of this year, marked by an unveiling at CES 2016, the ARKe (named after the sister to Iris in Greek mythology) is a desktop model meant to serve as sibling to the industrial model, but that offers a completely new architecture. With immediate excitement and attention heaped upon this new model, pre-orders came in and as the ARKe is set to ship out soon to those eagerly awaiting, it will do so with even further enhancements from Mcor engineering and design.

“Through their efforts, our team identified ways to enhance the ARKe even further making it the most color rich, professional desktop 3D printer on the market,” states co-founder Conor MacCormack in a recent blog. “So we’re excited to announce three new features that the Mcor ARKe will now include when it ships!”

As teams worked 24/7 to prepare the machines, they added color, strength, and additional software.

Yes, it’s true—there’s even more color.

“I have always said that the ability to produce the highest color quality is in the very DNA of our company and now ringing through to this we have managed to squeeze even more colors from the ARKe!” states MacCormack.

The team was able to do this by adding:

• A new paper ingredient
• New compression software
• New ink formulation
• Full utilization of the print head

“We are proud to say that we have the highest measured color in the industry. What’s the magic number? Two million. Other 3D printers out there don’t even come close and we’re excited that our newest line pushes the boundaries even further in achieving photorealistic color output,” says MacCormack.

Conor MacCormack

The Mcor Team also created a new power adhesive that allows for ‘double the stiffness of parts’ in comparison to other 3D printers currently in the marketplace. With that, they also added:

• Higher load capacity slide rails
• Precision heater
• Reinforced chassis

All of this additional hardware will allow the ARKe to handle the new amount of press force, as well as rendering it further suitable for making functional 3D prints rather than just prototypes.

You may have heard a bit about the new software accompanying the ARKe as well.  We reported on Mcor’s Orange Peel software earlier in the year as the company became one of the members of the 3MF Consortium, also adopting the new standardized 3D printing file format for the ARKe.

“Printing photorealistic, eco-friendly and strong objects is only half the battle – creating the files and ensuring the objects will print correctly is just as important,” says MacCormack.

The addition of Orange Peel promises that users are able to enjoy features on a professional level in terms of file preparation, including:

• Splitting and joining files
• Color and texturing
• File modification to include smoothing, solidifying and extruding surfaces.

“We’re constantly striving to innovate, even after the launch of a new product, and this is especially true with the ARKe,” says MacCormack.

Specifications of the new ARKe 3D printer include:

• Length: 34.4 inches
• Width: 22.8 inches
• Height: 23.6 inches
• Weight: 110 pounds
• Maximum build envelope: 8 x 9.5 x 4.9 inches
• DPI: 4800 x 2400 x 254 (2x the DPI of comparable industrial 3D printers)

One note: the additional features have led Mcor to raise prices fairly substantially beyond the original pricing levels announced previously. “With these new features, the Mcor ARKe will now be priced at €17,995/$17,995,” the company states. This is notably higher than the originally stated price of €8,995/$8,995. The company is offering those who pre-ordered at the original price the options to either accept the new pricing level, which requires no action on their part, or to cancel their reservation for a full refund. Discuss further in the Mcor ARKe 3D Printer Enhancements forum over at 3DPB.com.