Paragon Rapid Technologies Adds RP Support’s NEOS 800 Industrial SLA 3D Printer to Prototyping Facility

Based in the United Kingdom, rapid prototyping service provider Paragon Rapid Technologies is steadily growing into one of the premier local 3D printing specialists in England. Although we haven’t covered Paragon much in the past, a recent 3D printing investment has the company poised to become a household name in the UK manufacturing scene. Earlier this week, Paragon purchased a new large frame stereolithography (SLA) machine from Buckinghamshire-based 3D printing solutions provider RP Support, which will enable them to provide some of the largest prototyping services around.

The printer, which is called the NEOS 800, contains an incredibly large build platform of 800 x 800 x 600 mm, one of the largest offered by any 3D printing service bureau in the UK. Prior to the addition of RP Support’s large-scale SLA 3D printer, Paragon had encountered size limitations with their previously used SLA technology, and sometimes had to print larger models in separate sections and bond them together post-print. This recent investment is also a major step for RP Support, as Paragon is officially the first company to have purchased a machine built by the 3D printer manufacturer.

“The 3D printing market is becoming saturated with small printers and start-up companies offering models, but very few RP organisations have the size and investment capital to GO LARGE. I am delighted that Paragon have both and this means we can now offer the market rapid HD SLA printing on a big scale for the first time. We have already seen significant interest in this new solution and delivered a number of exciting projects to National and International clients,” said Ian Jobling, the Commercial Director at Paragon.

The NEOS 800 is engineered with an open filament system, enabling it to work with current commercial materials, as well as others that will be developed in the future. For instance, the 3D printer will be compatible with WaterShed 11122, a clear material with ABS and PBT-like properties. The material is completely colorless, and has been formulated with an advanced chemistry platform called DSM Somos Oxetane Advantage, which helps produce parts with outstanding water resistance and high dimensional stability. According to RP Support, the NEOS 800 also prints highly detailed parts with outstanding sidewall quality, which greatly reduces the need for post-processing.

Paragon will be attending this year’s Advanced Engineering Show, which is taking place in Birmingham on November 2 and 3. The 3D printing service bureau will be located at Stand E31, and will have samples printed with the NEOS 800 on display for visitors to get a closer look at. Prior to that, RP Support will officially launch their new large-scale SLA printer at the TCT Show, which is also taking place in Birmingham on September 28 and 29. Although both of these companies are relatively fresh faces on the 3D printing scene, both of them seem equipped with experience needed to help push the industry forward. Discuss further over in the Paragon & NEO 800 3D Printer forum at 3DPB.com.