While none of EnvisionTEC’s newly released 3D printers failed to impress, one of the most notable was the Micro Plus cDLM jewelry printer, which was first introduced in June at the JCK Las Vegas trade show. The high-speed printer is the first to use EnvisionTEC’s patented new technology, continuous digital light manufacturing (cDLM), which has had jewelers excitedly awaiting the printer’s shipping release. cDLM technology relies on a build plate with continuous motion in the Z axis, allowing users to 3D print objects at unprecedented speed without sacrificing detail, quality or accuracy in the X and Y axes.
The Micro Plus cDLM began shipping over the holidays, and according to EnvisionTEC Chief Operating Officer John Hartner, demand has been high for the desktop printer. The response is unsurprising, as the jewelry industry is one that relies on fast turnaround while maintaining impeccable design quality – not an easy task. Custom and made-to-order jewelry, in particular, requires jewelers to deliver quickly.
“Typically, a customer develops a design with a jeweler and comes back to the store a day or two later to see a 3D printed model and place an order,” said Bill Letwin, EnvisionTEC’s jewelry channel specialist. “But sometimes, jewelers lose the sale during that wait, which makes the ability to quickly print the model a game changer.”
These rings were 3D printed on the Micro Plus cDLM in QView material.
It’s a competitive market, and the speed of the Micro Plus cDLM gives jewelers that much more of an edge over their competitors. The printer is capable of printing a typical engagement ring with high accuracy and excellent surface finish in EnvisionTEC’s QView material in less than 15 minutes – meaning that a customer can develop, finalize and purchase a design in one trip. For harried individuals in the midst of planning a wedding or other special event, that’s a dream come true.
“Our new technology literally prints a ring while the customer has a cup of coffee,” Letwin said. “We have a lot of special order jewelers who have placed orders for that reason, but we’ve also seen a lot of interest from jewelry manufacturers who see the ability to shorten their design cycle times and simply work more efficiently.”
Speed isn’t the only benefit the Micro Plus cDLM offers, either. EnvisionTEC’s new cDLM technology sets itself apart from other 3D printing technologies by using a layer of oxygen as a separation layer, meaning that the part doesn’t need to be peeled off the exposure tray for each layer. That’s an attractive feature for several reasons, including less wear on the tray and reduced consumable use. In addition, fewer supports are needed, allowing for more design freedom as well as quicker cleanup.
“Without having to peel up each layer and have all those supports, it also opens designers up to create finer more complex geometries,” Letwin said.
The Micro Plus cDLM is only the first in what EnvisionTEC expects to be a series of high-speed 3D printers using cDLM technology. For more information, or for a price quote, contact EnvisionTEC here. Learn more about cDLM technology below:
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