“(The AiO) features voice recognition, which may become standard in our high-end line,” explained XYZprinting Director Vinson Chien as he took us through the lineup of products the company had on display at CES.
“This is the first generation. It will recognize simple commands, like ‘calibrate’ and ‘print.’ Why? It is showing the possibilities. You can search designs in our galleries. Uses could be like for a car company that has digital inventory — if there is a digital version, you can build up a 3D printing database.”
The da Vinci Color AiO received a CES Innovation Award, and Chien pointed to a pair of lions near the machine. The original, seen at left, was scanned in full color on the Color AiO and then 3D printed, again in full color, with the result of the duplication seen in the lion at right. While this machine and its capabilities were a highlight of the show, it was far from being the only piece of innovation XYZprinting had to offer. Chien also showed us the fast-printing PartPro350 xBC, which was printing busily away at the booth. The PartPro is one of XYZprinting’s new commercial line of 3D printers, and is capable of printing at up to 18 mm per hour. Also part of the commercial line was the CastPro100 xP, a DLP printer meant for jewelry.
As always, XYZprinting had plenty to offer for kids and the educational market, like the entry-level da Vinci Nano, which will be available in the first quarter of 2018.
“It is enclosed, so safe for kids and beginners,” said Chien. “We are focusing on the educational market, and have our STEAM curriculum. It meets science standards. We have K-12 STEAM lesson plans.”
The K-12 STEAM Education Solution is a series of educational kits designed for different classes and grade levels. It features curriculum designed to be used with XYZprinting’s 3D printers and software, and includes several different levels: starter, standard, advanced, and maker lab. Each kit includes at least two 3D printers, the type varying according to the level, filament, a 3D scanner, and, except for the starter kit, a 3D pen education bundle.
“The 3D Pen Cool is a low-temperature, safe 3D printing pen,” Chien told us. “Safe for educational use, for kids. It only uses PCL filament.”
XYZprinting’s setup at CES was a good showcase for the company, which has always prided itself on offering a wide range of products designed for everyone from professionals to kids. The da Vinci Color AiO certainly impressed, and it will be interesting to see how well the new voice recognition technology catches on among XYZprinting’s customers. Even without the voice recognition and scanning technology, it’s still deserving of an Innovation Award just for its unique color technology, a first among FFF machines. The new commercial line of 3D printers is plenty of reason for excitement, as well, as XYZprinting reaches out to a new market. Regardless of the new directions the company may be going, however, it’s refreshing to see that it never loses sight of its commitment to education and young makers.
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[All photos: Sarah Goehrke]