IN-VISION Technologies AG has announced a step change in digital light processing (DLP). The Austrian optics specialist has developed what it is calling “the first” native 4K light engine for industrial applications. Dubbed AVATAR, the ultraviolet (UV) projection system will introduce new size and resolution implications for 3D printing and lithography applications.
In 2021, IN-VISION released a 4K UV projector called PHOENIX. Like all other 4K light engines on the market, PHOENIX had a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. To achieve the effect of 4K, these systems use a specific trick that shifts pixels to increase image resolution. Though the surface quality of DLP prints may be improved, the size of the image size is still limited to 2560×1600 pixels.

To overcome this, Texas Instruments (TI) has developed a new chipset with a native resolution of 4096×2176. The chipset will be released mid-2022, with IN-VISION developing AVATAR as TI’s Design House partner. The new UV projector makes it possible to expose, at high resolution, a larger area than previously possible.
Other features include an easily swappable LED module that doesn’t require calibration or setup. Built-in Xilinx Zynq UltraScale software makes it possible to customize the projector for a user’s given applications or prepared software. The illumination and DMD units feature separate connectors for water cooling.
Additionally, AVATAR is designed for moving exposure, which could be similar to what Prodways uses in its MOVINGLight DLP technology. To achieve this, the system includes optical PCIe-Interface, Optical Trigger IN/OUT and a one gigabyte ethernet connection for high scrolling speeds. These features also mean that it can handle the large amounts of data contained in a 4K image. The small width of the system means that multiple projectors can be stacked. Scrolling and stackability mean that it’s possible to design a 3D printer with an even larger print area.
“AVATAR is an exciting development,” says Christof Hieger, In-Vision CTO, “the new projection system redefines the boundaries of DLP technology in Additive Manufacturing and lithography.”
IN-VISION CEO Florian Zangerl said in a press release, “First Pre-Series- Models of the next-generation Light Engine will be available for Lead Customers in the fourth quarter of 2022.”
The company aims to begin serial production of AVATAR in 2023. IN-VISION’s Lead Customer Program is ending, but interested parties may be able to still work with the company regarding the acquisition of an AVATAR print engine.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
TPM Launches New 3D Printing Lab in the Heart of the Southeast’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub
On June 1, TPM, a digitization solutions company based in Greenville, South Carolina, opened its new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Lab, also in Greenville. TPM sells hardware, software, and materials for...
3D Printing Webinar & Event Roundup: June 4, 2023
In this week’s roundup, Stratasys has a few stops on its road trip, and TCT 3Sixty is taking place in Birmingham. There are also webinars about automotive 3D printing, electron...
3D Systems Confirms Bid to Buy Stratasys to Create $1.84B 3D Printing Company
See the update at end of this article. In what has to be one of the 3D printing industry’s biggest news weeks, additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD)...
3D Printing News Unpeeled: Stratasys, Nano Dimension and 3D Systems
Today we’re talking about all the merger options on offer between Desktop Metal, Stratasys, Nano Dimension and 3D Systems. It seems like most people in this industry are publicly saying...
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.