Mcor is Bringing Full High Definition Color to 3D Printing with Mcor IRIS HD

While there are several full color 3D printers on the market, and many of them are capable of producing some great models, they all tend to fall short in some important areas. Material cost is a significant drawback, especially when many powder bed 3D printers produce so much wasted material. Yes, a lot of it can be reused, but not all of it. I’ve been told by a few users that each print can waste up to 15% to 20% of the leftover powder.

While the ink jet coloring process works well, the details can often be underwhelming close up. Additionally, most color 3D printers require not only a lot of post processing, but actually require a second piece of equipment to be useful. And beyond the additional equipment cost, the process of removing excess powdered 3D printing material is time consuming and rather messy work.

Excess paper being removed.

The Mcor IRIS 3D printer is a bit of a different beast however. It uses the same ink jet printing technology, however it doesn’t use plastic or gypsum powder materials it uses standard copy paper. It works pretty simply, the IRIS prints a slice of the 3D model on a piece of paper while laying down an adhesive. At the same time, a cutting blade traces the outline of the model, so once the print is complete the excess paper just needs to be gently removed. That makes it significantly less expensive to use, and because all of the waste is 100% recyclable, it is also one of the greener 3D printing options on the market.

A finished color print from the original Mcore 3D printing process.

The IRIS already produces some of the best color 3D models available, and now Mcor is offering upgraded technology that turns the IRIS into an HD printer. The objects printed with IRIS HD will have even sharper small details, 360° high-definition color and a new cutting blade that lasts longer, further reduces the cost per print. Mcor will be demonstrating the new technology until Thursday at the 3D Printing conference RAPID, taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center. Mcor will be available for demonstrations in Booth 830 on the showroom floor.

The upgraded IRIS HD technology uses new printing algorithms to make the color crisper while providing better accuracy and using less ink. It is paired with the new carbide cutting tip that lasts considerably longer and will produce models with a more photorealistic appearance regardless of any text being displayed or the full geometry of the model. This can reduce the already low per print cost by an additional 20%.

“Crisply defined color and rock-bottom operating costs are critical for manufacturers, schools, service bureaus, architectural firms and others who need to 3D print a high number of realistic models. Our SDL (Selective Deposition Lamination) paper-based 3D printing technology has always offered the industry’s highest-resolution color at the lowest operating costs.  Now, with IRIS HD, we’re providing even greater access to truly photorealistic color 3D printing,” said Mcor Technologies co-founder and CEO Dr. Conor MacCormack.

The Mcore IRIS already offers the industry’s most accurate WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) full-color 3D printing. IRIS HD prints any color, any time (ACAT) for unbeatable photorealistic color capabilities, and employs a global-standard ICC (International Color Consortium) color map. And for owners of the original IRIS 3D printer, they can easily upgrade their existing 3D printers. The new carbide cutting blade is also available for Mcor’s smaller, monochrome printer, the Mcor Matrix 300+.

Because Mcor IRIS HD uses less ink and the tip lasts longer, it delivers a 20-percent reduction in the cost to 3D print a model. Mcor’s materials already cost 10-20 percent of other 3D printing technologies, saving customers thousands of dollars and providing greater access to the technology. Mcor IRIS HD is available now for new and existing owners of Mcor 3D printers. Tell us what you think about the new HD technology on our High Definition Color 3D Printing with Mcor IRIS HD forum thread at 3DPB.com.