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Z Printers - The Fastest Most Cost Effective Way to Full Colour Prototypes

Z Corporation pioneered 3D printing technology producing a range of mono and full colour Z Printers for rapid product development.

Z Printers are used by some of the worlds leading manufacturers to produce early design concept models and prototype parts; they are extremely fast, have low running costs and print products from a broad range of industries including mechanical and electronic design, medical devices and scan data, architecture, packaging, animation and geographic information systems.

Z Printers work by importing 3D data, usually in the form of Computer Aided Design (CAD) solid models into Z Corp’s Z Print software. Z Print automatically divides the model into thin 2D cross sectional layers. These layers are sent to the printer over a standard network in the same way as an image or word document is sent to a standard 2D printer.

Lays Powder
Lays Powder
Prints Data
Z Printer Prints cross sectional layer
Lays Powder
Lays Powder
The cross sectional layers are printed, using standard inkjet technology, by injecting a water based binder onto thin layers of compacted powder, as each layer is completed the Z axis lowers allowing the system to spread another layer of powder then the process repeats until the model is complete.

On completion the system automatically recycles all unused powder leaving just the model in the build chamber. A further de-powdering can be performed to remove any small powder deposits, again this excess material is re-cycled to prevent airborne ingress and protect the working environment.

The completed model can be infiltrated with different solutions to meet part specification, for instance, infiltration with Z Max will make the prototype extremely tough and durable whilst infiltrating with an elastomer solution will give the part rubber like properties. In addition Z Printers benefit from having a build resolution of 0.100mm making the system capable of printing fine detail with exceptional surface finish.

Branded Bottle
Bottle with Branding
One of the major benefits of Z Corporation’s technology is that the printers can be used for a vast variety of other application such as creating low cost mould tools or cast patterns which allows engineers to create small quantities of prototype parts in the correct production material, for functional testing. By utilizing the Z Printers full colour capability a part can be printed with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Mould Flow data on its surface or branding detail, such as product labels. Assemblies can be printed with individual components coloured making it easier to determine the different parts.
All colour is automatically applied during printing without the need to change materials or print the individual assembly components separately.

By using inkjet technology and re-cycling all unused material Z Printers are the fastest, most cost effective 3D colour printers. Z Printers are 5 to 10 times faster and up to two thirds cheaper per model than competitive 3D printers and are the only true full colour 3D Printers available.