You probably have a color printer for paper documents. Now Stratasys Ltd. has come out with the first color, multi-material three-dimensional printer, company officials said Jan. 26.
The Object Connex3 Color Multi-material printer features a triple-jetting technology that combines droplets of three base materials in virtually unlimited combinations of rigid, flexible and transparent color materials, as well as color digital materials, all in a single print run.
The unit can make a complex part without assembly or a painting step. In promotional material, Stratasys shows photographs of a rainbow-colored bicycle helmet, beta tested by Trek Bicycle Corp., the Wisconsin company that has one of the color printers.
Other applications include frames for glasses and vibrantly multicolored shoes.
Stratasys is based in Minneapolis.
In other 3-D printing news from Stratasys, Dell Inc. announced it will offer MakerBot Replicator printers and scanners as part of Dell's 3-D design product offerings. MakerBot is a subsidiary of Stratasys.
The MarkerBot Replicator is designed to work with Dell Precision workstations that are certified and tested for Dassault SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Revit and AutoCAD, and PTC Creo.
"At Dell we strive to arm startups, designers and engineers with the powerful, reliable and cutting-edge technology they need to succeed," said Andy Rhodes, executive director of Dell Precision workstations. "With the addition of MakerBot's 3-D printers and scanners to Dell's workstation portfolio, our customers can now bring their innovative prototypes to life much more quickly and affordably."
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