What is an office 3D printer?

Full colour 3D printing has hit the office environment, but what does this mean in reality? What are the benefits of having a 3D printer next to your desk?

It is probably easier to think about how 3D printing has been used in design and prototyping to date. Without a 3D printer in the office, there is a lot more work for designers. They have to design in CAD and then communicate these designs to model makers to come up with a realistic prototype. The model then has to be mocked up and painted to look like the real thing before being handed to the head of product development to sign off.

Along came full colour 3D printing, and this process became a lot simpler. But you still needed someone with the necessary skills to operate the machine, plus a dedicated room to use it in.

Small and clean

Jump forward a few years and Stratasys has launched its J55. This machine is state of the art and purposefully made for an office environment. This means a smaller footprint, no smells or fumes, no need for a dedicated room and a first of its kind rotating print platform, combined with a static print head, for a printing area of up to 1,174cm².

 

 

The machine uses a ProAero Air Extractor to filter out any fumes, which means it is ideal for use in any office environment and it can be run by anyone as it is easy to use. What is more, it is really quiet, operating at 53 decibels which is the same level of noise that a fridge makes. It is probably quieter than your 2D printer!

The Stratasys J55 can print models in over 500,000 colours and is Pantone validated, so the colours on the finished product will match the colours on the 3D printed prototype. This means there is less scope for human error when communicating how the product should look and feel as it moves through the design process.

Save time and money

Removing unnecessary steps makes the design process much faster. Stratasys says that the J55 saves 97% in time and 80% in cost compared to traditional modelling techniques. A full colour, office 3D printer makes life easier for those working in design. It gives you an edge in this increasingly competitive landscape.

We are offering virtual and in-person demos of the Stratasys J55. Contact us on 01295 672599 or email [email protected] to arrange a convenient time.