Objet Geometries Ltd. has cut the price of Alaris30 desktop 3D printer to US$24,900 from just under US$35,000. Featuring the same Polyjet printing technology as its high-end machines, the Alaris30 a combines jet print heads lay down precise layers of polymer that are then cured with UV light. Even with its decent build space (294mm x 196mm x 150mm), the 3D printer takes up about the same space as a photocopier.
The Alaris30 supports resolutions similar to SLA (600 by 600 dots per inch on the X and Y axes) with build layers down to 28 µm (0.0011 in) or 900 DPI. The high resolution allows it to create precise, smooth parts that lack the characteristic stair stepping found in other rapid prototyping processes. Consequently, finished parts come out of the printer requiring little post-processing, other than spraying off the support material.
Another distinguishing feature is its build material, Objet’s proprietary VeroWhite FullCure830, an opaque, photo-sensitive polymer. According to the company, VeroWhite carries a tensile strength of 49.8 MPa and an elastic modulus of 2495 MPa, making it strong enough to machine or to use a model made from it as a master mould.
According to T.A. Grimm & Associates, Inc. 3D Printer benchmark study, the Alaris30 offers the best quality with the highest total accumulated marks for durability, surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and feature details in the sub-$25,000 3D printers market range.
www.objet.com
