Objet unveils “office-friendly” multi-material 3D printer

Rehovot, Israel — Objet Ltd. introduced the Objet260 Connex, a smaller and less expensive version of its multi-material 3D printer. In addition to simultaneously printing two separate materials, the printer also allows users to combine materials to create composite or digital materials, such as Objet’s recently released ABS-like engineering plastic material. In total, the system can print up to 14 individual materials in a single print run.

Like the larger Connex500 and Connex350, the 260 features the same 600 x 600 x 1600 dpi (X,Y,Z axes) resolution and 16-micron build layer thickness. It also shares the same range of build materials, including the Objet Tango (rubber-like) and Vero (rigid) families, the transparent FullCure 720 and polypropolyne-like DurusWhite as well as a range of more than 50 composite digital materials.

Also included is the Objet Studio software — to facilitate build orientation, material designation and support material visualization — as well as the CAD Matrix Add-in to let Pro/E, Solidworks and Inventor users assign materials within the respective CAD package.

Where the machines differ is in the size of the overall system. At 34.3 x 28.9 x 47.2 inch (870 x 735 x 1200), the Objet260 is approximately half the size of the Connex500 sibling and about half the weight (582 lbs / 254 kg.). Similarly, the build space size corresponds to the machine’s name — 260 x 260 x 200mm (10.02 x 10.02 x 7.9 inches) – as with the Connex500 and 350. While exact pricing is published, Objet says the Objet260 machine will retail somewhere between the price of the Eden260V and Connex350.
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