Mar 20, 2018 | By Benedict
Wide-format inkjet 3D printing specialist Mimaki is bringing its multicolor 3DUJ-553 3D printer to Europe, and has launched a campaign for the unique product. The 3D printer, which can produce more than 10 million colors in layers as fine as 20 microns, first became available in January.
Back in September, we reported on a rather exciting being developed by Mimaki, an inkjet printing specialist headquartered in Japan. The printer was the Mimaki 3DUJ-553, a printer capable of producing 10 million colors, adding serious competition to the still relatively niche multicolor 3D printing market.
That 3D printer has actually been available to buy since January, but Mimaki’s European arm has just launched a major campaign to try and put the 3D printer on shelves. The company will demonstrate the printer live at FESPA 2018, May 15-18 in Berlin, and has launched a new website for its color-hungry European clientele.
“We are very excited to be formally bringing this breakthrough product to market in Europe,” said Ronald van den Broek, General Manager Sales at Mimaki Europe. “Making the leap from UV-curable 2D inkjet printing devices to 3D printing was a logical step for Mimaki, and we have dedicated significant R&D resources to our 3D development efforts.”
The new Mimaki 3D printer, which can print at a minimum 20-micron layer height, can print a water-soluble support material that can be easily washed off, saving time and reducing the possibility of damaging the 3D printed object. Mimaki has also developed clear inks for the printer, adding the possibility of creating translucent 3D printed parts.
“The Mimaki 3DUJ-553 is our first foray into the 3D market and it uses a unique technique based on its advanced UV inkjet printing technology,” van den Broek explained. “Since we first unveiled the technology at drupa 2016, we have received excellent feedback from the marketplace, and we look forward to bringing a new level of innovation once again to an emerging market.”
The 3D printer works by jetting and instantly UV curing tiny droplets of a liquid photopolymer. Fine layers accumulate on the build tray, one after the other, to create one or several precise 3D models or parts in a vast range of colors. Where overhangs or complex shapes require support, the 3D printer can jet its removable support material.
Despite being a specialist 3D printer that offers unique capabilities, the machine also comes with a more-than-adequate build volume, measuring 500 x 500 x 300 mm, and produces parts with an ABS-like strength.
Van den Broek says he wants businesses “to get inspired and feel confident that they can take their businesses to the next level with a little help from Mimaki,” and believes the 3D printer showcase at FESPA 2018 will help that ambition become realized.
The Mimaki 3DUJ-553 might cost more than $200,000 (price on request), but still costs less than the Stratasys J750, the most widely used professional color 3D printer on the market.
Posted in 3D Printer
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