3DRP. If you can draw it in 3D you can manufacture it on the range of ZCorporation 3D Printers. 3DRP allows realistic and true to life casings and products to be produced without the usual constraints of manufacture.

ZCorporation systems have the shortest manufacture times (5 - 10 times faster than competitors) coupled with the lowest per part cost (approx £1 for a solid 25mm cube).

Extremely complex designs can be manufactured and parts post processed to give different characteristics, i.e. machinable using ZMAX epoxy, rubberized to make couplings, hoses of moulds or simply water fixed for speed.

Overview

The ZPrinter system uses a composite powder and binder delivered through a standard print head system to build its models, this provides low costs per project and is intrinsically strong as soon as the model is finished. Projects can be painted to add authenticity.

Maximum size of model 25 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm

Guideline price £15,995 including enough materials for 500 mp3 style projects.

If you are considering purchasing a RP system please click here for further information.

No larger than a photocopier, modern rapid prototyping machines are as simple to run as a desktop printer.

There are several different methods of producing rapid prototype models but they all begin with a 3D CAD model of the component part. The part, or assembled parts are saved in STL format for transfer to the rapid prototyping system.

STL files use triangles or facets to define the parts features. Each facet is defined by the position of its three corners in space, and its direction, which distinguishes between the internal and external surfaces. Each facet has to be connected to three others at its edges, so that the total volume of the model is enclosed.

The illustration shows how STL defines a simple cone. Although the base of the cone is circular, the STL file will show it as a series of small steps.
 

When creating an STL file from CAD, the resolution can be specified. Files with too few facets may affect the parts accuracy and can change the appearance of the part when compared to the original model. Files with too many facets will increase the time it takes to manufacture the part, without any benefit to quality.

We recommend a resolution of between 0.01 mm and 0.05 mm as a rule of thumb, overall the file sizes are quite large but well within the reach of modern desktop computers.

The ZPrinter mathematically 'slices' the object into thin layers by dividing the CAD model with a succession of closely spaced horizontal slices; each of these slices is laid down in the composite before the print head "deposits binder over the "sliced" area, the heated chamber helps cure the model as each new layer is built.