3D Systems Releases the ProJet 5000

The rush of new additive manufacturing (AM) system releases has slowed from a torrent pre-RAPID 2012 to a mere trickle post-RAPID.

However, a new contender has appeared. 3D Systems (company profile) has released a new high capacity, professional 3D printer: the ProJet 5000. According to the company, the new system is capable of 24/7 production and can run unattended for more than 80 hours. 3D Systems is backing the new printer with a five-year manufacturer’s print head warranty.

“With the ProJet 5000, our customers can economically print larger, single piece, high-definition parts in-house,” said Buddy Byrum, vice president Product & Channel Management for 3D Systems. “With faster print speed and higher resolution, the new ProJet 5000 delivers even more value for automotive, aerospace, footwear, appliances and packaging design and manufacturing applications.”

The ProJet 5000 leverages 3D Systems’ multi-jet technology (ASTM material jetting) and offers and uses VisiJet MX plastic. Eight different material delivery modules are intended to allow the user to control materials management.

3D Systems’ newest offering has a build envelope of 21.65 x 15.5 x 11.8 in (550 x 393 x 300 mm) and a resolution of up to 656 x 656 x 800 DPI (xyz). It offers a layer thickness of 32 µ (0.0012 inches) with accuracy of up to 0.025-0.05 mm (0.001-0.002 inch) per inch of part dimension.

The ProJet 5000 packs all those features into a 60.3 x 35.7 x 57.1 in (1531 x 908 x 1450 mm) footprint, making it small enough for office use for companies willing to dedicate a room or a solid chunk or real estate for the printer. The build envelope is the largest I’ve seen for building plastic parts, which can be useful for sizable prototypes or for simultaneous multiple builds.

Below you’ll find a short video from 3D Systems about the ProJet 5000.

Source: 3D Systems