Color 3D printing: a step into the future

• 2023/12/20
• By Tips Admin
• 0 Comments

In the era of rapidly developing technologies, 3D printing has ceased to be something unique. Now anyone can buy a special printer and create various models at home. Color 3D printing of volumetric format is based on many principles and modern developments aimed at creating high-quality products. What manufacturing methods are actively used in the industry now? Is it possible to create a human figure from gypsum or plastic? What are the top brands of 3D printers?

• What is color 3D printing used for?
• Rating of color 3D printers
  • Best desktop 3D printers
  • Best industrial 3D printers
• Printing with FDM technology
• Monochrome printer
• Full-color 3D printer
• Three-color 3D printer
• Color 3D printer - 6 threads
• Color 3D printer for human printing
• Printing with PolyJet technology
• Printing with CJP technology

What is color 3D printing used for?

The increasing popularity of this type of model creation is due to the relatively affordable cost of the necessary equipment, which has made 3D printing a possible hobby for many people. However, in addition to entertainment, modern technology is used to solve global problems and advance scientific thought.

Areas of application:

• hobbies (collecting);
• architecture (creating building models);
• construction (active adaptation of the technology to work with large objects);
• art;
• creating prototypes of various products for presentations;
• testing modern mechanisms;
• medicine (for practicing new techniques, upgrading doctors' qualifications, and creating equipment for the full-fledged life of people with disabilities);
• education (printing figures and models for visualization);
• clothing and shoes (not long ago, a collection created on a 3D printer was presented at the high fashion week in Paris);
• jewelry (replacing wax prototypes with printed ones);
• science (creating three-dimensional maps).

Types of multicolor printing:

• gradient;
• layered (with sharp transitions);
• dot (one color - one part of product);
• full (photographic level).

Rating of color 3D printers

The market of modern technologies offers a wide choice of different printers, each of which is designed for printing models of a specific range. They are divided into different categories depending on the intended use, the complexity of operation, and the skill of the person controlling the process. Among the significant amount of offers, there are those that have managed to establish themselves in the consumer environment and demonstrate the best aspects of the business.

Best desktop 3D printers

1. XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color.

3D printer XYZprinting da Vinci Color

• File formats STL
• Dimensions, mm 600x581x640
• Material of housing Plastic
• Software XYZMaker

• Print FDM
• Working chamber area 200x200x150 mm
• Specialization Design; Architecture; Advertising; Model making; Education
• Supported materials PLA
• Layer thickness from 100 microns
• Diameter of thread 1.75
• Display color LCD
• Interfaces SD card, USB
• Color Red

• Weight, kg 32.3

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A CMYK ink cartridge is used to apply colors to absorbent threads. The shades are mixed to create the most realistic effect.

2. XYZPrinting Da Vinci Color mini.

The weight of the equipment is 24.5 kg, so it easily fits on any desk. It has a built-in wireless printing system.
Country of production: Taiwan.
Cost: 322 thousand rubles.
Maximum print speed: 170 mm/s.
Layer resolution: 100-400 microns.

3. ComeTrue T10.

A full-color printer with fast print speed. It can reproduce fine details on the models. The device is connected to the computer via a USB cable.
Country of production: Taiwan.
Cost: 1,755 thousand rubles.
Maximum print speed: 20 mm/h.
Layer resolution: 80-100 microns.

Best industrial 3D printers

1. 3DGence Industry F340.

A professional unit for industrial manufacturing in the field of engineering and metallurgy. It offers the possibility to use about 390,000 colors to create any gradients and shades to increase the photographic accuracy of the details.
Country of production: Poland.
Cost: about 2 million rubles.
Maximum print speed: 100 mm/s.
Layer thickness: 150, 250 micrometers.

2. HP Jet Fusion 580.

3D printer HP Jet Fusion 580

• Material HP 3D High Reusability CB PA 12
• Print MJF
• Working area 190x332x248 mm
• Speed 5 items about 4 hours
• Layer thickness from 80 microns

• Area of application Architecture; Packaging; Advertising; Model making; Souvenir industry; Education; Production

• Supported file formats OBJ; VRML; 3MF

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HP Companies use the technology of applying binding agents over a simple base in their printers. This allows controlling color transfer, texture, density, and transparency.

3. Rize XRIZE.

A heated chamber facilitates working with materials. A mixture of jet printing and extended deposition technology is used in creating models.
Country of production: USA.
Cost: 3,500 thousand rubles.
Maximum print speed: 0.13 mm/min.
Layer thickness: 125 or 250 microns.

Printing with FDM technology

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is the most common model of modern printing. It is based on both inexpensive home printers and professional equipment. The principle of production is based on two main phases: melting plastic thread and layer-by-layer construction of the detail. It is recommended for creating large samples that need to be resistant, strong, flexible, and require unique processing afterwards.

The program will automatically calculate the ”growing” time and create the auxiliary components of the design, after which the model will be automatically divided into elements for step-by-step overlaying.

Tip! The plastic color is white. If necessary, it can be found in several light shades - ivory, olive green, nectarine, yellow, blue, gray, black, red.

Monochrome printer

There are no difficulties in creating monochrome models for anyone. It’s hardly possible to surprise anyone with this nowadays. There are several types of technologies that produce only monochromatic details:

• laser stereolithography (using ultraviolet rays);
• SLA-DLP (using digital light processing);
• electron beam melting (EBM, melting metal powder in a vacuum);
• selective laser sintering (SLS, the main source of energy is laser radiation);
• direct metal laser sintering (DMLS, laser melting of metal powder);
• selective heat sintering (SHS, heat treatment of the powder with a heating head).

Tip! Monochrome printers are perfectly suitable for those who are just starting their acquaintance with the world of modern printing methods.

Here are a few examples of monochrome printers based on one of the above-mentioned technologies:

1. EOS M 100.
Technologies: SLS, DMLS, SLM, DLS.
Type of products: metal.
Area of application: dentistry.

2. Sinterit Lisa PRO.

3D printer Sinterit Lisa Pro

• Dimensions, mm 690 x 500 x 880

• Loading materials PA11; PA12 Smooth; Flexa
• Camera built-in
• Laser IR 5W
• Minimum wall thickness 0.4 mm
• Printing SLS
• Supported software Sinterit Studio 2018
• Supported operating systems Windows
• Supported files formats STL; OBJ; 3DS; FBX; DAE; 3MF
• Power consumption 1.8 kW
• Chamber temperature 192°C
• Printing precision XY: 50 microns
• Power requirements 220-240 [V] AC, 50/60 [Hz], 7 [A]
• Working chamber area 150 x 200 x 260 mm
• Layer thickness from 75 microns
• Display 7" color
• Interfaces Wifi, USB
• Weight, kg 90

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3. Formlabs Fuse 1.
Technologies: SLS.
Type of products: Nylon11, Nylon12.
Area of application: education, jewelry, medicine, design, engineering.

Full-color 3D printer

With full-color equipment, you can create a wide variety of models and parts. Coloring of objects occurs not as a result of subsequent processing, but already during the reproduction process. As a source, gypsum powder can be used, a thin layer of which is formed using special brushes and rollers. After that, the head applies a binding agent, pre-colored as needed. There is a wide range of full-color printers on the market right now. Among them is the following: