As part of the annual EuroMold extravaganza, 3D Systems has made two big announcements: the release of a new 3D scanner, the Capture Mini, and a new, desktop and cloud-based 3D printing software called 3DSPRINT, which the company will be offering for free.
The Caputre Mini is a miniature version of the company’s previous Capture industrial scanner, but is meant to be more precise for use with smaller objects for mechanical, jewelry, dental, and product design. Like its namesake, the Mini utilizes blue LED structured-light scanning to capture objects for design and inspection purposes. Weighing two pounds, the device is mobile, and has an accuracy as precise as .034 mm (.0013 in.), capturing 1 million points per scan in .3 seconds. The Mini’s field of view is (88 x 87 mm), suiting it for objects that can fit in the palm of a hand. And, if purchased with the Capture Pro Pack, the Mini comes with a powered rotary table for 360-degree scanning and a hard case.
Vice President and General Manager of Geomagic Solutions at 3D Systems, Calvin Hur, said of the device, “Capture Mini gives our customers yet another option to begin their journey through the digital thread. This is an easy, highly precise way to begin bringing the real world into digital design packages, then creating objects, 3D printing them, and scanning them for fidelity to CAD designs. It opens the door for creating 3D content of all kinds.”
On top of their new scanner, 3DS also announced the development of their 3DSPRINT, a desktop and cloud-based platform for sharing, viewing, and 3D printing 3D designs. By storing large 3D files in the cloud, whether in a public area for anyone to view or in their own private cloud, users are relieved of the memory-consumption to more easily share and print their designs. Printability analysis and instant cost calculation will give users an understanding of their printing capability and cost options. Then, when it comes to printing their files, one click in 3DSPRINT will take users to 3D Systems’ Quickparts printing service or to an in-house printer.
3DS CEO, Avi Reichental, said of the new release, “We are very excited to deliver the full power and benefits of our integrated digital thread to our extensive user community worldwide. With 3DSPRINT we are giving engineers and designers the ultimate streamlined shared cloud and desktop platform experience that makes the design-to-manufacturing workflow faster, simpler and ubiquitously connected.”
As mentioned, 3DSPRINT will be free for all users, though premium features will include enhanced productivity and workflow control. Those currently at EuroMold can stop by the booth for live demos and exclusive invitations to use the platform, but, otherwise, you’ll have sign up for a pre-release version here. The desktop app is already available for the ProJet 1200 and ProJet 5500X printers, but will be available for all of their machines in the future.
These are just two more of the releases the company has made. In about an hour, Avi will be giving a presentation, available to view online here, that is sure to bring us even more.
