Sure, 3D prints made with inkjet technology can be quite beautiful to look at, what with all them ‘purty colours’ and all. While functional prototyping is a dominant application of this process, perhaps the most popular from a consumer perspective is the 3D printed selfie. But the materials to make those little, 3D printed copies of yourself don’t come cheap, you know? If only there was some way to get the powder and binder necessary to make colorful inkjet prints at a cheaper price…
One company called Canada Powder, a subsidiary of 2D printer materials manufacturer Digital Sign Technologies, started researching their own method for developing consumables for inkjet printers in 2011. After three years, the company has finally begun selling its own powder and binders. Digital Sign claims that their subsidiary’s powder is stronger, more stable and more consistent than those created by OEMs due to “a revolutionary unique mixing technique and a selection of laboratory-grade chemicals.” They believe that their own materials can withstand a greater range of climates and have better texture, as well. The press release even goes so fa
r as to say, “Canada Powder’s materials have been tested to… have brighter whites than the ones produced with OEM products.”
Canada Powder’s materials work with Zcorp and ProJet x60 printers, with powder priced at $449 per 30 lb box and binders ranging from $119 for 1 liter bottles of dyed binder to $339 for 3.78 liters of clear binder. As far as powder is concerned, this is about half the price of that offered by OEM consumables resellers. For binder, Canada Powder’s products are about a third of the price. These are some pretty significant cost savings. With a deal too good to be true, I wonder how patent law might affect the Canadian company.
Well, if anything happens to the off-brand powder and binder manufacturer, you can always make your own! Source: Digital Sign Technologies
