Stratasys — a global company specialising in additive manufacturing — recently unveiled its new J826 3-D printer.

This is about half the price of other J8-series PolyJet printers, yet it combines part realism with productivity while offering full Pantone-validated colours and a range of materials.

Available in the UK from Derby-based SYS Systems Ltd (www.sysuk.com), the J826 has been configured for designers, allowing them to ‘save weeks on design cycles’ by creating highly realistic prototypes and increasing quality with more design iterations.

It is said to be particularly suitable for use by companies with mid-volume modelling requirements in industries such as consumer goods, electronics and automotive, as well as educational establishments.

Built as a mid-range full-colour 3-D printer, the J826 supports the full design process with same-day send-to-print and easy post-processing.

It provides the same high-level resolution and detail as other Stratasys J8-series 3-D printers, producing models that match the shape, material, colour and finish of final products.

Shamir Shoham, vice-president of the PolyJet Business Unit at Stratasys, said: “We believe that exceptional resolution, full colour, multiple materials and high productivity should not be the province of the few.

“That is why we extended the power of our world-class J8-series 3-D printers to the new J826, thereby cost-effectively addressing the needs of mid-volume enterprises.”

Cambridge-based (UK) BiologIC Technologies is now using a J826 3-D printer to develop advanced medical instrumentation.

Co-founder Nick Rollings said: “Our flagship product arch-itecture will be 100% 3-D printed, using the J826.

“For us, the design freedoms delivered by full-colour multi-material 3-D printing enable us to accelerate our design process, with zero restrictions.

“This allows us to create ultra-realistic parts for our prototype, using materials that will enable us to fully 3-D print our medical instrument and effectively personalise medicine, once our product is finalised.”

The J826 is fully supported by GrabCAD Print software and enables a smooth import of common CAD formats, such as Solidworks.

It has a maximum build volume of 255 x 252 x 200mm; and like other J8-series printers, the large seven-material capacity means that operators can load their most frequently used resins and avoid the down-time associated with material change-overs.

Moreover, multiple print modes let users adjust the speed and quality of the print to meet specific needs.