Compact 3D printer jets two materials at once

The Objet260 Connex is a 3D printer for rapid prototyping and is small enough to fit in the corner of any office. The printer can jet two different materials (from a range of over 60 materials) at the same time. While the machine is working, it can blend the two materials into other materials with different mechanical properties. In effect, the machine can simultaneously print up to 14 materials in one build. The Objet260 Connex has a tray size of 10.2 x 10.2 x 7.9 in. It uses sealed material cartridges that are easy to load and unload. According to the developer, the Connex is the only 3D printer in the world capable of simultaneously laying down transparent and opaque materials. In a recent job, a customer used a Connex to print a set of eyeglasses. The eyeglass lenses were printed in Objet’s new VeroClear transparent material and supporting portions of the frame were printed in VeroBlack. Objet Inc., 5 Fortune Dr., Billerica, Mass., 01821, www.objet.com