Stratasys Objet24

Using PolyJet 3D printing technology, the Objet24 features 28µ print layers and a 240 mm x 200 mm x 150 mm (9.45 in. x 7.87 in. x 5.9 in.) tray size.

The Objet24 is Stratasys’ entry level PolyJet 3D printer. The Objet 24 is compact enough to fit on a desk (though it can be mounted on a wheeled cabinet). The Objet24 produces high quality prints in VeroWhitePlus material.

The most compact PolyJet 3D Printer, the Objet24 is a relatively quiet system that does not emit toxic fumes and can be operated in an office environment. These factors, along with its relatively low cost, make the Objet24 a good option for those looking for an entry level PolyJet system.

How the Objet24 Works

The Objet24 uses PolyJet technology that deposits UV-curable liquid photopolymer using a print head similar to an inkjet printer. In addition to the deposition head, PolyJet systems also come equipped with a UV light that passes over deposited material to cure it instantly. PolyJet printers are characterized by their extremely high quality, and in most cases, their ability to build models with materials that can vary layer by layer. Given that the Objet24 only uses one build material (VeroWhitePlus), it does not have the ability to print multiple build materials in a single print.

Similar to FDM printers, the Objet24 begins a print job by depositing several layers of gel-like support material on the print bed. Once a support base has been established the print head begins jetting Statasys’ proprietary VeroWhitePlus material (a hard ABS like plastic) or additional support material where clearances, overhangs, or other voids may occur. This process continues building a model layer by layer, until the print is complete.

Once the print is finished, the model and its support based can be removed from the print bed using a spatula. All support structures can then be removed from the model using a high-pressure water jet. Since PolyJet printers use a gel-like support material, removing the support features is relatively quick and easy.

The Objet24 is ideal for creating models that are useful as visual models as well as functional prototypes due to their high definition. They can be painted as soon as they have been dried to give them an even more compelling look when used as marketing models.

While the print results of a PolyJet system are excellent, the liquid nature of its print material does create a bit of a mess. All PolyJet systems including the Objet24, require maintenance of the system’s cleaning and print head after every print. Fortunately, this process is relatively quick.

The Objet24 in Action

Japan’s IRIS Ohyama has been a player in the consumer products industry for some time. Since 1958 the company has been manufacturing products for industries from health care to home décor, churning out more than 1,000 products ever year.

Developing products at the volume of the IRIS team is a mammoth endeavor. Designers have to work quickly to ideate, design, iterate and finalize concepts. While IRIS has been using 3D printing technology for years, it wasn’t until 2013 that they added an Objet24 to their prototyping fold.

According to Hiroshi Oizumi, a member of IRIS’s R&D lab, “We chose the Objet because it offered the highest precision in the market. Fitting home appliances is sometimes so tight that there’s almost no clearance at all.”

As an example, Oizumi pointed out one of his team’s recent products, a cyclonic cleaner. “Performance of this cleaner fully depends on the fitting of components. The suction part, the rotary brush, support walls and casters must be precisely and optimally adjusted. If we fail, its cleaning efficiency will fail,” he said.

But beyond its ability to produce models of exacting quality, the Objet24 has also kept pace with IRIS’s culture of rapid product development. Because of the quiet and compact nature of the Objet24, IRIS’s technicians can turn their CAD designs into tangible models that make design interrogation quick and intuitive.

“We can now make multiple prototypes in a day, whereas outsourcing a prototype had taken days,” said Hidekatsu Hara, IRIS’s R&D manager. “If a model needs to be available today, it will be ready.”

Hara reiterated that the Objet’s quality also contributed to making better design decisions. “When you see and feel a real model, you can intuitively tell what needs improvement, whether it may be mechanical functions or fitting of an assembly. You can identify tiny design flaws on a real model that could be missed on a PC display,” he said.