Civil, Architectural and Mechanical Models Come to Life with the ProJet 4500 3D Printer

3D System’s ProJet 4500 claims to be the only “continuous tone, full-color plastic 3D printer” on the market. It is capable of printing models with nearly one million colors. The ProJet 4500 accomplishes this through the use of a proprietary plastic powder called VisiJet C4 Spectrum.

Every part of a 4500 model can be imbued with color thanks to the ProJet 4500’s 0.1mm axis resolution. Furthermore, the machine’s color printing technology allows its models to showcase either seamless color gradients or abrupt color switches depending on a user’s input.

The Projet 4500 vs the Projet 660

While the features of the ProJet 4500 might sound a lot like the ProJet 660, the 4500 is actually a much more versatile machine. The main point of difference between the 660 and the 4500 centers on the materials that each printer uses. While the 600 uses a gypsum-based powder the 4500 uses a polymer stock. Leveraging the strength inherent in plastics, the 4500 is capable of producing parts that can withstand conditions that would cause a 660 model to break.

Because of its added strength the ProJet 4500 has a greater application portfolio than the 660. Functional models as well as high-quality display prototypes can be created using the 4500.

According to Steve Cory of Objex Unlimited, the ProJet 4500 is a perfect complement to his company’s ProJet 660. “With the 4500 we’re able to build any models that we think would be too delicate to build on the 660”. Aside from being more robust Cory was also quick to point out that the 4500 excels at printing thin-walled, complex parts for both mechanical and architectural applications.

Diving into the mechanics of the ProJet 4500, Steve also complimented the system’s Piezo-style printhead technology: “With the 4500 we don’t see any costly, time consuming printhead changes. For that reason we can run the 4500 with little to no downtime.”

How Fast is the Projet 4500?

Aside from its versatility, the ProJet 4500 is a reasonably fast machine. It boasts a production speed that’s four times faster than its nearest rival, leading to very rapid prototyping. One reason for the fast model building speed is that the models don’t require post processing. Once a job has been completed, the technician can remove the printed object from the surrounding cake of build powder and blow it off with compressed air. Similar to the ProJet 660, the 4500’s unused material can be vacuumed up and recycled for the next build.

 Steve’s experience is that the machine is somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-times slower than the 660. Though 3D Systems insists that their machine is lightning fast, those looking for snappy turnaround times might do well to temper their expectations.

To balance its slower print speed the ProJet 4500 offers its users straightforward, minimal post-processing. While the 660 may produce unrivaled color its post-processing procedures require a full 24-hours to cure. With the ProJet 4500 models can be excavated from their surrounding powder and blown clean. “To finish parts on the 4500 all we do is pull them out and give them a light sanding,” said Cory.

Thanks to its ease of use, the ProJet 4500 is an excellent AM option for firms that need to bring realism to their product design and review process. Regardless of whether the application is a large scale urban planning project, a home remodel or a brand new widget, the ProJet 4500 can produce models that engage clients and speed up design iterations.

While it isn’t the fastest printer, if quality is your primary driver the 4500 should be a serious contender for your full-color models.