Colour in 3d prinitng

Editor's Notes

1. Full-color 3D printing for consumers is definitely something like the Holy Grail for many manufacturers. And many of these ambitious companies actually died in this quest for a functional, affordable and performant desktop full-color 3D printer. Pirx, botObjects… very promising brands paid the ultimate price (not to mention the various failed Kickstarters).
2. VANITY
3. Glamour
4. And this is just one example, of the thousands of potential uses for multi-colour 3D printing. From artists and designers, to doctors, to engineers – anything printed that has an aspect of communication, or aesthetic can be improved with the addition of colour. In word that fourth dimension is communication
5. we categorize as multi-color or full-color the 3D printers capable of using a wide range of colors and combining them to create a full color object. This distinction is important, as sometimes 3D printers with a dual extruders are referred to as multi-color since they can technically extrude 2 filaments of different colors at the same time, thus creating an object in 2 colors. this is NOT what we call multi-color or full-color 3D printers 
6. ColorJet Printing involves two major elements: a core material (powder) and a binder. The binder is the colored material. It comes in the form of CYMK cardridges (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black), kind of similar to a traditional printer. The powdered core material is spread in thin layers over the build platform. After each layer of core material is spread, the color binder is selectively jetted from the inkjet print heads over the core layer, causing the core to solidify and to get its color. The process is repeated layer by layer. Once the 3D print is complete, an infiltrant is used to finish the part and obtain a sandstone-like object, with a porous surface and a “rough” finish. 2. Projet 3D printers by 3D SYSTEMS – from $35,000 Z Corporation (also known as Z Corp.) was acquired by 3D Systems on January 3 2012, mainly because their multi-color 3D printing technology was something missing at the time in 3D Systems’ portfolio. Since then, 3D System has been a reference for multi-color 3D printing. The Z Corp technology has been used by 3D Systems to develop their proprietary full-color 3D printing process, called ColorJet Printing (CJP). The ProJet 4500 and the industrial 3D printers of the ProJet X60 line use ColorJet Printing.
7. The ProJet 4500 and the industrial 3D printers of the ProJet X60 line use ColorJet Printing. The entry-level multi-color 3D printers from 3D Systems cost around than $35,000 while the more advanced models cost up to $200,000.
8. 4. The IRIS HD by Mcor – $40,000 – $50,000 The Mcor IRIS HD is a 3D printer that uses paper as the print material, to achieve high quality full-color 3D prints, with more than 1 million colors in full CYMK mode! The multi-color 3D printing technology developed by Mcor is called Selective Deposition Lamination (SDL). First, a classic inkjet printer print the paper sheets in color, following a specific order. Then the 3D printer cuts and glues the sheets of paper on top of each over to build the 3D printed object, which will be fully colored. The systems works with standard paper sheets (A4 or letter size).
9. At CES 2016 the Irish company Mcor, one of the few color 3D printer manufacturer, introduced the Mcor ARKe. This professional 3D printer is desktop sized (880 x 593 x 633 mm) and capable of 3D printing on paper. The printed objects are colored and can have a maximum size of 240 x 205 x 125 mm. Mcor announced a price of $5,999 for this innovative machine.
10. Stratasys 3D printers from the Connex1 and Connex2 series and some other models (such as the Objet24 Pro or Prime) are capable of producing multi-materials and multi-color objects, but the number of colors is limited.
11. 1. Objet Connex3 3 printers by Stratasys – from $150,000 Stratasys has developed a proprietary multi-color 3D printing technology called PolyJet. They offer a line of full-color industrial 3D printers called the Connex3 series. The Polyjet process is similar to inkjet printing, but instead of jetting drops of ink onto paper, the 3D printer jets layers of curable liquid photopolymer onto a build tray. The liquid photopolymer is then directly cured by UV rays to obtain a solid, colored layer. The Connex3 series full-color 3D printers are not only capable of using different colors, they can also combine materials with different physical properties in a single print (soft and hard materials for example), making them perfect for realistic prototypes and mockups. It is even possible to 3D print transparent materials. These full-color 3D printers are expensive, with prices starting around $100k. Stratasys introduced in April 2016 a new 3D printer capable of producing 3D objects with up to 6 different materials, with 360,000 colors available.
12.   The Multi Jet fusion process has been adapted from traditional inkjet printing techniques. It works on a layer-by-layer basis, using a scanner and print bar fitted with 30,000 nozzles that apply layers of material coating. This material is then locked in place with fixing agents and a heat source, before a new layer begins. The system applies over 350 million drops per second, with an accuracy of 21 microns - a tenfold improvement over other 3D printing techniques and superior to laser sintering system used by many industrial 3D printers today.
13. MJF – JET FUSION 3200 -50 times faster than FDM OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL! 120000 USD – 150000 USD We think maybe Hewlett-Packard (HP): the print/computer giant is about to enter the 3D printing field, with a possibly groundbreaking technology called Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). Their 3D printer could be capable of 3D printing in full color at very high speed. But given the precedents, we’re not ready to bet anything on this and it’ll likely be a few years before we see an actual multi-color consumer-grade 3D printers under $5,000. 
14. The approach of Mosaic Manufacuring is different. It uses a standalone box, called the Palette, which feeds a mulicolored filament to any single-color 3-D printer. Basically, you put the shoebox-sized Palette between almost any 3-D printer and four spools of filament. Then Palette chops and changes the color, so the printer has the right color material coming out of the printer head at any given moment.
15. Although it might seem like a fairly niche product, the Palette represents a major leap forwards for cheap, consumer printing. There’s a limited number of things that people really want to print out of one single color of plastic, but as soon as you add multiple colors, and multiple materials into the mix, the possibilities explode.
16. 3. The 3DPandoras by SKY-TECH – around $12,000 The 3D printing technology used by SKY-TECH with the 3DPandoras is quite similar to the core and binder technology used by 3D Systems. This Taiwanese manufacturer recently launched the 3DPandoras with the goal to make full-color 3D printing more affordable. while not compromising on quality.
17. X1 by Addwii: a desktop multi-color 3D printer made in Taiwan, around $12,000. Very hard to get users feedback but we thought we’d list it here anyway
18. DyeMansion: announced at the 2015 formnext conference, this German start-up also goes around the usual technical roadblocks of full-color 3D printing and offers an innovative high-quality coloring and finishing solution for laser-sintered parts. With 51 liters of usable coloring volume and a processing time of just under 3 hours, the machine can be run several times daily. For example, up to 300 eyeglass frames including the temples can be colored in a single run. With a diameter of 400mm and a height of 450mm even large geometries can be colored.
19. Spectrom3D: this start-up was ambitious and got a lot of press when they announced their “revolution for color 3D printing”. A few months later, we’re not sure they’re still operating. Another casualty on the full-color 3D printers battlefield?
20. whiteclouds: this US-based 3D printing service is equipped with an impressive range of industrial-grade 3D printers, including the full range of multi-color 3D Systems machines in order to offer full-color 3D printing to their enterprise customers. The company has now announced its expansion into a new 60,000-square-foot facility and the installation of 14 additional full-color 3D printers from 3D Systems into their production line. This means that WhiteClouds now has a fleet of 24 full-color printers from 3D Systems, including ProJet 660Pros, ProJet 4500s and a ProJet 860Pro, making it the largest full-color 3D print services provider and binder jetting 3D printer farm in the world. While attending the Consumer Electronics Show 2016, Utah-based 3D printing services company WhiteCloudsannounced that they will be purchasing 3DplusMe, the branded 3D capture-to-print company responsible for the 3D printed likeness kiosks popping up in retail stores all over the country. 3DplusMe has ongoing licensing deals with some of the largest video game, entertainment and sports brands in the industry, and they are one of the largest suppliers of 3D printed merchandise to consumers in the country. This year the company has had a tremendous amount of success in delivering full-color 3D products to customers, so it isn’t a surprise that they would be a tantalizing target for WhiteClouds.
21. Apple: the Cupertino giant actually patented a “method and apparatus for three dimensional printing of colored objects” back in 2104. Could Apple release some day the ultimate user-friendly multicolor 3D printer? We think it’s unlikely anytime soon, but within 5-10 years, who know It’s unclear, at this time, if Apple plans to market the printer it describes. Apple fanatics hoping for a 3D printer to go with their iPhones may be tearing their hair out at this point, as the company started filing 3D printing-related patents but is still remaining mum about what it intends to do with them. It seems unlikely, however, that Apple would pass on the opportunity to grab onto such a rapidly growing and lucrative piece of technology Others – samsung?
22. Patient education models Virtual surgery Surgical planing models Surgical stents / guides Final prosthesis Human anatomy - cadavers
23. SAM DRAW _ FAM technology – stanford university Full colour , Adjustable hardness , multimaterial Not commercially available but as a service No implants yet
24. Integrated electronics and multimaterial
25. Avataar , pacific rim and iron man
26. The Boxtrolls (2014), ParaNorman (2012) and Coraline (2009). Their use of 3D printing in animation garnered them a Scientific and Engineering award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. The studio’s fourth feature, Kubo and the Two Strings, will open in theaters this year.
27. enables you to produce intricate terrain, city and even subsurface 3D maps / urban planning Whether you’re engaged in emergency response or military planning, geologic analyses, real estate and city planning, educating students or simply want to document a favourite journey or location as a keepsake, 3D printed GIS models revolutionise the way you use and communicate with GIS data.  3D printed GIS models enable you to quickly, affordably and more effectively communicate with clients, colleagues, public audiences and students than traditional 2D or hand crafted, CNC, and moulded techniques.
28. Gemini, a curvy wood cocoon chaise lounge made on CNC routers and a 3D printer, has been acquired by The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Coral colony artwork 
29. Bringing ancient things / people to life