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3D Systems, Inc.
DESCRIPTION and DEFINITIONS
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ColorJet Printing™
- The name of 3D Systems’ full-color capable 3D printing technology using a two-part material set to create a
solid, full-color, model – layer by layer.
VisiJet
®
C4 Spectrum™
- The new consumable material set includes two components:
• Binders
– Clear, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow colored liquids which are selectively deposited with a piezoelectric inkjet print head
onto core component of the material set. These binders are consumables items needed for printing.
• Core
– the granular (or powder) component of the material set which is thinly spread layer-by-layer across a build bed of the
printer. This component of the material set both reacts with the binder to create the solid model(s), as well as supports the
model(s) during the building process. This material is a consumable item needed for printing.
Build Bed
– The area in front of the feeder where the 3D part is actually built. The platform of the build bed can be raised or lowered
using the control knob on the control panel. Before each build, the printer fills the build bed with the core material and then smoothes the
final layer to ensure accurate and precise printing.
Build Platform
– The metal plate in the bottom of the build bed which moves vertically during the printing process and part removal. The
vertical motion can be controlled through the control panel during part removal.
Control Panel
– The flip-out panel on the front of the machine which contains an LCD display, the control knob, and door release buttons.
LCD Display
– The small rectangular display located on the control panel.
Control Knob
– The large black button on the control panel.
Door Release Button
– The small black button on the control panel for unlocking the build chamber.
Build Chamber
– The left-hand interior of the printer which houses the build bed, service station, debris separator, feeder, vacuum hose,
fast-axis assembly, and the binder cartridge pockets.
Cleaning Station
– The right-hand interior of the printer which is used to finely clean the finished 3D printed models. This area is simply
a down-draft chamber, with a compressed air wand for cleaning excess core from the parts.
Service Station
– The Service Station is the small fixture in the back right of the Build Chamber used to clean the print heads during the
printing process. The binder which enters the service station is drained into the waste tray below the build chamber. Keeping this station
clean is
critical
for successful builds. The wiper within the service stationshould be cleaned before each build.
Waste Tray
– This consumable item is used to collect and cure binder waste that is deposited into the service station during the printing
process. This feature is a replaceable unit.
Debris Separator
– The removable windowed pocket in the top-right of the build chamber is located just above the vacuum hose. This
pocket is used to catch any small or broken parts from entering the feeder.
Feeder
– The location in the printer which contains the core material used for printing. Core is deposited from this feeder for each layer
of the building process.
Vacuum Hose
– The hose on the right-hand side of the build chamber which is used to transfer core to the feeder from newly -opened
containers, the build bed, overflows, and the cleaning station areas of the printer.
Overflows
– The trough in the front and rear of the build bed which collects excess core during the printing process. The collected core
in these chambers is emptied periodically during the printing process and returned to the feeder for re-use. The front overflow needs to
be cleaned before each build.
Fast-Axis
– This assembly is the printer component which houses the carriage and fast axis rails on which the carriage moves. The fast
axis moves on the slow axis rails which are housed beneath the build deck. The fast axis moves in the left-right direction in the printer.
This assembly is a replaceable unit.
Carriage
– This assembly houses the print heads used for jetting binder selectively onto the core in the build bed. This carriage is a
replaceable unit.
Print Heads
– The piezo-electric inkjet units in the carriage which are used to selectively jet binders onto layers of core through hundreds
of individual nozzles. The print heads are cleaned in the service station periodically throughout the printing process to ensure proper
printing.
Slow-Axis
– The back-to-front axis of motion in the printer. The slow-axis contains both the roller and fast-axis assembly.
Roller
– The rotating cylindrical tube on the slow-axis which is used to evenly spread thin layers of core across the build bed.
Build Deck
– The metal area surrounding the build bed which protects critical printer components from binder and core. The service
station is located on the build deck.