Yes, I realize that flexo plates are also in fact 3D objects, so maybe I should have been more specific in the title: Photopolymer in 3D... printing!
Okay, so maybe this blog post doesn't have much to do with flexographic printing, but sometimes I stumble across a new product so cool that I feel a need to share it with everyone- and if you're a design geek like me, you'll really get a kick out of this great little robot. FormLabs has created a 3D printer that utilizes liquid photopolymer and a highly accurate laser to create 3D objects. It's named Form 1, and it can be yours for a modest $3,300 USD.
The Form 1 is about 1 foot square, and 18 inches tall, making it desktop friendly. Don't let it's tiny size fool you- it can produce models with a resolution of 0.025mm per layer (that's much finer than other desktop systems at 0.1mm per layer). This makes the Form 1 especially useful for producing final product mock-ups and tiny parts with high accuracy. Packaging designers may find this useful for creating highly accurate mock-up products, and to aid in R&D for a new package.
So, here's where the cool factor comes in- watch a video of the Form 1 in action, from setup to finished product, at the following link (article from Wired.com): http://flexo.co/14CXjdf Yes, I realize that flexo plates are also in fact 3D objects, so maybe I should have been more specific in the title: Photopolymer in 3D... printing!
Okay, so maybe this blog post doesn't have much to do with flexographic printing, but sometimes I stumble across a new product so cool that I feel a need to share it with everyone- and if you're a design geek like me, you'll really get a kick out of this great little robot. FormLabs has created a 3D printer that utilizes liquid photopolymer and a highly accurate laser to create 3D objects. It's named Form 1, and it can be yours for a modest $3,300 USD.
The Form 1 is about 1 foot square, and 18 inches tall, making it desktop friendly. Don't let it's tiny size fool you- it can produce models with a resolution of 0.025mm per layer (that's much finer than other desktop systems at 0.1mm per layer). This makes the Form 1 especially useful for producing final product mock-ups and tiny parts with high accuracy. Packaging designers may find this useful for creating highly accurate mock-up products, and to aid in R&D for a new package.
So, here's where the cool factor comes in- watch a video of the Form 1 in action, from setup to finished product, at the following link (article from Wired.com): http://flexo.co/14CXjdf