3D printing offers endless possibilities, but up to now, the limited production speed of conventional FDM techniques has made large-format 3D printing impractical. No longer. Mimaki’s game-changing 3DGD-1800, a large-format 3D printer with gel dispensing technology, is extremely fast. And there’s more. Read on to find out what makes this printer so unique.
The 3D printing market is constantly evolving and growing, both in terms of size and its range of applications. Printing large-sized objects used to be a time-consuming process, but Mimaki’s 3DGD-1800 puts an end to that. This revolutionary 3D printer can produce objects up to 1.8 metres tall in just seven hours – making large-format 3D printing attractive for a whole range of new industries, including sign and display makers and production companies.
Fast, hollow, and transparent
The 3DGD-1800 owes its high production speed mostly to its gel dispensing printing technology. Instead of melting plastic, as with FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) using filament rolls, this printer employs a liquid gel that is cured with UV light. This material doesn’t have to be melted first. Once exposed, it cures instantly, resulting in unprecedented production speeds of up to 350mm in height per hour. Producing objects up to 1.8 metres tall, the 3DGD-1800 opens up a tremendous range of applications. And don’t forget that you can print parts of larger objects, making things even more interesting.
The printer also comes with two independently operating heads, allowing you to produce two objects simultaneously. This speeds up production even further.
But that’s not all. Thanks to the gel dispensing technology and Mimaki’s dedicated software, you can even produce hollow structures. And not just the type of structure that complies with strict requirements: the maximum overhang is 50 degrees, meaning fewer supports, which saves time and costs. Our software is highly flexible, allowing you to print both internal and external support structures. This is particularly useful for hard-to-print objects that must be truly hollow. It also comes in handy for mould makers, as rigid moulds can be printed without having to remove the inside support structure first.
Finally, the gel is translucent. This allows you to use interior illumination for hollow printed objects, adding a whole new dimension to your applications.
Technology unlocks creativity
The Mimaki 3DGD-1800 is a dream come true for companies that used to struggle with the limits of conventional 3D printing techniques. Now they can produce 3D objects faster and bigger than ever before, in ways that were previously inconceivable. They can make greater use of their 3D data by harnessing them themselves, in large formats.
Print size makes all the difference, unlocking a whole world of new, creative applications: 3D-printed POP displays, life-sized mannequins for shop windows and unique show-stoppers for events, to name just a few.
The printer is also perfect for full-size prototyping, interior design or producing props for set design. 3D objects can now be printed directly in full size, without requiring a model maker to reproduce a smaller foam model manually. In this way, sign and display makers can really broaden their creative horizons using the Mimaki 3DGD-1800, potentially even disrupting their markets as a result.
