With today’s announcements, 3D Systems takes the lead in innovative desktop prosumer 3D Printing. Yesterday we covered their announcement of two new FDM printers, the Cube 3 and CubePro. This morning they completely redefined what’s possible on the desktop by unveiling the the most exciting 3D printers to date, the ChefJet Series of sugar printers, the CeraJet ceramic printer, the CubeJet full color powder printer, and the Touch haptic input device.
ChefJet Series: Edible Chocolate and Sugar Desktop 3DP
In September, 3D Systems acquired the Sugar Lab and since then I have been wondering when they would debut a sugar printer. The answer came today in the form of the ChefJet Series, “an entirely new, kitchen-ready 3D printer category for edibles”. There are two printers in this series the “monochrome, countertop” ChefJet and full-color ChefJet Pro.
ChefJet
Here’s a little more about the monochrome or white sugar ChefJet printer, from the 3D Systems press release:
The ChefJet 3D printer is a monochrome, countertop sized printer with a generous build volume of 8x8x6” making it ideal for single color confections and cake toppers. ChefJet printable materials come in a variety of recipes, including chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon. ChefJet is expected to be available in the second half of 2014 and will be priced in the sub-$5,000 range.
ChefJet Pro
And here’s the skinny on the multicolor ChefJet Pro sugar AND chocolate printer, from the 3D Systems press release:
The ChefJet Pro 3D printer is a full-color, large format printer with a build volume of 10x14x8”. ChefJet Pro printable materials also come in a variety of recipes, including chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon, all of which can be printed in full-color. ChefJet is expected to be available in the second half of 2014 and will be priced in the sub-$10,000 range.
Sugar 3D printing is not completely new, Evil Mad Science, proclaimed that the “revolution will be caramelized” in 2009 when they debuted their Candy Fab printer, but this is the first time a desktop edibles printer of this caliber had been made commercially available.
CeraJet: Professional Ceramic 3DP
The sub-$10,000 CeraJet puts ceramic 3D printing in the hands of artists, designers, and makers and extends prosumer 3D printing to the craft of pottery and ceramics. Just like traditionally produced pottery, the objects produced by the CeraJet still need to be glazed and fired in a kiln.
The CeraJet prints intricate and detailed ceramic objects fast using 3DS’ Color-Jet-Printing (CJP) technology, that are ready for firing and glazing. This class of 3D printers and materials infuses the age-old tradition of ceramics with the ability to make previously unimagined complex shapes.
The CeraJet is expected to ship in the second half of 2014.
CubeJet: Full Color Power Desktop 3DP
If an edibles and a ceramic printer weren’t enough, 3D systems also released the CubeJet. A powder printer capable of printing in pixel-perfect, high definition, photo-quality full color. The CubeJet uses standard, user-replaceable, inkjet printheads, loads with 3D System’s proprietary cartridges, features wireless connectivity and can create models at one inch per hour. It’s priced at under $5,000 expected to ship in the second quarter of 2014.
You can read more about the CubeJet from the 3D Systems press release.
Touch Haptic Mouse
In addition to these new printers, 3D Systems has also released the Touch haptic device that works with the Cubify Sculpt design software, priced at $499.
3DMe Photobooth
Lastly, 3DS is bringing the 3DMe experience to the retail floor and event space. Today they debuted their 3DMe Photobooth that creates detailed full-color facial scans that are then meshed with figurine bodies and then printed in full color.
From the 3D Systems press release:
Powered by 3DS’ powerful and secure consumer cloud-hosting, publishing and fulfillment platform, the new 3DMe Photobooth is capable of instant, full-color, realistic 3D face capture for intuitive mashing with a host of personalized and licensed figurines on a large scale.
More to Come
I had the opportunity to conduct video interviews with Keith Ozar, the folks from the Sugar Lab, and the CeraJet printers from the floor of CES 2014. The videos will be posted just as soon as we can process and upload them. Look for them tonight!
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