SLA system produces professional parts

A Moog product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 20, 2008

Durable plastic parts promise unprecedented surface smoothness, feature resolution, edge definition and tolerances that rival the accuracy of CNC-machined plastic parts.

3D Systems has developed a new professional stereolithography system for the production of ultra-high-definition "pro parts" from its integrated portfolio of proprietary Accura plastics.

The new iPro 9000 SLA centre is designed to quickly and economically produce durable plastic parts with unprecedented surface smoothness, feature resolution, edge definition and tolerances that rival the accuracy of CNC-machined plastic parts.

Based on decades of 3D Systems' patented SLA technology, the iPro 9000 SLA centre features a new generation of proprietary ProScan digital scanning system that is equipped with a new state-of-the-art SteadyPower imager.

The new SteadyPower Imager is designed to deliver consistently reliable output for optimal performance and repeatability comparable to the performance exhibited by traditional CNC centres, enabling builds at a faster rate than any currently available system, resulting in a lower part cost.

The extra large build platform for extended unattended operation is suitable for the high-production of finely featured micro parts or the fabrication of a few extra large parts.

The performance of the iPro 9000 SLA centre is enhanced through the incorporation of 3D Systems' new and innovative 3DManage and 3DPrint software that provides extensive build management, part editing and automatic support generating tools and extensive remote monitoring and diagnostics capabilities.

The easy-to-use iPro 9000 SLA centre is ideal for a wide range of design-to-manufacturing applications.

In combination with 3D Systems' versatile portfolio of Accura plastics, this next generation SLA centre provides better part-building capabilities, superior quality control and faster, cleaner materials' changeover, opening new frontiers of manufacturing productivity for a variety of producers.

The iPro 9000 SLA centre is currently available in two production centre platform configurations - single and dual resin delivery modules (RDM), and a selection of build envelopes up to 736 x 635 x 533mm.

The dual RDM capability enables customers to build parts from two different materials simultaneously.

"Exceptional productivity, reliability and performance were the defining objectives for our new iPro 9000 SLA centre", said Abe Reichental, 3D Systems' President and chief executive officer.

"Responding to specific customer requests and clear emerging marketplace trends, we are enormously proud to deliver such a versatile system, one capable of continuous production of precision parts at machine tool quality, for applications like jigs, fixtures and castable patterns from a growing portfolio of integrated and proprietary Accura plastics and third-party approved materials".

"The introduction of this machine tool-like SLA centre underscores our commitment to expand our participation in this segment of the marketplace".

"We believe that our new iPro 9000 will contribute favourably to our customers' bottom line as well as to our revenue and profitability goals for the remainder of 2008 and beyond".