New Features and Enhancements

 

New Printers, Features and Improvements

New Printer - Figure 4 Modular

UPGRADABLE 3D PRODUCTION SOLUTION DESIGN TO SCALE WITH GROWTH

3D Sprint 2.11 now supports the latest addition to the 3D Systems Figure 4 series printers, the Figure 4 Modular.

Figure 4 Modular is ideal for medium output, and features an automated material feed system. With expandable capacity up to 24 print engines, Figure 4 Modular enables affordable part production in a flexible, modular system architecture, offering separate post-processing units for cleaning, drying, and curing. With the flexibility to adapt to production layouts, Figure 4 Modular is an affordable 3D production solution that grows with your business, perfect when a single high throughput line can serve a multitude of parts being produced, and centralized post-processing is preferred.

The Figure 4 Modular uses 3D Sprint for file preparation, editing, printing and management from a single, intuitive interface. Using a work-flow that is similar to our existing SLA and Figure 4 workflows, with access to existing tools like Estimate, Quality Check and Fix commands, along with the Print Queue functionality to manage your print jobs on connected printers.

• Build Styles

  An easy parameter control for setting up the build style parameters that apply to the entire building process.

• Accuracy Wizard

  Take the input data from measured test prints to calculate the scales and offsets variables automatically using the Accuracy Wizard from the Build Style command.

• Smart Supports

  Similar to our SLA and Figure 4 printers, the Figure 4 Modular has access to the Smart Supports command to generate Gate supporting structures to support your parts during the build process.

• Print Management

  3D Sprint’s management and monitoring tools allow you to accurately estimate print time and optimize material levels and usage both before and during the print operation. Manage print queues, job priorities, and monitor printers with immediate knowledge if a technical issue is causing a problem across your local network.

New Features and Improvements

Common

• Engrave

  The Engrave command has an additional Color option. Selecting the Extrusion engraving mode will allow you to specify a color to apply to the faces of the result.

• Adjust Color

  A new command, Adjust Color, has been added to the Prepare tab, and is made available when an object with a texture map or color data exists. This command is used to adjust color values for the part. It allows adjustment of Brightness, Contrast, and RGB Channel/Color Balance.

• Bright light lighting scheme

  For some users working with color the default lighting is too dim for correct color representation, although it can be more visually pleasing. So to help this a new display option for Bright Light lighting has been added to give better an more accurate color representation. The Bright Light control has been added to the View dialog (key binding B), so that you can visualize a build in it actual colors and edit them easily in Paint.

• Pattern Grouping

  When you generate parts using the linear pattern in the Copy command, they are now are placed in a group in the parts list for easy management.

• Paint Command

  The Paint command is being updated for better interactivity options in situations with multiple parts on the platform. This change gives you an easier work-flow for modifications in the scenario where your Print Platform is quite densely populated.

  3D Sprint now allows model manager operations (select/hide/show) to work from within command.
  In Fill mode, when you Click+Drag the selection box now displays a preview of current color selection.
  In Fill mode, when you Click+Drag the selection box now has “select through” behavior for all visible models. So hidden objects are not modified.
  In Fill mode, Ctrl+A will set all visible models to the current color. Hidden objects are not modified.
  Hold the Alt key to do model selection instead of paint operations - this allows you to select and perform easy hide/show operations.
  Hold Shift + Alt keys to select multiple models.
  Use Ctrl+Alt+A to select all visible models.
  Use Ctrl+Alt+C to clear all model selections.
  Painting with brush will no longer exceed boundary of a visible geometry to nearby faces that extend beyond the line of sight.

MJP

• Printer Maintenance

  A number of maintenance tasks around printer connections and reporting have been done for MJP printers.

SLA

• Support Updates

  Work has been done to update and improve supports for SLA printers including ‘Point Influence Depth’ parameter for better support control, eliminate redundant anchor points, and increase supports reliability.

• Large Support Style

  A specialized Smart Supports preset, Large, is provided for use with SLA systems. This style set is for the goal of supporting of bulky or large-frame SLA printing. Objects of increased scale often have greater mechanical forces encountered during the printing process - this is remedied by increasing the overall number of support points. The Large style produces more supports along all flat, sloped, & curved down-facing regions, as well as specifically targeting some additional reinforcement of CAD-like sharp edges and thin wall conditions. The connection tips associated with this style are single-vector “half tips” for ease of removal & sanding.

• Build Time Estimation

  We have improved Build Time Estimate for ProJet 6000 and Projet 7000 so that they are closer to the actual printing time.

• Custom Material Delivery Module (MDM) sizes

  We have increased the limits for custom MDM sizes as shown in the table below.

  Printer	Upper Limit	Default
  ProX 800, 950 iPro 8000, 9000 ProJet 6000, 7000	Increase the upper limit by 0.5” inches (125mm) in X and Y.	Default size remains the same.

SLS

• BPZ File Importing for Free Client

  Free client users can now import SLS Build files (.bpz) files for their print jobs using the Import command.

• New Materials

  DuraForm ProX EX NAT is an engineered production plastic for use on 3D Systems’ ProX SLS systems. It is a general purpose material that is best suited for printing parts with fine feature and parts where smooth surface finish are desired.

Figure 4

• Build Time Estimation

  We have continued to improve Build Time Estimation for all Figure 4 printers by reviewing and collecting current measurement and improving the estimation times.

• Supports

  Work has been done to update and improve supports for Figure 4 printers including expose ‘Penetration L Single Pt’ parameter and ‘Point Influence Depth’ parameter for better support control and increase supports reliability.

• Firmware Updates

  3D Sprint can now check and support firmware upgrades for Figure 4 series printers directly through the 3D Sprint application.

• New and Updated Build Styles for Materials

  • Model 2.0 White Orthodontic: This is a new build style release to support Model 2.0 White orthodontic tooling (similar to the previously released Model 2.0 Peach Orthodontic and Model 2.0 Grey Orthodontic build styles)

  • NextDent Tray - Shade Blue: We have updated the Shade Blue build style for the NextDent Tray material for added robustness to prevent layer delamination, improve adhesion to the Print Platform. Exposure of the default support structure was also increased to improve build robustness. And the default support placement has been optimized for better coverage.

  • NextDent Tray - Shade Pink: We have updated the Shade Pink build style for the NextDent Tray material for added robustness to prevent layer delamination, improve adhesion to the Print Platform and the default support placement has been optimized for better coverage.

Fixes

• For the full, up-to-date list of Fixes please consult the What's New document at the 3D Sprint download page.
  (https://support.3dsystems.com/s/article/3D-Sprint)