ABSTRACT
Three-dimensional printing, or 3DP, is an MIT-licensed process, whereby liquid binder is jetted onto a powder media using ink jets to “print” a physical part from computer aided design (CAD) data. Z Corporation (Z Corp) incorporates the 3DP process into the Z402 system. The relatively inexpensive Z402 is directed toward building concept-verification models primarily, as the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the parts are less than higher end systems. The initial powder used was starch based and the binder was water based, however now the most commonly used powder is a new gypsum based material with a new binder system as well. Models are built up from bottom to top with layers of the starch powder and binder printed in the shape of the cross sections of the part. The resulting porous model is then infiltrated with wax or another hardener to give the part dexterity. The Z402 is the fastest modeler on the market, with speeds 5 to 10 times faster than other current rapid prototyping (RP) systems.
