Tasman Machinery releases Mojo Desktop 3D Printer from Stratasys
Announcement posted by com4tech 17 May 2012
Tasman Machinery is proud to announce the release of Stratasys’ new “Mojo” desktop 3D printing system, which promises to make 3D printing much more accessible to companies by lowering the threshold for adopting the technology. The printer is priced at less than U$10,000 and includes features aimed at making 3D part-making more intuitive and seamless for users.
Tasman Machinery used the opportunity of Australia’s leading manufacturing and machine tool show, Austech 2012 in Sydney (held from 8 to 11 May), to introduce high-end additive manufacturing technology to around 10,0000 attendees, with the running of Stratasy’s flagship Fortus 3D Production System, a Fortus 400mc. The Fortus system was manufacturing phone covers made from super tough polycarbonate thermoplastic.
“Certainly we had a very busy show, and having the additive manufacturing sub-section at the Austech exhibition has been a big plus for us, as it produced a cluster effect of people visiting going from booth to booth,” Managing Director Dermid McKinley says. “We have generated huge interest in our high-end machines like the 3D Fortus production system, which is finding more and more advanced applications for users. At the other end of the application scale we celebrated the worldwide release our latest FDM 3D printer, The Mojo, which is going to be a game changer in the industry.”
While the Fortus 400mc 3D Production System can be used as a full production machine, producing everything from assembly jigs through to end-user parts to replace injection moulded and CNC machined components, the new “Mojo” desktop printer now brings the possibiklities of 3D printing right to the desktop, provided the part can fit within the unit’s build envelope of 127 x 127 x 127 mm.
“The number of manufacturers producing end-use parts through additive manufacturing is relatively small, but the number of organisations considering doing this is large,” Mr McKinley says. “The new Mojo 3D desktop 3D printer is now virtually affordable for anyone, and includes features aimed at making 3D printing more intuitive and seamless, much like using a traditional desktop 2D printer.”
Like other 3D printers from Stratasys, the Mojo unit builds parts through fused deposition modelling (FDM) – a process that creates resilient plastic parts out of durable & strong ABS thermoplastic.
Applications of FDM therefore extend beyond prototyping to include functional tools, fixtures and end-use parts.
The Mojo comes with a print pack which includes PrintWizard software that allows users to design products and print. The print wizard imports the CAD model and steps the user through decisions related to orientation and scaling, as well as the number of pieces to be built in the cycle. A hardware innovation intended to further simplify the process is the integration of material spool and print head into a single package (the “QuickPack” engine). Thanks to this design, loading material into the Mojo unit is a straightforward step that is similar to snapping an inkjet cartridge into an office paper printer.
“This product is just another indication that 3D printing is ready to move into the mainstream,” Mr McKinley says. “For a person or organisation who wants a 3D Printer that can work right out of the box and producing professional grade models, the Mojo is very attractive.”