The Voxel8 3D Printer Can Blend Electronics and Plastics
Rahul Kalvapalle — January 14, 2015 — Tech
The Voxel8 is a 3D printer, presented at CES 2015, that is capable of blending electronic components, conductive ink and plastic in the same object, enabling you to manufacture customizable high-tech objects such as quadcopters for example. The printer uses a special ink that uses highly conductive silver particles instead of carbon, making it far more conductive and better for use with small electric motors and actuators.
The Voxel8 is equipped with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, USB and Wi-Fi connectivity and the use of special magnets that ensure high-precision printing even when components are manually inserted.
The Voxel8 printers are expected to begin shipping later this year. They will sell for $8,999, a price that includes a pair of PLA plastic filament spools and five conductive cartridges. You can get double the printing materials if you lay down a $500 deposit for a pre-order.
The Voxel8 is equipped with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, USB and Wi-Fi connectivity and the use of special magnets that ensure high-precision printing even when components are manually inserted.
The Voxel8 printers are expected to begin shipping later this year. They will sell for $8,999, a price that includes a pair of PLA plastic filament spools and five conductive cartridges. You can get double the printing materials if you lay down a $500 deposit for a pre-order.
Trend Themes
1. Hybrid 3D Printing - The ability to blend electronic components, conductive ink and plastic in a single object creates opportunities for hybrid 3D printing of customizable high-tech objects.
2. Conductive Ink 3D Printing - The use of highly conductive silver particles instead of carbon in the special ink used by the Voxel8 printer opens up opportunities for conductive ink 3D printing that is better suited to small electric motors and actuators.
3. Precision 3D Printing - The use of special magnets in the Voxel8 ensures high-precision printing, making it possible to manually insert components without sacrificing precision, which leads to opportunities for precision 3D printing.
Industry Implications
1. Electronics Manufacturing - The Voxel8 printer's ability to blend electronic components with plastic creates opportunities for more efficient and cost-effective electronics manufacturing.
2. 3D Printing - The Voxel8 printer's unique capabilities, such as the use of conductive ink, create opportunities for innovation and disruption in the 3D printing industry.
3. Aerospace - The Voxel8 printer's ability to manufacture customizable and high-tech objects, such as quadcopters, could lead to opportunities for innovation and disruption in the aerospace industry.
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