CAD design has steadily been embraced by jewelers of all sizes, from the solitary designer to the larger mass production houses. Popular CAD software programs specifically created with the jeweler in mind allow for faster, more precise design than traditional hand carving, and also open up design possibilities not previously possible. While early adopters of CAD used milling machines to carve their wax, an increasing numbers of jewelers have discovered the additional flexibility that 3D printing brings to the design process. Complex and hollow geometries that cannot be milled are now quickly making their way to market with the help of 3D printing. 3D printers may be used to print wax models for direct casting, to print in materials ideally suited for molding, or to even materials that may be plated for use as visual samples.

For large jewelry companies and design houses, adopting 3D printing technology has been as simple as investing in their own 3D printer. But smaller enterprises have had to rely on external service bureaus to print their designs in order to achieve the high-quality results needed in order to remain competitive. The Perfactory® Micro from EnvisionTEC has changed the game, making high resolution and superb surface finishes much more accessible. The LED lighting eliminates thehigh cost of calibration and balancing the light source, dramatically lowering the cost and making it affordable for small productions and one-off custom markets.

The Perfactory Micro 3D printer from EnvisionTEC is the smallest professional-grade desktop 3D printer in size with the highest resolution. It is a low cost, easy maintenance, and user friendly personal desktop manufacturing system designed for producing high quality models for direct casting or molding. Using state-of-the-art Digital Light Projection (DLP) technology from Texas Instruments® coupled with LED performance, the Perfactory Micro System allows access to a top quality professional grade prototyping system. Utilizing a built-in USB connection, the Perfactory Micro can connect directly to your personal PC workstation and works just like a personal desktop printer.

For more information or to place an order, contact the Tools Tech Hotline at 800-877-7777 ext. 4300