Desktop Metal introduces the ETEC Pro XL Industrial Polymer 3D Printer

3D printer manufacturer Desktop Metal announced the launch of the ETEC Pro XL. This is a premium polymer DLP printer that comes to market at less than half the price of its predecessor.

Standout features include a 4K Ultra HD projector (3840 x 2160 pixels) for optimal size and pixel density, and a premium 385nm wavelength light engine that provides a power density of 5mW/cm^2, resulting in faster layer exposure times. Add to this HyperPrint™ technology, which further accelerates already fast DLP print times with a resin heater and closed-loop sensor system for continuous isotropic printing at low pull forces.

“Our ETEC polymer brand has been a leader for 20+ years in high-quality DLP printing, and the ETC Pro XL continues that legacy at an accessible new price point while delivering critical user upgrades,” said Ric Fulop. “DLP remains a superior polymer 3D printing technology for speed, surface finish, and accuracy, which is why we have more than 300 Super Fleet customers around the world with more than three systems running around-the-clock production with our machines. That includes manufacturers of industrial goods, toys, jewelry, medical devices, and consumer electronics. Our average customer fleet size is six printers, but it is not uncommon for our customers to have fleets of more than 20 printers. The platform on which the ETEC Pro XL is based, originally known as the Perfactory and more recently known as the P4K, has been a major driver of these Super Fleets.”

The ETEC Pro XL is currently qualified for use with various resins such as E-Rigid Form Charcoal, HTM 140 and Easy Cast 2.0, and is also backward compatible with materials that were approved for previous models of the P4K and Perfactory. In addition, the system is compatible with third-party resins from renowned manufacturers such as Henkel Loctite, Evonik and BASF.

The rigid, heat-resistant and castable materials available on the system make it ideal for use in a variety of industrial, jewelry and medical applications, including automotive and machine parts, aerospace components, housings, connectors, assembly aids, microfluidic devices, castable jewelry patterns, short-run molds, fluid lines and prosthetics.

DLP printing, which traces its origins to 2002 with the EnvisionTEC Perfactory, the base platform of the ETEC Pro XL, uses the power of an HD projector to rapidly flash and cure layer after layer of resin with a theater-quality DLP chip. The ability to control each voxel individually greatly improves the accuracy and surface quality of 3D printed parts, especially when combined with custom optics and specific light wavelengths.