SELFI3D INVESTS IN STRATASYS’ LATEST J55 3D PRINTER TO CREATE ULTRA-REALISTIC 3D MODELS OF ITS CUSTOMERS

Selfi3D, spanish company specialized in photo-sculpture production, has purchased Stratasys’ new J55 3D printer by the hand of PIXEL SISTEMAS. Thanks to this investment now the can take the realism of its personalized figurines to the next level. The company provides lifelike 3D printed models of customers using original 2D photos, with full-colour and ultra-realistic 3D printing, critical to its service-offering and overall growth as a business.

Selfi3D has tried several full-color additive manufacturing technologies in the past to drive its ‘photo-to-3D-print’ business model, always through service bureaus. However, according to Selfi3D Director, Jorge Martín García, model realism and material stability have always come up short – a key factor that led them to take the decision to produce their models in-house. Previously, they were using powder-based SLS color 3D printing, but the fragility of the material made it very difficult to produce and shape each piece. They also often had to repaint elements of the figurines by hand, otherwise some of the most intricate details would be lost. They also tried binder jetting technology, but the colours were not vivid enough, and the powder-based materials gave the final model a certain porosity that made it almost impossible to get very small details, such as the eyes, accurately defined.

The new J55 3D printer it is a clear upgrade in terms of the level of detail, color and material realism. Likewise it has also given them a level of reliability and repeatability throughout the printing process, with colour and details as accurate and consistent as the original 3D CAD model. That has been something they considered essential and the reason why it was an easy decision to invest.

It has been Selfi3D, together with Pixel Sistemas, who have introduced and installed the first J55 3D PolyJet printer in Spain. Launched in April 2020, the J55 3D Printer is an office-friendly full color, multi-material 3D printer enabling the rapid production of ultra-realistic prototypes. Featuring a first-of-its-kind rotational printing technique, the system combines high productivity with extreme accuracy. The J55 can print up to five materials simultaneously in nearly 500,000 colors with PANTONE™ Validation, realistic textures, and transparency.