Z Corporation Unveils 3D Color Printer with Breakthrough Affordability, Ease of Use, and Office Compatibility

Z Corporation Unveils 3D Color Printer with Breakthrough Affordability, Ease of Use, and Office Compatibility

March 05, 2007

Z Corporation's ZPrinter 450 Makes Color Accessible to More
Businesses and Schools

    BURLINGTON, Mass., March 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Z
Corporation today took another giant step in its mission to
make high-definition color 3D printing available to the
masses with the release of the ZPrinter(R) 450. The new
machine is the first color 3D printer to break the $40,000
price point, the most highly automated, and the most
compatible with contemporary office environments.

    (Logo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/ZCORPLOGO )

    Z Corp. is the only company that makes a full-color 3D
printer, an output device that transforms electronic 3D
data into handheld physical models. Color dramatically
communicates the proposed look, feel and style of
engineering product designs and architectural concepts, and
vividly renders landscapes, electronic entertainment
objects, and medical information. The ZPrinter 450,
however, introduces first-ever capabilities for a color 3D
printer, including:

    Automated operation: The ZPrinter 450 simplifies the 3D
printing process with automated operation at every step. New
features include automatic setup, powder loading, and
self-monitoring of materials and print status. For the
first time, a 3D printer automatically removes and recycles
loose powder.

    Time saving: Automated operation and new quick-change
material cartridges reduce touch time by 40 percent. The
ZPrinter 450 also produces color in a new way with a single
tri-color print head instead of multiple print heads,
reducing cost and enabling 66 percent faster changes.

    Office friendly: The ZPrinter 450 is optimized for a
front-office environment. It is quiet, uses safe build
materials, employs "negative pressure" and a
closed loop system to contain airborne particles, and
produces zero liquid waste. New "no-touch" powder
and binder cartridges enable clean loading of build
materials. An integrated fine-powder removal chamber
reduces the footprint of the system. And unlike 3D printers
that attach support structures to models that later require
removal with dangerous razors or chemical baths, the
ZPrinter 450 supports models with loose powder that is
removed automatically. These capabilities make the ZPrinter
450 as safe and unobtrusive as a standard copier.

    Desktop and printer control: Users can control the
ZPrinter 450 from either the desktop or 3D printer itself.
New ZPrint(TM) software lets users monitor powder, binder,
and ink levels from their desktops, and remotely read the
machine's LCD display. The expanded on-board printer
display and interface enables users to perform more
operations than ever at the machine. 

    Speed, cost-effectiveness and precision: Like its
predecessors, the ZPrinter 450 produces models and
prototypes five to 10 times faster than competing printers
at half the cost. Models cost about $3 per cubic inch -
one-half to one-sixth the cost of competitors. It prints in
high-quality 300 x 450 dpi.  

    "The integrated powder removal system is a very
big step forward for the technology and company," said
industry consultant and analyst Terry Wohlers of Wohlers
Associates. "When considering it, and the easier
loading of the binder and inkjet cartridges, the ZPrinter
450 becomes very compelling for under $40,000. Many
organizations that before were unsure about whether to
purchase a color 3D printer will now have much more
motivation to get one."

    The new lower price tag puts high-definition 3D color
printing within the range of small-to-medium engineering
businesses and divisions, many of which currently spend
thousands to outsource 3D physical model making to service
bureaus. The price also makes 3D printing more affordable
for college and university engineering departments. 

    "The ZPrinter 450 delivers on our "3D
Printing Bill of Rights," which holds that 3D printing
should be fast, easy, affordable, and office-friendly, like
printing on paper," said Tom Clay, Z Corp. CEO.
"Just as 2D printer breakthroughs like color and print
quality became commonplace, the ZPrinter 450's unique
qualities will eventually permeate our entire product line,
making 3D printing increasingly accessible to all."

    Other 3D printers in the Z Corp. product line are the
ZPrinter 310 Plus, a monochrome entry-level rapid
prototyping system, and the top-of-the-line Spectrum
Z(R)510, which prints in 24-bit color and delivers the
highest resolution, largest build size, and access to the
greatest range of build materials.

    Pricing, Availability

    The ZPrinter 450 is available in early Q2 through Z
Corp.'s worldwide reseller network for a United States
manufacturer's suggested retail price of $39,900 USD.

    About Z Corporation

    Z Corporation makes products that enable users to
capture, edit, and print 3D data with unprecedented speed,
ease, versatility and affordability. These products include
the world's fastest high-definition 3D printers - machines
that produce physical 3D models from digital data in full
color - and uniquely portable 3D scanners - handheld
machines that digitize 3D surfaces in real time. Z Corp.
technology is enabling a wide range of applications in
manufacturing, architecture, civil engineering, reverse
engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), medicine
and entertainment. For the latest news and information from
Z Corp., visit the company's Web site at www.zcorp.com .

     CONTACT: KEVIN LACH           CHARNA CUMMINGS
     Z CORPORATION                 BEAUPRE & CO. PUBLIC
RELATIONS
     [phone]               + 1 603-559-5837
     [e-mail]               [e-mail]
     WWW.ZCORP.COM


SOURCE  Z Corporation