ZPrinter 150 3D Printer

Zcorp 3D printers utilizing the jetting technology are among the fastest professional printers on the market. Speed is what makes Zcorp printers truly unique. These are professional-grade, “no messing around” 3D printers.

Zcorp has a whole line of 3D printers from the pint-sized Zprinter 150 to the industrial workhorse Zprinter 850. They all use the same technology and are relatively inexpensive for a non-hobbiest 3D printer.

Zprinter 150

How do Zcorp 3D printers work?

The printers utilize 3D inkjet printing, or jetting. It works by mimicking 2D inkjet printing – tiny specks of fine material are deposited onto a build platform through a printing head that resembles the one 2D printers use.

There are two sub-types of 3D inkjet printing: one which deposits a binder on a powder bed, and one which deposits powdered build material on a platform. Zcorp 3D printers utilize the latter process, letting you create models with high resolution and a smooth surface at high speeds.

However, jetting also has some disadvantages.  One of them is a high cost of support material. As well, jetting printer materials are typically sub-par compared to conventional materials. Zcorp solves the latter problem with a high performance composite as its main material on its line of Zprinters.

The following video demonstrates Zcorp 850’s printing process:

ZPrinter 150 Tech Specs:

Contacting Zcorp:

ZCorp as a separate business entity was purchased by 3D Systems in early 2012. You can see the line-up of Zcorp printers at www.zcorp.com.

The 3D Systems Corporate Headquarters:

333 Three D Systems Circle
Rock Hill, SC 29730 USA

Tel: +1 803 326 3900

Twitter: @ZPrinting

Just getting started? Check out the following 3D printing:
User’s Guide to Rapid Prototyping

Looking for some training and other resources? Anvil Prototype offers seminars and other information on the ZPrinter series.

ZPrinter 150 Pros:

Zcorp 3D printer is very, very good. It’s fast, it’s accurate, and it’s cost isn’t exorbitant for a business model. The high composite material makes the ZCorp printers shine. The zp150 material can be sanded, drilled, tapped, painted and electroplated.

ZPrinters are professional models, which means that they don’t require tweaking and tuning. They will work when you plug them in. The Zprinter 150 is a very straightforward to use. Backed by a large company like 3D Systems, you can expect reliability and dependable support.

Zprinter 150 Cons:

The higher model ZPrinters, like the 850, can print in a range of colours, but unfortunately the Zprinter 150 can only print in monochrome white. It has only one printer head, so if colorful pieces are your thing, you may have to splurge on a beefier ZPrinter model.

The choice of material, while allowing for construction of robust parts, is still limited. The speed is dependent on the volume of prototypes – the larger the volume, the faster the process. For this reason you might want to stick to other printers if you wish to print small models.

Due to the nature of the support material process, the extraction of the finished part can be a bit of a hassle.

The bottom line:

The only real problem with the ZPrinter 150 is its limited material choice. Everything else – its speed, accuracy, surface finish, cost – is all on par with what you would expect from a professional grade 3D printer.