The Mcor ARKe has been boosted to ‘photorealistic’ levels of colour
Since its launch in January, the Mcor ARKe has had its engineers squirrelling away on upgrades for the machine that is already one of the best alternative choices for a desktop 3D printer.
Its photorealistic colour – with a 4800×2400dpi resolution – is a huge benefit to those wanting realistic prototypes straight off the printer bed, but this has been boosted even further by the new upgrades.
We turned to Mcor CEO and co-founder Conor MacCormack to update us on its engineering advancements:
– More colours
“I have always said that the ability to produce the highest colour quality is in the very DNA of our company and now ringing through to this we have managed to squeeze even more colours from the ARKe! We have achieved this through a combination of factors; a new paper ingredient, new compression software algorithms, new ink formulation and full utilisation of the print head. We are proud to say that we have the highest measured colour in the industry. What’s the magic number? 2 MILLION. Other 3D printers out there don’t even come close and we’re excited that our newest line pushes the boundaries even further in achieving photorealistic colour output.”
– More Strength
“We’re constantly striving to innovate, even after the launch of a new product, and this is especially true with the ARKe. Since January, our team has developed a new ‘Power’ adhesive that will render the ARKe models double the stiffness of parts from previous printers. And for stronger parts comes stronger hardware – the ARKe now has higher load capacity slide rails, a precision heater and a reinforced chassis to withstand the higher press force required. With this update, the ARKe will make printed objects even more suitable for functional applications.”
– More software
“Printing photorealistic, eco-friendly and strong objects is only half the battle – creating the files and ensuring the objects will print correctly is just as important. With the introduction of our new ‘Orange Peel’ software users will enjoy professional features that will assist with file preparation including splitting and joining files, colour and texturing and file modification including smoothing, solidifying and extruding surfaces.”
Topped up with the new features, the Mcor ARKe is listed at €17,995/$17,995, which given the low cost of its materials and ink, should make it a decent prospect for prototyping shops that need colour-accurate models (such as CPG), and educational establishments that could do with none of the mess of other processes.
