Advantages

Pearl

Unique advantages over low cost FDM printers:

  • Fast – up to 10X speed of FDM printers (based on LASER size)
  • Cassettes allow rapid switching of materials – cassette holds metal/plastic/composite powder
  • Composites up to 8X the strength of polymer alone
  • Multiple objects built anywhere in build volume
  • Objects can have multiple embedded moving parts
  • Thin wireframe structures possible
  • No need to add support structures – powder provides support
  • Material cost low – bulk powder vs spools
  • Higher resolution
  • Hollow objects simpler and lower cost – new types of materials with a fine network of thin supports are strong yet lighter than solid – not possible to make any other way
  • Material density variable within objects – fabricate flexible or spongy materials embedded along with rigid hard plastics
  • Variable density allows many new products to be fabricated that have not been possible before, such as shoes, gloves, billfolds – anywhere more flexible materials need to be embedded in the product
  • Parts can have multiple components integrated that are not possible to build in one piece any other way, saving assembly cost
  • System can print in metal/plastic/ or composite with switch of cassette
  • Input/output cassettes interchangeable
  • Output cassette holds built parts in powder
  • More cost effective