Azul 3D to market new 3-D printer

SKOKIE - Azul 3D, a 3-D printing startup, has launched the LAKE printer, its first commercial product. The printer will allow manufacturers of industrial, consumer and automotive goods to consider making parts using 3-D printing, the company said.

Powered by Azul 3D's high-area rapid printing (HARP) technology, a proprietary version of stereolithographic printing, the LAKE printer converts liquid plastic into solid objects using ultraviolet light. LAKE prints complex geometries at rapid speeds, using proprietary materials suitable for a wide range of products.

With a print area of 10-by-12-by-24 inches, the printer's interface dissipates heat, enabling continuous high-speed printing over large areas, Azul said.

"The LAKE printer will be game-changing for 3-D printing," said Chad Mirkin, Azul 3D co-founder and chair. "For the first time, we are combining throughput and materials at a price point that enables 3-D printing to revolutionize many types of manufacturing."