
VCC’s prototyping lab provides faculty, researchers, and students with digital prototyping equipment. The lab hosts 2 3D printers (a full-color ZCorp 650 and a Stratasys Objet 260), one industrial grade 3D laser scanner (Konica VIVID 9i), two USB desk 3D laser scanners (NextEngine), an auto-feeding 42” large format RGB scanner (ColorTrac SmartLF Gx+42), a water pressure cleaner (Balco PowerBlast), and a CNC mill (Roland Modela MDX-40A).
3D Printer, resin-based
Brand: Stratasys | Model: Objet 260
This industrial printer allows for production of physical 3D prototypes. It uses Stratasys’ PolyJet 3D technology, in which a photopolymer resin is deposited and laser-cured during printing. The printer allows for prototypes made from a wide range of colored plastics of different stiffness and colors, of which multiple can be used for a single model.
3D Desktop Laser Scanner
Brand: NextEngine | Model: 180-034
This 3D desktop laser scanner (class 1M) allows for contactless acquisition of digital 3D models from physical objects. It is attached via a USB 2.0 interface to a computer, and outputs data as registered and triangulated 3D models in STL, UD3, or PLY format. The scanning field is up to 571 x 425mm and the scanning resolution is up to 0.125mm. The scanner also features an attached turntable to allow for automatic, batched scanning of multiple views.
Industrial 3D Laser Scanner
Brand: Konica Minolta | Model: VIVID-9i
This is an industrial grade laser scanner (class 1) to acquire highly accurate 3D measurements at a resolution of up to 0.05mm and a scan range of 0.5m to 2.5m. It allows for the non-contact acquisition of range information plus color at the same time and at a scan speed of about 4s per scan. The accompanying software allows for automatic alignment and merging of 3D data.
Auto-feeding A0 RGB scanner
Brand: ColorTrac | Model: SmartLF Gx+T42
A large format (42” / A0) RGB scanner with automatic feeding mechanism. The optical resolution is 1200 DPI and the scan speed is about 2” per second at 200dpi. The maximum media dimensions are limited by width (46”) and thickness (20mm). The resulting scans can be stored in standard image formats or pdf.
Full-color 3D Printer, powder-based
Brand: ZCorp | Model: ZPrinter 650
This printer allows for production of physical 3D prototypes. It uses a powder-based technology, in which the model is partially cured during printing and can be post-processed by immersing the model in epoxy-glue to ensure long-term durability. The printer allows for fully colored models using 24bit colors. The printing volume for 3D models is 254 x 381 x 203 mm at a layer thickness (resolution) of 0.089 – 0.102mm.
CNC Mill
Brand: Roland | Model: Modela MDX-40A
This small CNC mill allows for producing physical prototypes from digital 3D models by removing material from sheets of resins such as chemical wood and modeling wax (metal is not supported). The maximum operation volume is 305 x 305 x 105mm, and the maximum distance between collet tip to the table is 123 mm. The feed rate is between 7 and 3,000 mm/min (XY axes) and 7 to 1,800 mm (Z axis). The mechanical resolution is .002mm & step.
High Pressure Water Cleaner
Brand: Balco | Model: Power Blast
This is a high pressure water cleaner operating at water pressures of ranging from 20 to 120 bar.