Dearborn, Michigan - April 22, 2014 - EnvisionTEC, a leading manufacturer of proprietary 3D rapid manufacturing solutions, has announced the launch of the newly re-engineered 3D-Bioplotter® for researchers. The Developer Series provides for the basic needs of tissue engineering and educational institutions who might not need all of the options available to the advanced operator using the 4th Generation Manufacturer Series. 

The EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter® has been used since 2000 for a variety of medical applications. Most research done to date using the 3D-Bioplotter® has been in the pre-clinical setting, yielding many publications by pre-eminent scientists from the materials science, imaging and toxicology disciplines. In the clinical setting, patient CT or MRI scans are used to create STL files to print solid 3D models which can then be used as templates for implants. 

The EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter® 3D printing technique may be described as the deposition of materials in three dimensions using air pressure. Materials range from polymer melts, through viscous pastes to liquids, and are inserted into syringes to be used in individual printing heads with individual needle tips. Air pressure is applied to the syringe, which then deposits a strand of material for the length of movement and time the pressure is applied. Parallel strands are plotted in each layer. In each layer, the direction of the strands is turned over the center of the object, creating a fine mesh with good mechanical properties and mathematically well-defined porosity. By permitting the use of pastes, hydrogels, melts, and any other liquid which may be quickly solidified, this technology enables a wide range of 3D printing applications.

With the addition of the Developer Series, the 3D-Bioplotter® now comes in two versions to match the needs of varying users and budgets. CEO Al Siblani stated "The 3D-Bioplotter® Developer Series is the ideal choice for the basic needs of educational institutions, while the 3D-Bioplotter® Manufacturer Series offers all options needed by advanced tissue engineering research or production."

Click here to see a breakdown of the differences between the Developer Series and the Manufacturer Series.