Paper Prototypes

By Sara Ferris

The Euromold show marked the debut of yet another company hoping to bring 3D printing to the masses. Mcor Technologies (Ardee, Ireland)  previewed the Mcor Matrix, a rapid prototyping system that builds models from standard letter-size sheets of paper. The technology is similar to LOM (laminated object modeling), but uses paper sheets rather than layers of plastic. Though built from paper, the company says its models can be hardened,  sanded, and painted. Build envelope is 297mm x 210mm x 150mm (height). Multiple parts can be printed simultaneously. The company’s Slice-IT software accepts STL files from any 3D CAD system and slices the models for most efficient building. The Mcor Matrix is expected to start at around 15,000 Euros, or US$22,000.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.