Stratasys
Erpro Stratasys J850
Erpro Group CEO Cyrille Vue (second from right) joins Stratasys staff after agreeing to purchase the J850 platform.
French service provider Erpro Group has become one of the first European companies to adopt Stratasys J850 full-colour, multi-material 3D printing system.
The additive manufacturing vendor launched the J850 back in October, targeting the platform towards designers who wanted increased realism. Erpro Group is set to leverage the platform to develop functional and life-like prototypes for its clients in the luxury cosmetic, fashion and automotive sectors.
An established user of 3D printing technology – the company has stereolithography equipment in-house – the bulk of Erpro’s application of the technology has been, and remains, the development of prototypes and models. Among its customer base it counts Chanel, for whom it creates concept bottles and packaging, and automotive brands PSA Groupe and Renault.
For these automotive companies, Erpro has recently established a department to prototype head and taillights. The company previously would vacuum cast and overmould these parts, but because of the frequent defects, coupled with the costs involved with producing prototypes in small quantities, has instead looked to 3D printing. With the J850, Erpro Group will be able to print parts featuring seven material simultaneously – among them, the transparent VeroUltraClear material – making it a suitable platform for its automotive head and taillight prototype application. The company is also considering packaging applications with its newly-acquired colour capabilities.
“The J850 takes our design expertise to new frontiers insofar as the ultra-realism we’ll now be able to enjoy when 3D printing prototypes for our customers,” commented Erpro Group CEO Cyrille Vue. “[It] delivers new impetus to our expertise by enabling us to do things that were previously impossible – and in those instances where we could do it, we’ll now be able to do so much faster, easier and cost-effectively and to an unprecedented level of quality. Our company motto is ‘going beyond innovation’ and, quite simply, Stratasys’ J850 gives us the technology to genuinely and quantifiably deliver on that goal. We believe this will transform the way in which we fulfil the design needs of our customers.”
