New AIA Course on 3D Printing Helps Architects, Engineers, and Contractors Improve Project Speed, Affordability and Quality
Powerful Business Technology Offers Way to Quickly and Cost-Effectively Create Detailed Architectural Models on Demand
07/23/09

BURLINGTON, Mass., USA – Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals looking for economical new ways to improve their designs and market their services may benefit from a new course on “3D Printing for Architecture/Engineering/Construction.”

3D printing is a fast and affordable way to create detailed site, infrastructure, and building models from the very first stages of a project. It helps architects, engineers and builders collaborate, ensure accuracy, delight clients and speed projects to completion.

3D printing is a technology that automatically creates tangible physical models from 3D computer data in much the same way that a document printer produces business letters from a word-processing file.

The free 90-minute classroom course, developed by Z Corporation (www.zcorp.com) and registered with the American Institute of Architects, will be delivered around the United States on schedules set by participating Z Corporation authorized partners. The course earns AIA members 1.5 hours of Continuing Education System (CES) learning unit credit.

“Over the past few years, AEC firms and educational institutions have shown increased interest in 3D printing technology as a strategic tool to complement traditional visualization and modeling methods,” said Olimpio DeMarco, Z Corporation director of AEC business development. “This new AIA CES program will detail how 3D printing yields great designs, drives innovation, improves communication and wins new business.”

Unlike more time-consuming and expensive handcrafted models, 3D printed models are ideal for early massing studies, detailed design models, client presentations and regulatory approvals. For architects, engineers and builders themselves, 3D printed models help detect clashes, analyze systems and plan construction.

The AIA course includes an introduction to 3D printing, the printing process, its place in the design workflow, applications, case studies, data integrity, and scaling guidelines. Following the 90-minute course, attendees will examine a range of 3D printed physical models and see 3D printing in action.

Here is the first set of course dates:

* Aug. 5, Anvil Prototype & Design, Wilmington, N.C.
* Aug. 11, Peak Solutions, Portland, Oregon
* Aug. 19, Peak Solutions, Burbank, Calif.
* Aug. 24, Peak Solutions, San Bruno, Calif.
* Aug. 25, Microsol Resources, New York

Information on these and other “3D Printing for Architecture/Engineering/Construction ” courses can be found here: http://www.zcorp.com/en/forward/events.aspx?c=14

To learn more about the course, visit the AIA web site: http://www.aia.org/education/findcourses/index.htm.

About Z Corporation
Z Corporation makes products that enable users to capture, edit, and print 3D data with unprecedented speed, ease, versatility and affordability. These products include the world’s fastest high-definition 3D printers — machines that produce physical 3D models from digital data in multiple colors – and uniquely portable 3D scanners – handheld machines that digitize 3D surfaces in real time. Z Corp. technology is enabling a wide range of applications in manufacturing, architecture, civil engineering, reverse engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), medicine and entertainment.

BURLINGTON, Mass., USA – Z Corporation today released zp®150, a premium composite build material for its ZPrinter® 450 and ZPrinter® 650 3D printers. zp150 improves the strength and color of 3D printed models for 3D CAD while producing whiter whites for applications such as architectural modeling where true white is the traditional standard.

Using zp150, water for the first time can be used as the curing agent in finishing multicolor models; ideal for early prototypes and education environments. In addition, the zp150 material improves on Z Corporation’s best-selling composite materials with the following enhancements:

* 40 percent increase in “green” strength for improved ease of use
* 40 percent increase in final strength of parts cured with Z-Bond 101
* Noticeable increase in richness of colors and brightness of whites
* 100 percent increase in strength of water-cured parts, an easy, clean process that finishes parts with a spritz of water

“The ability to print small features is very important to us,” says Aaron Brackett, mechanical engineering manager at Enterasys Networks, a leading provider of networking hardware and security software solutions. “zp150 has allowed us to prototype details like heat sink fins and pin connectors more vividly and precisely than ever before with our ZPrinter 450.”

The new material is the latest industry breakthrough by Z Corporation, maker of the world’s fastest 3D printers and the only ones capable of printing in multiple colors. In addition to hardware, Z Corporation provides powerful software – including its ZEdit™ Pro 3D printing optimization toolbox – and the broadest range of materials for producing stronger, better-looking, and environmentally friendly parts at the lowest cost in the industry.

“The new zp150 build material exemplifies our ongoing commitment to improving the 3D printing experience,” said John M. Kawola, Z Corporation CEO. “In many ways these materials create a de facto upgrade in capabilities for existing ZPrinters, enabling users to create even better quality parts without purchasing a new machine.”

Availability
zp150 is now available through Z Corporation’s worldwide reseller network. Sample parts printed in zp150 are available for order at http://demoparts.zcorp.com.

About Z Corporation
Z Corporation makes products that enable users to capture, edit, and print 3D data with unprecedented speed, ease, versatility and affordability. These products include the world’s fastest high-definition 3D printers — machines that produce physical 3D models from digital data in full color – and uniquely portable 3D scanners – handheld machines that digitize 3D surfaces in real time. Z Corp. technology is enabling a wide range of applications in manufacturing, architecture, civil engineering, reverse engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), medicine and entertainment.