ANAHEIM, Calif., USA - Technology improvements and the shrinking economy have conspired to redefine roles, none more than the job we used to call machinist. That person is morphing into a full-blown product development specialist using 3D printing as a key productivity tool.

Z Corporation 3D printing technology will be featured in a SolidWorks World 2011 session devoted to this topic, called "Empowering the ‘Machinist' with SolidWorks and 3D Printing" http://solidworks.sclivelearningcenter.com/index.aspx.

SolidWorks World 2011, the largest annual summit of engineers and designers, takes place Jan. 23 - 26, 2011, in San Antonio Texas. The machinist session featuring Z Corporation 3D printers takes place Monday, Jan. 24, at 4:30 p.m. in room 008 AB of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Gateway Community College (Ariz.) professor of design and manufacturing technology David Zamora is the presenter.

Z Corporation will be active in booth 507 throughout the conference and expo demonstrating the world's fastest, most affordable, multicolor 3D printers; plastic prototyping machines; and unique handheld 3D laser scanners. Each offers breakthrough improvements in the speed, ease and quality of product design and development.

Highlighted products include:

  • The ZPrinter® 450, a full-color, easy to use, office-friendly 3D printer delivering advanced color, automation and a print speed five to 10 times faster than competing printers.
  • The ZBuilder Ultra rapid prototyping machine, which builds durable plastic parts rivaling injection molding's accuracy, material properties, detail, and surface finish.
  • The ZScanner® 700 CX, the world's first handheld 3D laser scanner that can capture surface information in full 24-bit color, rendering the complete picture of an object, not just the geometry.
  • zp®150 build material, which offers richer colors, whiter whites, increased part strength, and the option to cure models with a spritz of water.

Z Corporation will be handing out free samples of multicolor 3D printed models and holding a contest drawing for a free Flip camcorder. Z Corporation senior executives will also be on hand to listen to attendees' product development priorities and discuss which rapid prototyping and 3D scanning technologies can best meet their needs.

About Z Corporation

Z Corporation 3D technologies help product designers, engineers and architects create the right designs the first time. Professionals use ZPrinter 3D printers, ZBuilder rapid prototyping machines and ZScanner 3D laser scanners to compress the design cycle, generate new concepts, communicate clearly, foster collaboration, and reduce errors. These solutions span the entire 3D CAD/BIM design process from concept through design verification.

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