polyjet

PolyJet is a 3D printing technology developed by Objet Geometries and now offered by Stratasys. It builds parts by jetting tiny droplets of photopolymer resin from multiple inkjet-style heads onto a build surface, with each droplet immediately cured by ultraviolet light to form solid material. The technology enables the simultaneous deposition of different resins and colors, allowing multi-material and multi-color parts with fine features in a single print.

The process often uses a soluble or gel-based support material to preserve complex geometries and overhangs. After printing, parts are typically post-cured to achieve the full properties of the resins used. PolyJet parts are generally photopolymers and can be designed to simulate rigid, flexible, transparent, and high-clarity materials. Digital Materials technology enables blending base resins to create a wide range of mechanical and optical properties within a single part.

Materials and capabilities commonly include a family of rigid resins (such as Vero), transparent resins (such as VeroClear), and flexible elastomeric resins (such as Tango). Layer thicknesses can be very fine, yielding high surface quality and detailed features. The ability to print multiple materials and color in one build enables realistic prototypes, product concepts, and functional testing, often reducing downstream assembly.

Applications span rapid prototyping, fit-and-function testing, medical and dental models, consumer electronics components, and architectural models. Limitations include material durability compared to some thermoplastics, higher part costs, reliance on post-curing, and the need for specialized post-processing for soluble supports.