A new desktop system from HeyGears combines full-color resin printing with integrated post-processing, targeting the labor bottleneck that slows production shops.
Post-processing is where 3D printing optimism goes to die. Support removal, washing, curing, sanding, and painting all happen after the printer stops moving. For anyone running a production workflow, those steps eat hours and introduce inconsistency.
HeyGears is trying to shrink that gap with its new G1X desktop system. The machine prints in full color and transparent resins within the same continuous build. According to HeyGears, the UV resin cures to a finished state that does not require painting afterward.
The scale of the problem
More than two-thirds of respondents to the 2026 Additive Post-Processing Survey said their current methods are either a challenge today or will become one soon. The top complaints are finishing time and result consistency, according to the annual study from PostProcess Technologies.
The survey tracks support removal, resin and powder removal, surface finishing, labor, throughput, and safety. Every category adds cost. The Wohlers Report 2026 valued global additive manufacturing revenue at $24.2 billion in 2025, up 10.9% from the prior year. Printing services made up 48% of that market. That is a lot of parts that still need washing, curing, and sanding before they ship.
What the G1X actually does
The G1X has a maximum build volume of 420 x 330 x 130 mm. In full-color mode, it lays colored and transparent elements within the same layer. The integrated UV curing system is designed to bring the part to a stable finish without a separate cure step.
That does not mean sanding disappears entirely. Complex geometries and support contact points still need attention. But the goal is to reduce the amount of manual labor between machine and finished part.
Why this matters for production
3D printing is no longer just for prototypes. It is moving into end-use parts across medical, automotive, and consumer products. The bottleneck is not the printer anymore. It is everything that comes after.
Any system that shrinks post-processing time without sacrificing surface quality will find buyers. HeyGears is not the first company to target this problem. It is, however, one of the few to combine color printing and automated finishing in a single desktop package.
The company has not released pricing or shipping details at the time of writing. The announcement was made at the TechTO event in September 2026.
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