By Kathy Hayes
As more and more manufacturers embrace additive manufacturing, 3D printer OEMs are launching new materials to meet an ever-growing range of customer requirements. From prototyping to final parts, new resins are meeting users’ demand for heat-resistance, strength, cost-effectiveness and other characteristics.
Roboze's PEEK replaces metal
Roboze is targeting metal-replacement applications with its new Helios PEEK 2005 filament. The strong, electrically insulating PEEK resin is reinforced with chopped ceramic fibers and is appropriate for parts subjected to temperatures above 338 degrees Fahrenheit.
The company said it developed the ceramic filler to achieve a strong interfacial bond with the PEEK matrix, for enhanced mechanical performance. The reinforcement is smaller than carbon and glass fibers, making Helios PEEK 2005 well-suited for making parts with complex geometries, thin walls and high-quality surface finishes. Furthermore, the ceramic is optimally dispersed within the resin to maximize its stability at high temperatures.
“At Roboze, we have seen great strides with the use of our 3D printing technology in sectors including aerospace, energy and motorsports,” CTO Simone Cuscito said. “We work closely with many of these regulated industries, supporting the integration of additive manufacturing technology from prototype to production. Helios PEEK 2005 derives precisely from the needs of these industries and is an excellent candidate for applications that require specifications of lightness, mechanical strength and heat-resistance.”
Roboze is also touting the material’s fast post-processing times and smooth surface finishes.
BCN3D adds reinforced PET
BCN3D has expanded the range of fiber-filled resins available for its Epsilon W50 and W27 fused-filament-fabrication printers. PET CF15 is a carbon-fiber-reinforced PET that the company said is the easiest to print of all its fiber-filled filaments.
In terms of physical properties, the new filament achieves a middle ground between two of its earlier fiber-reinforced materials, the company said. It has similar mechanical properties to the high-temperature PAHT CF15, a carbon-fiber-reinforced polyamide, but absorbs less moisture. It is less resistant to chemicals than PP GF30 filament, a glass-filled PP, but is simpler to print.
Developed by BASF Forward AM for BCN3D, PET CF15 has a high degree of dimensional stability and is suited for use in humid environments. Its heat-resistance, strength and stiffness make it appropriate for a wide range of industrial applications, such as automotive parts, jigs, fixtures and manufacturing tools.
A 750-gram spool of PET CF15 filament costs about $75 on the BCN3D website.
Markforged PLA is lower-cost option
Markforged’s new Precise PLA is a specialized version of one of the most common prototyping materials, polylactic acid, and is a more economical option for making prototypes and low-performance parts that don’t require the enhanced mechanical properties of the company’s Onyx and other continuous-fiber-reinforced materials.
Available in eight colors, the resin provides the same print quality, reliability and ease of use as Onyx filament, the company said, but at one-third the price. The cost is $50 for a 600 cubic centimeter spool. The colors can be used to color-code shop tools and fixtures for enhanced usability and safety.
Precise PLA became commercially available this spring and is printable on the company’s Mark Two second-generation desktop printers and Onyx Pro desktop series printers, which are equipped with the company’s latest A3648 extruder. Later, compatibility will be expanded to all the company’s industrial printers featuring the second-generation A3648 extruder.
Historically, users have created high-performance tools and end-use parts with Markforged’s printers. According to the company, the new material allows users to create prototypes and final parts on one machine platform, streamlining the process from design to end-use part.
The company developed Precise PLA in response to customer requests.
“A material devoted to lower-cost concept models and prototypes was a top feature request from Markforged customers,” President and CEO Shai Terem said. “We heard this feedback and fine-tuned our software and printers to print in Precise PLA, now giving our users an added dimension of versatility. We also hope this update empowers our customers to have a little more fun in the design process with the added splash of colors.”
Reinforced nylon 12 joins Formlabs lineup
Formlabs recently introduced Nylon 12 GF Powder, a high-performance, glass-filled resin characterized by stiffness and thermal stability. Appropriate for both functional prototypes and end-use parts, it is designed for use with the company’s Fuse 1 industrial selective-laser-sintering (SLS) printer. The material joins nylon 11 and nylon 12 powders for the Fuse 1.
The company is targeting applications in which structural rigidity and thermal stability are critical.
“As the newest addition to the nylon material family, Nylon 12 GF Powder builds upon the existing capabilities of the Fuse 1 to provide manufacturers, engineers and product designers the ability to design, customize and produce parts that can withstand sustained load and elevated temperatures,” said Chris Haid, SLS product manager at Formlabs.
Potential applications include jigs, fixtures, threads, sockets and other parts subjected to high temperatures. Cost is $649 for 13.3 pounds.
Kathy Hayes, associated editor
Contact:
BCN3D Technologies Inc., Barcelona, Spain, 34 935 95 43 43, www.bcn3d.com
Formlabs Inc., Somerville, Mass., 617-702-8476, www.formlabs.com
Markforged, Watertown, Mass., 866-496-1805, www.markforged.com
Roboze, Houston, 346-229-5675, www.roboze.com
