On June 3, 2020, 3D Systems announced several innovations in its plastic materials portfolio to help manufacturers address a broader application portfolio. These materials include Figure 4® RUBBER-65A BLK, Accura® FidelityTM, Accura Bond, Accura Patch, and Figure 4 JEWEL MASTER GRY, which are specifically designed for the company's Figure 4 and stereolithography (SLA) printing technologies. As its well-known material product portfolio continues to expand, 3D Systems continues to open new production applications.
"Our team continues to develop new materials within our plastic product portfolio to address a wider range of production applications and provide key test results and performance specifications for data sheets, making it easier for our customers to choose suitable The ideal material selection for our own needs, our materialists and technical experts apply decades of experience to the design process of these high-performance materials, and strive to provide accurate, economical, and repeatable results to keep our customers competitive Advantage."
—Senior Vice President and General Manager of 3D Systems Plastics Menno Ellis
Parts produced using Figure 4 technology and RUBBER-65A BLK-65A materials are completed faster than materials requiring secondary heat curing
Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK – production-grade rubber for many industrial applications
3D Systems launched Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK on the basis of its product-grade material portfolio. This mid-level tear strength elastomer has a high elongation at break, and thus has high flexibility and durability. It is specially designed to have long-term environmental stability and has been tested according to UL94 standards. These characteristics enable the production of end-use elastomer components with high precision and minimize the traces on the support, which makes them air/dust gaskets, electronic device seals, shock absorbers and pipe gaskets Ideal for other applications.
Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK is biocompatible with ISO 10993-5 and ISO 10993-10, so it can be used to produce grips and handles as well as pads for plywood and brackets. Parts produced using Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK and 3D Systems' Figure 4 technology can be produced faster than materials that require secondary thermal curing.
Matthew Cavuto, a mechanical engineer at Imperial College London, said: "As a mechanical engineer and medical equipment designer, I can think of many uses for strong elastomeric materials like Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK." Custom rubber seals, damping elements and even These are soft handles. These are just some examples of some of the applications I have in mind. All of these applications can extend the functions and simplify my prototyping process using Figure 4. In terms of functionality, Figure 4 RUBBER- 65A BLK is impressive. When used in conjunction with appropriate components and applications, it can achieve excellent tear strength and excellent print quality. "
Like all 3D Systems production-grade materials, Figure 4 RUBBER-65A BLK is specifically formulated for additive manufacturing. It meets three key customer needs: production performance, production machine performance, and production test standards. This complies with the comprehensive test standards of ASTM and ISO – the company adopted this standard when it released data on several of its Figure 4 materials in March 2020, including long-term indoor and outdoor environmental stability, dielectric properties, flammability, biological Compatibility and chemical compatibility. The material is scheduled to be fully launched in late June 2020.
As an integral part of 3D Systems QuickCast, Accura Fidelity can quickly create large and medium-sized, light-weight and easy-to-handle lost-for-casting castings and increase casting output
New investment casting materials strengthen the first platform to market
Nearly 30 years ago, 3D Systems introduced the first 3D printed mold to the market. This mold enables optimization of model designs that require no tools, have complex geometries, and cannot be achieved with traditional molds. Since then, the foundry has built trust in 3D Systems’ QuickCast® process to help them directly produce medium- to large-sized, high-precision 3D printed investment casting models. Today, the company is introducing a new casting material and two new post-processing materials to complete this trusted production platform.
Accura Fidelity is an ultra-low viscosity, antimony-free three-dimensional light curing molding (SLA) resin that can be completely burned out, and is designed to create models for a variety of castable metals, including titanium and aluminum alloys. When used as part of the 3D Systems QuickCast process, Accura Fidelity can quickly create medium to large, lightweight, and easy-to-handle molds, which in turn increases casting output.
Nancy Holt, Director of On-Demand Services Operations at 3D Systems, said: "The new Accura Fidelity material for stereolithography technology improves the post-processing process of our QuickCast investment casting models." "The low viscosity of this material is beneficial to better The drainage and faster cleaning model, when we use this material for mass production, it is expected that the throughput will increase by as much as 30%. The final inspection is its castability, and our casting customers are providing very positive Feedback. One of the customers, SeaCast, said that the QuickCast model made with Accura Fidelity showed excellent casting performance in their process and they were very satisfied with the final metal parts."
3D Systems also used Accura Patch and Accura Bond to introduce a new class of UV curing post-treatment materials. Accura Patch is a high-viscosity material designed to fill the drain holes of QuickCast models during post-processing. Accura Bond is a high-viscosity material that can connect various printed models into one large model. Both solutions can be used with any of 3D Systems' SLA resins to manufacture larger parts and construct curved sheets during post-processing.
Accura Fidelity is currently on sale, and Accura Bond and Accura Patch are scheduled to be generally available in July 2020.
Figure 4 JEWEL MASTER GRY is a versatile casting material that can be used to mass-produce silicone molds and prototype fitting models for the jewelry industry