BASF Forward AM Materials: Ultrasint & Ultracur3d Comparison Guide

Shapeways is pleased to have partnered with BASF to bring you access to four Forward AM materials: Ultrasint® PP nat 01, Ultracur3D® RG 35, Ultrasint® TPU01 and HP High Reusability PP enabled by BASF. These durable and versatile materials facilitate a high level of design complexity and accuracy, producing functional, resistant prototypes and end parts with first-rate surface quality. Common applications for these materials include automotive, industrial, aerospace and consumer goods.

Here are some details on each of these four material
options, and a comparison guide to help with your material selection process.

Ultrasint®
PP nat 01

Ultrasint® PP nat 01

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most commonly used plastics materials printed using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology. Highly flexible and durable, it has a low moisture absorption rate and is resistant to most acids and bases, which makes it a great choice for parts with water contact. Ultrasint® PP nat 01 suits a range of applications from healthcare and orthopedic products to electronic and automotive parts and allows for post-processing such as thermoforming and sealing. It is a sturdy material that is well suited to industrial parts and production.

IDEAL APPLICATIONS:
Pipes and Ducts
Water Manifolds and Reservoirs
Economic and Functional Prototypes
Multi-Purpose Industrial Goods
Durable Jigs and Fixtures

Ultracur3D®
RG 35

Ultracur3D® RG 35

This rigid, medium viscosity photopolymer is great for printing high-performance, functional and multi-purpose parts using Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) machines. Parts produced with Ultracur3D® RG 35 are able to maintain extreme accuracy. It is a solid, tough material and is recommended for functional parts such as air ducts, electrical sockets and connectors.

IDEAL APPLICATIONS:
Snapper
Air Ducts
Electrical Sockets
Thermoforming Molds
Connectors
Jigs and Fixtures

Ultrasint®
TPU01

Ultrasint TPU01

Ultrasint® TPU01 is a multi-use thermoplastic
polyurethane that typically comes in white and printed using Multi Jet Fusion
technology. It is a highly flexible material with excellent shock absorption,
making it ideal for footwear and other elastomeric parts. It is capable of producing
a high level of structural detail and intricacy and is UV and hydrolysis
resistant. It has excellent surface quality, high process stability and
throughput and its flexibility opens it to a myriad of uses that include
sporting goods and protection as well as interior automotive components and
orthopedic models.

IDEAL APPLICATIONS:
Sporting Goods
Footwear
End Use Automotive Parts
Lattice Structures for Custom Performance

HP High Reusability PP enabled by BASF

HP High Reusability PP enabled by BASF

HP 3D HR PP is a highly versatile and durable
polypropylene material. It is chemically resistant and has a low water
absorption rate, which makes it a great choice for piping, fluid systems and
containers. It is the HP 3D material that costs the least and is very easy to
process, which increases productivity and reduces waste. Because it is both cost-effective
and functional, the material is well suited for prototypes as well as end parts.
It is a highly flexible material that is weldable to other PP parts, expanding
its range of applications from the automotive industry to the consumer goods
sector.

IDEAL APPLICATIONS:
Piping and Fluid Systems
Containers
Interior and Exterior Automotive Parts

Material Properties: Ultrasint® PP nat 01, Ultracur3D® RG 35, Ultrasint® TPU01 and HP High Reusability PP

Take a side-by-side look at each of these
materials’ properties below:

  Tensile Strength X Tensile Strength Z Heat Deflection Temp (0.45 MPa) Tensile Modulus X Tensile Modulus Z Elongation
at Break X
Elongation
at Break Z
Ultrasint® PP nat 01 28 MPa 28 MPa 102 °C 1400 MPa 1400 MPa 30 % 10 %
Ultracur3D® RG 35 49 MPa 49 MPa 84 °C 1990 MPa 1990 MPa 4 %  
Ultrasint® TPU01 9 MPa 7 MPa   75 MPa 85 MPa 220 % 120 %
HP High Reusability PP 30 MPa 30 MPa 100 °C 1600 MPa 1600 MPa 20 % 18 %

Ready to give these materials a try? Upload your model here to get an instant quote.

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