Formlabs’ Tough 1500 Resin: Stiff, Yet Pliable

Formlabs is expanding its portfolio of 3D printing resins. The latest is Tough 1500, a stiff and pliable polymer that can bend and return to its former shape. Formlabs is targeting the material at engineers, product designers and manufacturers who need pliable parts.

In response to customer feedback, Formlabs developed Tough 1500 Resin as a middle ground between the two ends of the elasticity-toughness spectrum in Formlabs’ existing product range, which already includes durable materials on one end and elastic and flexible photopolymers on the other. Marketed applications include springs, snap fits, press fits and hinges that need to bend and rapidly bend back to shape. It can also be used for jigs and fixtures that must absorb impact and undergo continuous deflection. Formlabs also suggests that it can be used to prototype polypropylene parts.

The “1500” in Tough 1500 represents the 1500 MPa tensile modulus of the material.

One customer using the material is Unplugged Performance, which offers upgrades to Tesla cars. Unplugged Performance is currently deploying Tough 1500 parts to install carbon fiber car bumpers onto vehicles. Without 3D printing, it would take about 45 minutes to remove each sensor mount from a bumper and then another 10 minutes to attach it onto the new one. With six such sensors on a car, this process, along with the other upgrades, would take about a day-and-a-half.

Now, the firm 3D prints new sensor mounts from Tough 1500 in 30-unit batches, meaning that the old sensor mounts do not need to be removed from the old bumpers and reattached. Unplugged workers simply bond the new, 3D-printed mounts directly to the vehicles, aiding the company in improving throughput to three cars per day.

A 3D-printed prototype for a polypropylene cap.

Formlabs’ range of materials is growing slowly but steadily. By manufacturing its own photopolymers, the company is able to ensure the quality of the resins and that it works with its hardware. For hardware companies that sell their feedstock directly to their users, a continuous stream of revenue is generated. However, it also constrains the material range that users can rely on.

While companies such as Formlabs retain this razor-and-blade model, others like HP and Origin have adopted “open materials” platforms in which chemical companies work more or less directly with the hardware manufacturers to qualify their materials for use in their 3D printers. This frees up the material partners to develop their own feedstocks. The concept of open materials is being increasingly championed in a space that has previously been dominated by closed systems. Consider Jabil’s moves last year into material development, for instance.

As Formlabs continues to develop new materials, it will also have to do so for its new 3D printing technology line: low-cost selective laser sintering (SLS). The Fuse 1 3D printer should begin shipping mid-2020, at which point we will get a chance to see the material development strategy the company has for SLS powders, as well.

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New 3D printing jobs: Formlabs, AON3D, and Bluedge are hiring

In this edition of our 3D printing jobs update, we have vacancies from Formlabs, AON3D, and Bluedge. To apply for the positions listed below, create a free profile and read our guide about how to get a job in the 3D printing industry.  If you don’t see a role for you, check out our 3D […]

80 additive manufacturing experts predict the 3D printing trends to watch in 2020

Predicting the future is impossible. But that doesn’t stop us at 3D Printing Industry from inviting CEOs, CTOs and other AM experts to give us 3D printing predictions for 2020. If you want to stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, subscribe to our free 3D Printing Industry newsletter. You’ll be among […]

3D printing at CES 2020: Formlabs, XYZprinting, Snapmaker

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center for its 2020 edition, running from 7 to 10 Jan. As well as a host of novel technologies, strange gadgets and pointless announcements, CES has also provided a platform for the 3D printing industry to provide updates regarding new technologies and releases […]

Sex Toys Debut with 3D Printing at CES 2020

Las Vegas is already known as Sin City, in part for the gambling and sex work that takes place there (though it turns out that, while legal in Nevada, prostitution is actually illegal in Vegas), and for its history of ties to the mafia. But it was only in 2020 that sex toys were allowed at CES, the largest consumer electronics show in the world.

After a ban was lifted this year, a swarm of devices designed for sexual health and wellness are descending on the CES showroom floor, including the 3D-printed variety. But why were sex toys banned and why are they not banned anymore?

The Osé. Image courtesy of Lora DiCarlo.

The sexual liberation of CES can be attributed to Lora Haddock DiCarlo and her firm’s uniquely designed vibrator, the Osé. Developed with the help of engineers from the robotics lab at Oregon State University, the Osé uses micro-robotics to mimic human movements and stimulate the g-spot and clitoris simultaneously. While its users might welcome the technology, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which hosts CES, did not.

Her startup was given a CES innovation award for a prototype of the Osé, but, two months before CES 2019, had the award revoked. Whereas, a CTA spokesperson told one outlet that the device “didn’t fit into any existing product categories,” Haddock claims the CTA deemed the product to be “immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with CTA’s image.”

This came despite the fact that sex toy maker OhMiBod has been at CES every year since 2011 and pornography producers Naughty America demoed virtual reality products at the event in 2019. Haddock suggested that the revocation of the award reflected a gender bias in the tech industry, while Lynn Comella, an associate professor of gender and sexuality studies at the University of Las Vegas, argued that the trade show was out of touch with the technological evolution of the (female-led) sex toy industry. Given the presence of “booth babes” at CES and the general gender (and race) biases in tech overall, neither argument would be too surprising.

Regardless of the reason why Haddock’s award was revoked, it has since been reinstated and her firm pre-sold over 10,000 Osé units in December. CES is using 2020 as a trial run for sexual health and wellness products. In addition to the Osé, Haddock’s firm will be showcasing two new products alongside numerous other companies that will be presenting vibrators, lube and solutions for premature ejaculation, among other things.

The lifting of the ban will also be impacting the 3D printing firms exhibiting at CES, which will include Formlabs, whose partner, Dame Products, will be showing visitors how it used 3D printing to speed up time-to-market. Dame’s flagship product, Eva, is a hands-free vibrator meant to provide clitoral stimulation, with or without a partner.

A 3D-printed prototype of the original Eva. Image courtesy of Dame Products.

Eva was prototyped with 3D printing and launched on Indiegogo, allowing the Brooklyn startup to get off the ground without traditional overhead expenses. It also made it possible for Dame to quickly iterate product designs, thus speeding up delivery to market. As a result, Dame is already on the second generation of Eva and has released a number of other items for sexual health and wellness.

Janet Lieberman-Lu, co-founder and CTO of Dame Products, said of her firm’s presence at CES, “We’re excited to be joining Formlabs at our first CES while the CTA is considering whether to keep sextech as a category. Vibrators are consumer electronics – they’re personal care items like electric toothbrushes and razors – so they deserve to be showcased in the same venues.”

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Conductive Silver-Nanowire Photopolymer Composites: 3D Printing for Greater Functionality

A large group of researchers convened to explore more about additives and new combinations of materials in 3D printing, outlining their findings in the recently published ‘Functional Printing of Conductive Silver-Nanowire Photopolymer Composites.’

Explaining that the use of polymers in 3D printing—and the inherent challenges found therein—has caused significant limitations, the researchers experimented with silver-nanowire-polymer composites, noting that conductive layers can be critical to specific manufacturing needs such as electronics applications; however, composites must be strong against tunneling resistance (as electrons transfer from one nanoparticle to another), and previous researchers have struggled to create materials with suitable conductivity due to issues like agglomeration and strong photon absorption. With nanowires, another route is available as it ‘circumvents the tunneling resistance in the direction of the wire.’

Silver-nanowire (Ag-NW) composites offer ‘scalable processes’ requiring conductivity, to include:

  • Electronics
  • Touch screens
  • Integrated photovoltaics
  • Advanced optoelectronic devices
  • Biosensors

Samples were coated with an Ag-NW layer, cured with UV light, and then synthesized via the polyol route. The result was nanowires exhibiting high aspect ratios—in this case, from 100-1000. Resins tend to compress while curing, with shrinking of the matrix pressing on nanowires during the process of polymerization. Lack of density also results in greater sensitivity for nanowire connections and networks.

Characterization and 2D printing of the tough Ag-NW-polymer composite. (a) Impact of the polymer crosslinking on the Ag-NW composite conductivity by comparing the sheet resistances of Ag-NW networks (black dots) and Ag-NW composites (red dots) for 3 different Ag-NW densities (26 µg/cm2, 39 µg/cm2 and 65 µg/cm2). At high Ag-NW densities, the reproducibility of the measured sheet resistance is enhanced, but the impact of the polymer coating on the conductivity is reduced. (b) Transmission of visible to near-infrared light through Ag-NWs and Ag-NW composites. Solid lines indicate pure polymer or Ag-NW films, whereas dashed lines indicate Ag-NW composites. The transmission is larger than 87% for all composites between 600nm and 800nm normalized to a bare glass substrate. The polymer coating decreases scattering and refection at the glass interface resulting in an enhanced transmission compared to a bare glass slide. (c) Exemplary layer thickness and roughness of the produced polymer samples: pure polymer layer, Ag-NW (7 µg/cm2) composite and polymer-Ag-NW (22 µg/cm2 )-polymer multilayer sample. Please note that layer thicknesses between 20–300 µm represent typical thicknesses in functional printing. Te thickness to surface roughness ratio is >1000:1. (d) Photograph and optical microscopy image of a blank solar cell (monocrystalline, 60010, Sol-Expert). A photocurrent I of 650 µA was measured during exposure with an Ulbricht sphere. (e–g) Photographs, optical microscopy images and measured photocurrents of coated solar cells ((e) Ag-NWs, (f) polymer, (g) composite).

During increased nanowire concentration, there was decreased transmittance, and optimized conductivity at fairly low nanowire concentrations, demonstrating a ‘delicate interplay’ between the polymer matrix and Ag-NW network. The researchers also found it remarkable that surface roughness was at 110–160nm for the Ag-NW composites—attributed to polymer roughness.

“These results show that the composite Ag-NW-polymer materials can act as competitive materials for conducting and light-transparent electrodes,” stated the researchers.

Two-dimensional (2D) GISAXS pattern from the samples. (a) Ag-NWs (58 µg/cm2
). (b) Ag-NWs (7µg/cm2) coated with UV-cured polymer layer. (c) Bare UV-cured polymer. The intensity scale bar is shown on the right side. Clear fares at 36°±2° (indicated by red lines) stemming from the facets of the pentagon morphology
starting from the sample horizon are visible for (a,b). (d) Simulation of the key scattering features of Ag-NWs. (e) SEM image of Ag-NWs on a silicon substrate (Ag-NW density around 120 µg/cm2). (f) Sketch of the faceted Ag-NW (adapted from44,45). (g) Horizontal cuts of the intensity (I(qy,qz1=0.63nm−1)), (h) I(qy,qz2=0.78nm−1), (i) I(qy,qz3=0.96nm−1). All cuts are normalized to the intensity at I(0,qz1,2,3) correspondingly. The color code corresponds to (a–c).

During the initial stages of synthesis, five-fold twinned seeds formed, with pentagonal structure and twinned tops of Ag-NWs also confirmed during SEM evaluations (although not applicable for the material). Pentagonal morphology was established as the researchers simulated key features of the GISAXS pattern, via specialized software.

For 3D printing, the research team fabricated a capacitator made up of Ag-NWs and Flexible photopolymers by Formlabs. They were not only able to show the potential for 3D printed electronics, but also the role that composites play in improving functionality.

Flexible Ag-NW composite capacitor. (a) Illustration of the cross-section of the capacitor. (b) Photograph of a produced Ag-NW capacitor (10×10 mm2
). The dashed white line depicts the position of the cross-section, which is presented in (a). (c) Photograph of the capacitor bent over a glass rod in order to
demonstrate its flexibility. (d) Cross-sectional view of the lower part of the stripped of the capacitor with Ag-NWs.

“By applying two different polymers, we have fabricated composites with different properties that were tested for two specific applications. Firstly, we have optimized Ag-NW composites for use as transparent top contacts by tuning the Ag-NW concentration within a tough and transparent HDDA-based polymer matrix. We have accomplished a sheet resistance of 13Ω/sq and a corresponding transmission at 700nm of 90%,” concluded the researchers. “Secondly, we have used a flexible polymer matrix in the composite for a 3D-printed flexible capacitor.”

“The capacity of around 7pF agrees well with the estimated value of about 5 pF. Our characterization involves GISAXS, which enables the investigation of embedded nanostructures and interfaces with high statistical relevance. Tis shows that GISAXS can develop further to an excellent technique for the investigation of embedded nanostructures in 3D-printed and technically relevant films.”

The science of materials continues to grow, and within that, composites are becoming a large part of refining functionality for many different applications. Researchers are working with a wide range of different additives, from glass fibers to lignin and other wood composites, while many different materials show potential, like antioxidants. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: ‘Functional Printing of Conductive Silver-Nanowire Photopolymer Composites’]

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GE Healthcare selects Formlabs as anatomical model 3D printing partner in hospitals

GE Healthcare, the medical equipment subsidiary of multinational conglomerate GE, and SLA and SLS 3D printer provider Formlabs have announced a collaboration aiming to make it easier for clinicians to 3D print patient-specific anatomical models from imaging data. Through the partnership, both companies will be offering radiologists specializing in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurology, and other areas […]

3D Printing News Briefs: December 3, 2019

We’re starting today’s 3D Printing News Briefs out with a new case study, and then concluding with some business. CRP USA has been working with additive manufacturing in the motorsports sector. Moving on, Gardner Aerospace has acquired FDM Digital Solutions Ltd. Finally, the Head of Engineering at Formlabs is joining up with Digital Alloys.

CRP USA AM in Motorsports Case Study

3D printed oil pan in Windform SP, University of Victoria’s Formula SAE race car 2019 version

The University of Victoria (UVic) Formula Motorsport team has been using 3D printed oil pans on their SAE competition cars for the last four years that were created with CRP USA‘s laser sintering process, and Windform TOP-LINE composite materials. As a CRP case study details, carbon-composite Windform XT 2.0 was used to print the oil pans for the race vehicles in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and while they performed “amazingly” the first two years, the engine overheated during a test of last year’s car, which caused the temperature of the oil to rise above what the pan could handle.

For this year’s vehicle, the team decided to use the carbon-filled Windform SP composite material to 3D print the oil pan, as it has a higher melting point. They also made the mating flange thicker to lessen the chances of failure, and both of these changes led to a better, more robust oil pan. At next week’s Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, CRP USA will be showing off some of the other 3D printed solutions it’s helped create for the motorsports industry at booth 1041 in the Green Hall.

Gardner Aerospace Acquires FDM Digital Solutions

Graeme Bond (FDM) & Dominic Cartwright (Gardner Aerospace)

Global manufacturer Gardner Aerospace announced its acquisition of FDM Digital Solutions Limited, one of the UK’s top polymer additive layer manufacturers. FDM was formed in 2012, and its business model of original design solutions, manufacturing capability, and customer collaboration is successful in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and motorsports industries. The company will now become part of the new Gardner Technology Centre business unit, which is focused on R&D and advanced technology.

“Gardner Aerospace is breaking new ground in terms of technology. The acquisition of FDM and the creation of our new Technology Centre business unit provides us with the perfect opportunity to expand our technical knowledge, R&D capability and product offering, and aligns us with our customers’ growing expectations on innovative solutions, continuous improvement and cost competitiveness,” stated Gardner Aerospace CEO Dominic Cartwright.

“The role of 3D printing within manufacturing is constantly expanding and this newly acquired additive layer manufacturing capability complements Gardner’s long-standing capabilities as a producer of metallic detailed parts and sub-assemblies.”

Formlabs’ Head of Engineering Joins Digital Alloys

Carl Calabria

Carl Calabria, an AM industry veteran and the Head of Engineering at Formlabs, is leaving the company to join Digital Alloys, Inc. as its CTO. The Burlington, Massachusetts-based 3D printing company introduced its unique Joule printing last year, which it claims is the fastest way to make the hardest metal parts, as the wire-feed process doesn’t require any metal powder. By adding Calabria to its team, where he will be responsible for the company’s research and engineering, Digital Alloys can accelerate the release of its high-speed metal AM process.

“Leaving Formlabs was a difficult decision, but I was drawn to the size of Digital Alloys’ market, the team, and the opportunity to use Joule Printing to deliver metal printing solutions that have the speed, cost and quality needed for volume manufacturing of larger parts,” said Calabria. “The remarkable technology is producing titanium and tool steel parts faster, and at lower cost than conventional manufacturing processes.”

Watch this video to see Digital Alloys’ Joule printing process in action:

 

What do you think? Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below. 

The post 3D Printing News Briefs: December 3, 2019 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

3D Printing Unicorns, Part 1: Formlabs

When a privately held startup hits $1 billion in value, it magically transforms from an ugly mare into a beautiful unicorn (or so the legend goes). In the 3D printing space, there are three such creatures and we’ll be profiling each one, beginning with the oldest: Formlabs.

The Boston-based company was born out of MIT Media Lab, where its co-founders, Maxim Lobovsky, Natan Linder and David Cranor met as students learning about the newly hyped technology of 3D printing. The trio went on to establish Formlabs in September 2011 with the Form 1.

What made the Form 1 so remarkable was that it was the first desktop SLA 3D printer, bringing quality associated with much more expensive systems to under $5,000 (the original base package was just $2299 for early birds). And it did so via Kickstarter, raising nearly $3 million and becoming one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns for 3D printing. 

The original Form 1 3D printer.

The firm continued to sell and develop, which is a lot more than can be said for some other crowdfunded companies (looking at you, Pirate3D). This resulted in the release of the Form 1+, Form 2, Form 3 and Form 3L, all representing improvements in the hardware architecture and/or size of the printer. Most recently, the company added the Form 3B, dedicated to biocompatible materials, including resins for 3D printing surgical guides.

With the Form 3 and 3L (released in 2019), Formlabs introduced “low force stereolithography (LFS),” a re-engineering of its previous SLA process, wherein the forces of suction of the part on the optical window were too strong for certain geometries and materials. In LFS, a redesigned optics system made up of lenses, mirrors and a galvanometer directs a laser beam directly perpendicular to the build plane, resulting in the ability to print in finer details and lighter support structures. The optical window, and indeed the frame holding it, flex which reduces the forces acting on the part. 

The Form 3 and Form 3L.

But Formlabs didn’t limit itself to just SLA or even LFS. In 2017, the firm confirmed it was working on the Fuse 1, one of a very low number of desktop SLS 3D printers. By this point, it was more clear than ever that Formlabs wasn’t just a startup, but was evolving into something more… majestic? Well, at least something much more significant because it was no longer just selling printers on Kickstarter, but had established a global presence mainly selling direct but also an extensive reseller and distribution network. 

The Fuse 1 SLS system.

That isn’t to say that it didn’t face its share of obstacles. Along the way, in 2012, it was sued by the original inventor of SLA, 3D Systems, for patent infringement before the two reached a licensing settlement netting the larger of the two companies 8% of every sale. Formlabs was sued once again in 2016 by DLP inventor EnvisionTEC. The startup had officially made the big leagues. 

In fact, the company is so substantial at this point that it’s not just being sued by the big dogs, but it’s becoming a big dog itself. Formlabs announced its first acquisition, that of Spectra Group Photopolymers, who has supplied its parent company with resins since the Form 1 days. With the purchase, Formlabs will be investing over $1 million into renovating Spectra’s facilities to become an FDA registered, ISO Class 8 certified cleanroom in an ISO 13485 certified facility for dental and medical materials development. 

After early seed funding from investors that included Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, the startup concluded Series A Funding of $19 million in 2013. Series A led to Series B  ($35 million in 2016), which led to Series C ($30 million in 2018). With a $15 million infusion (also in 2018), Formlabs added former GE CEO Jeff Immelt to its board of directors. At this point, the startup was valued at over $1 billion, officially transforming Formlabs from a beast of burden into a mythical unicorn. 

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3D Printing Industry News Sliced: Farsoon Technologies, Rize, Titomic, 3D Systems, Formlabs, Protolabs, Dassault Systèmes

This week’s edition of Sliced, the 3D Printing Industry news digest, features the latest developments of additive manufacturing in fashion, footwear, and art, as well as novel research in tissue engineering to combat cardiovascular disease.  The latest news from Farsoon Technologies, Rize, Titomic, 3D Systems, Formlabs, Protolabs, Dassault Systèmes, and others can be found prior to Formnext, […]