3D SYSTEMS USING FASTER, STRONGER MATERIAL.Byline: Daily News VALENCIA - 3D Systems Corp.'s technique of producing three-dimensional models from computer images has taken the next step. The company has announced the use of a new, more durable, faster material - Cibatool SL 5440 - for use in its SLA (1) (StereoLithography Apparatus) See 3D printing. (2) (Service Level Agreement) A contract between the provider and the user that specifies the level of service expected during its term. 500 solid imaging system. The new material mimics the properties of polypropylene polypropylene (pŏl'ēprō`pəlēn), plastic noted for its light weight, being less dense than water; it is a polymer of propylene. It resists moisture, oils, and solvents. , enabling its use for functional-part testing. SL 5440 is the latest in a continuing series of materials developed by 3D Systems and Vantico Inc. Earlier releases of durable materials included SL 5240 for the SLA 250 system and SL 7540 for the SLA 3500, 5000 and 7000 systems. All three materials offer mechanical properties similar to thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. . The new material is a hit, said Evan Frazier, rapid prototyping Building a part one layer at a time using a method of additive fabrication such as 3D printing. Such parts are used for concept modeling to determine if the product design meets the customer's expectations. engineer at Accelerated Technologies Inc. of Erlanger, Ky., which sells 3D products. ``With SL 5440, we get durable and functional properties in a material that is extremely fast,'' Frazier said in a press release. ``Even with the conservative parameters used during testing, SL 5440 material has proven to be our fastest. We look forward to taking advantage of its process latitude latitude, angular distance of any point on the surface of the earth north or south of the equator. The equator is latitude 0°, and the North Pole and South Pole are latitudes 90°N and 90°S, respectively. to further increase the speed.'' Materials such as SL 5440 are opening the door to a wider variety of applications, said Grant Flaharty, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at 3D Systems. And 3D plans to continue developing more such materials for its systems, because of the response, Flaharty said. 3D Systems provides solid-imaging products and services that substantially reduce the time and cost required to design, test and manufacture products. The company's systems utilize patented technologies that create physical objects from digital input. In February 2001, 3D Systems announced it acquired OptoForm, a French company that developed stereolithography The first 3D printing technology, which was pioneered by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems. See 3D printing. systems that use paste materials. In April 2001, the company plans to merge with DTM DTM dermatophyte test medium. Corp. of Austin, Texas. Based in Valencia, 3D Systems was founded in 1986. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion