Figure 4 Tough Clear Figure 4 Tough Clear is 3D Systems’ first clear material for its Figure 4 platform designed forlong-term use parts and functional prototypes. Parts produced using Figure 4 Tough Clear possessexcellent clarity that is improved with post-processing. This can be extremely valuable for applications such as fluid and gas flow to observe the inner workings of complex assemblies. It can also enhance light transmission and reflection for lenses, light guides and lighting covers.Additionally, this material delivers a desirable combination of customer-critical performance traitsincluding impact strength, tensile strength, and elongation properties which remain stable up to eight years. Figure 4 Tough Clear is tested to eight years of indoor and one and a half years outdoor mechanicalperformance per ASTM D4329 and ASTM G154 methods, ensuring that printed parts remain functional andstable for long periods in real-world conditions. In addition to lenses, light guides and lighting covers, this material… read more
Alex
The Geeetech THUNDER Kickstarter campaign has officially started today, and we are going to look at the deal on offer. The THUNDER will come with high printing speed, all-metal body, a super strong cooling system and big printing volume. Read on to learn more about this new speedy FFF desktop printer. THUNDER The Geeetech THUNDER has been in development for two years and is now ready for launch. The printing speed of the Geeetech THUNDER can reach up to 300mm/s, with accelerations of 5000mm/s² for the X-axis and 4000mm/s² for the Y-axis. When compared against the same model and same print quality, these speed gains result in a saving of between 30%-70% in printing time. Overview The THUNDER offers a printing volume of 250 x 250 x 260 mm and comes with 5 different printing modes for different printing needs. In addition, the printer includes a dual drive gear extruder,… read more
Sustainable 3D printing material developer Filaret is working with Estonian authorities to recycle discarded cigarettes from the country’s beaches into filament. As part of an initiative rolled out at local government level in Estonia’s capital Tallinn, special litter bins have been installed along some of the city’s beaches, in which the public are being encouraged to discard cigarette butts. In two months’ time, Filaret says it plans to return, and convert any waste collected from these into a new eco-friendly, compostable 3D printing material. “I hope that these special cigarette bins will help to reduce this widespread marine litter,” said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Joosep Vimm. “What makes the project particularly interesting is that, in addition to just collecting the cigarette butts from the beach, they will be upcycled into compostable 3D printing material, thus reducing the problem of plastic waste.” A Filaret cigarette recycling bin in Tallinn. Photo via Tallinn’s… read more
Researchers from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) have printed Spain’s first additively manufactured house. The small house has been printed on the facilities of Valldaura Labs, Barcelona, and differs from usual 3D printed homes as it isn’t made from concrete or polymers, but from dirt, eggs and a whole other bunch of organic detritus. Read on to know more about this locally sourced, near-zero carbon construction. And feast your eyes on the printed building in the image below. Eggy. (Image credit: IAAC) The project has been developed by the 3DPA (3D printing architecture) postgraduate research program at the IAAC. The goal of this course is to train architects and researchers for the future of construction and to explore the possibilities of 3D printing in this sector. The building itself, named TOVA, is made from 100% locally sourced materials which include soil, enzymes and other additives to provide… read more
Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have come up with a way of making 3D printed polymeric lattice parts 100-times stronger than before. Compared to traditional heat treatments, which strengthen plastic printed objects at the cost of deformability, the CityU approach only partially carbonizes them, to make them more robust and twice as ductile. Using their process, the team say it could be possible to realize sophisticated 3D prints with mechanical properties tailored to specific applications, such as coronary stents or bio-implants. “We found a way to convert weak and brittle 3D printed photopolymers into ultra-tough 3D architectures comparable to metals and alloys just by heating them under the right conditions, which is surprising,” says CityU Professor Lu Yang. “Our work provides a low-cost, simple and scalable route for making lightweight, strong and ductile mechanical metamaterials with virtually any geometry.” Chasing the “holy grail” of materials According… read more
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