Exploring a New World of 3D Printed Product Realism with Flexible Colour Digital Materials
One
of three new Stratasys flexible color palettes composed of rubber-like black (TangoBlackPlus) and rigid opaque colors, spanning a wide selection of Shore A values. |
Boaz Jacobi, Product Marketing Manager, Stratasys |
Blog: What new possibilities does this extended range of material options bring to additive manufacturing?
Jacobi: The Objet500 Connex3, already the most versatile 3D printer on the market, can now leverage over 1,000 colour options and virtually unlimited combinations of flexible, rigid and translucent-to-opaque colours in a single print run. This provides true final product realism and versatility in end-to-end applications.
Swim fins produced on the Objet500 Connex3 Colour Multi-material 3D Printer using new flexible color |
Blog: What are the main benefits to product manufacturers, and how does it help businesses?
Jacobi: The wide variety of material combinations enables manufacturers to create parts that actually look, feel and function like future products rather than only looking like them. This allows the production of complete products without manual assembly and means product designers can now validate designs earlier in the product development cycle, accelerating time-to-market.
Blog: What are the advantages of 3D printing rubber-like colour materials?
Jacobi: Stratasys now enables users to 3D print digital materials in a wide range of Shore A values. This unique capability benefits many popular applications ranging from consumer applications to sporting goods and kitchen gadgets. For example, consumer goods manufacturers require soft touch colored parts and overmoulding for applications such as toothbrush handles and hair brush hand grips. In the consumer electronics market, flexible colored parts are becoming increasingly popular for devices like keyboards and remote control devices. Providing these capabilities ensures best final product realism when 3D printing parts.
Shower
heads by Ideal Standard Ltd were produced in one print run on an Objet500 Connex3 Colour Multi-material 3D Printer using a combination of new flexible colour and transparent materials. |
Jacobi: The four new rigid colour palettes include a black-white-clear palette that can be used to produce a sleek, reflective sheen, useful in consumer electronics parts. The colour-black-white palettes are ideal to create medical devices, automotive and consumer product housings in popular gray tones with vibrant colour components.