ACEO® is revolutionizing the world of additive manufacturing by introducing the world’s first real elastomer which can be 3D printed. Proven silicone experts from WACKER developed not only the material, but also software and hardware opening up new opportunities for various industries such as health care, automotive, electronics or even life style goods only to name a few. Protoypes, individualized products, novel designs or “impossible products” (which could not have been produced with any other technology before) can now be manufactured from silicone.
The technology is based on a “drop-on-demand” principle. The print head deposits single silicone voxels on a building platform, which flow together smoothly, forming a homogenous surface. After printing a layer, the curing is activated with UV light. For complex 3D structures a support material is printed throughout the same process. At the end of the printing process, the silicone form is removed from the printer and the environmentally safe support material is easily and quickly rinsed out with water.
ACEO® is offering a worldwide service for 3D printed silicone parts out of its site in Burghausen, Germany. This is rounded up by development services for design and material; whereas in the Open Print Lab, designers and customers can experience the technology under the guidance of the ACEO® expert team.
ACEO® is a registered trademark of Wacker Chemie AG, a globally active chemical company with some 17,000 employees and annual sales of around €5,3 billion (2015). The portfolio comprises among others more than 3,000 silicone products.