MakerBot launches PC-ABS and PC-ABS FR filament.
MakerBot has announced the addition of PC-ABS and PC-ABS FR to its METHOD 3D printing material line-up.
With 10 materials now available for the METHOD 'performance 3D printing' portfolio including ABS, ASA Nylon, PETG, Tough, PLA, SR-30 and PVA, the desktop 3D printing leader says it wants to open up more industrial applications for engineers.
Available in black, PC-ABS (polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) offers high heat resistant properties and high tensile strength, while PC-ABS FR is a flame-retardant variant which meets the UL-94 V0 fire safety standard. Both materials are ideal for applications across automotive and rail, LCD panels, appliances, electronics enclosures, handles, adapters and chargers, portable handheld devices and cosmetic covers.
The addition of polycarbonate to ABS is said to deliver higher impact strength and heat resistance compared to standard ABS. Combined with the METHOD X's enclosed build chamber, which now benefits from an increased temperature at the build plane from 100°C to up to 110°C, the material is said to ensure high quality parts and interlayer adhesion.
"With its excellent thermal and mechanical properties, PC-ABS is a widely-used engineering material for applications that require high impact and heat resistance. METHOD X is the only printer in its price class with a heated chamber that reaches up to 110°C on the build plane, making it ideal for printing PC-ABS," said Johan-Till Broer, VP of Product Development, MakerBot. "PC-ABS is another example of METHOD's ability to support real engineering-grade materials that print more successfully with a heated chamber. As a result, this improves the success rate and efficiency of the prototyping process, reducing time to market for new products."
PC-ABS is commonly found in injection moulded end-use parts. MakerBot cites the value of being able to prototype designs in a material as close as to the end part as possible, particularly in the case of functional prototyping. The material can also be printed with SR-30 soluble supports, allowing customers to produce complex geometries with complex internal cavities or overhangs.
Read more:
- Interview: MakerBot & KIMYA open up on the Method 3D printing materials programme
- MakerBot's Dave Veisz on the Method series, new 3D printing materials & being inspired by Stratasys' 'greats of FDM'
- Leaders of the New School: The Evolution of MakerBot
PC-ABS and PC-ABS FR are expected to begin shipping in May. The news follows on from the launch of MakerBot's Experimental Extruder earlier this month which allows users to access third-party materials, including those qualified by leading filament suppliers such as KIMYA, BASF and LEHVOSS Group.
