Sinterit
Flexa Soft
Sample SLS print in Flexa Soft.
Sinterit has launched a soft thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder designed for its Lisa series of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers.
Flexa Soft is the fifth material product to be offered by Sinterit, and with a hardness of between 40-55 in the Shore A type scale, its softest yet. Other materials include Flexa Black and Flexa Grey, fellow TPUs, and PA12 Smooth and PA11, the latter for the Lisa 2 Pro machine only. Flexa Black boasts a hardness of 80/ 90 on the Shore A scale depending on the print setting, and Flexa Grey 70/ 90.
The new material opens Sinterit up to new applications in new markets. Medical and fashion are the two markets immediately put forward by the company. With 3D printing’s application in both sectors on the rise, albeit at different rates, Sinterit has sought to cater for those needs.
In a medical setting, Flexa Soft can be harnessed for surgical models used to help surgeons trial procedures before carrying them out. A softer material is preferred to a harder one because it is easier to cut through with a scalpel. Meanwhile, in fashion, Flexa Soft can easily adjust to the wearers body. The enhanced elasticity also makes the material suitable for prototyping gaskets and sensory toys, per Sinterit.
The company has launched this material prior to Formnext 2018, but has also promised to follow this up with further additions to its material portfolio at the Frankfurt trade show.
“Our clients are very keen on experimenting with new powders and [are] continually asking us to develop new ones, which will broaden the manufacturing possibilities of both Sinterit Lisa printers,” commented Konrad Glowacki, co-founder of Sinterit. “We are very open to those inquiries because we are aware that the capabilities of SLS rapid prototyping have not been fully used yet.”
Sinterit will exhibit its Lisa series of printers and material portfolio throughout the Formnext show from Hall 3.1, Booth G41 between November 13th – November 16th.
