Slant 3D
3D printing service provider Slant 3D has announced the launch of a new 3D printing material made from lunar regolith simulant as a premium option on its website.
Moon Rocks has been developed by Virtual Foundry and is said to utilise lunar regolith simulant, the same substance used by NASA to test lunar rovers. Lunar regolith simulant is composed primarily of basalt, meaning the Moon Rocks material is able to produce parts with a distinctive matte black stone appearance.
The integration of Moon Rocks into Slant 3D's Etsy platform and primary 3D printing API, the company believes, represents a significant advancement in material options for its users.
CEO Gabe Bentz commented: "The API hit a few key milestones on usage. So, we were thinking about what was something insane that we could give to our users. Moon Rocks seemed pretty good."
Operating some of the largest 3D printer farms worldwide, with facilities specced for up to 3,000 machines, Slant 3D typically serves clients with high-volume production needs, ranging into the hundreds of thousands. Recent developments have also facilitated print-on-demand capabilities through various software platforms, further enhancing accessibility to industrial-scale 3D printing resources.
Slant 3D has priced the Moon Rocks material at $1 per gram or $800 per spool.
In April, the company announced the beta launch of its 3D printing API.
