Omni3D, a Polish manufacturer of extrusion based 3D printers, has announced the release of a new carbon fibre FFF 3D printing material.
The CF-PA-12 is a high strength material which is said to boast low shrinkage and excellent stiffness. It is a polyamide 12 (PA 12) based composite, reinforced with carbon fibres. Omni3D says it is exceptionally durable, and has high breaking strength. The company believes the material to be over 2.5 times stronger than ABS-42 material.
Meanwhile, it’s low material shrinkage and high thermal resistance will enable tools to work successfully up to 160°C. In comparison, tools made with ABS can only be used up to about 87°C. CF-PA-12 also has a high chemical resistance, and retains the structural stiffness of the carbon fibre, regardless of the ambient humidity, per Omni3D.
“[CF-PA-12] is lightweight, with an elegant, semi-matte finish. Carbon fibre is used in the production of parts for cars and drones, components that have high durability and low weight,” said Krzysztof Kardach, Principal 3D Printing Technologist. “This material will work in a demanding environment, and in some cases it can replace elements previously made from metal. It is excellent in component engineering, for producing final components and functional prototypes, and testing structural elements or devices and instrumentation.”
Omni3D has also revealed its plans to launch other materials for specialist applications later this year. In a company press release, it points out the automatic print settings of its Factory 2.0 3D printing system that specify parameters for all compatible filaments. Up to now, these compatible filaments include ABS, ASA, PET-G, PC-ABS and HIPS, but the CF-PA-12 material will be the first of a succession of materials released this year.
