EnvisionTEC, is to showcase its strongest 3D printing material to date with a huge 328-foot 3D printed chain at RAPID + TCT this week.
Set to be exhibited at the event in Fort Worth, E-RigidForm is a polyurethane-like resin capable of printing hard and stiff parts. With a high tensile strength of 68-73 MPa at 7% elongation at break, E-RigidForm is ideal for both prototypes and end use parts.
The piece is believed to be the longest resin chain 3D printed in a single piece, featuring more than 6,144 links, each measuring 1.5 inches, arranged in 16 layers. Dubbed the 'Mega-Chain', the piece took more than two weeks to design and was produced on EnvisionTEC's largest resin printer, the Xede 3SP across four days and 99 hours of unattended printing.
"E-RigidForm is a breakthrough material for use on our 3SP line of 3D printers, which offer very large build areas without sacrificing speed and accuracy," said CEO Al Siblani. "A print job of this size and complexity would not have been possible before, simply because of the stiffness required during the 3D printing process for so many links and layers."
Mega Chain printed on the Xede 3SP.
The chain was designed by EnvisionTEC 3D Builder Robert Montes with digital processing and 3D printing support from colleagues Erica Finkowski, Jason Spurlock and Josue Nunes. EnvisionTEC says the project was so complex it required a computer with extreme processing power to generate the layers and supports for the print job.
The introduction of E-RigidForm now brings EnvisionTEC's material line-up to a total of 50 resins including a range of castable materials and certified resins for use in the healthcare and dental sectors.
The Mega-Chain will be on display at RAPID + TCT on April 24-26 at the Fort Worth Convention Centre, Texas. EnvisionTEC will be exhibiting on booth 1304. To attend, register here.
