ProtoPasta’s Amazing 3D Printer Filaments

By on January 22nd, 2015 in materials

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We got a closer look at ProtoPasta’s unusual filaments at CES. 

The small Vancouver, Washington-based company has been producing high-quality speciality 3D printer filaments. They’re driven by user needs, so their close association with personal 3D printer operators has provided them with the knowledge to proceed developing a rather unique set of filament offerings. 

One very interesting filament is their Carbon-Fiber product. In the image at top, we see a large partial print of a gnome of some kind. What shocked us was the incredible strength of this printed object. The carbon-fiber is startlingly strong. 

They’ve also developed a conductive filament, which can be used to print electrical traces. If you happen to have a dual extruder machine, one extruder can print the body of a model, while the second extruder can embed electrical traces (wiring, essentially) within the model’s body. As you can see here, this is a near-complete component that requires only electronic chips. 

The company says they endeavor to ensure all their products are entirely non-toxic, which is something not all filament manufacturers can claim. 

Quality control is managed by laser measurements performed as the filament is extruded at their plant, with a special wheel mechanism to log the diameter continuously. 

Can you use these filaments? More than likely you can, as ProtoPasta ensures all of their filaments can be printed at PLA-level temperatures. However, you may need a heated build plate to reduce warping of some materials. There’s one exception, though: their flexible filament does require different temperatures. 

If you have an interest in trying out unusual 3D print materials, you may want to check out ProtoPasta’s offerings. 

Via ProtoPasta

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!