New AM Materials Round Up, June 17, 2022

Several new AM materials were announced in the past week.

We often receive notes from manufacturers that have developed new and unique materials, but most times the news value is relatively low and these do not warrant a story on their own. However, we thought we might bundle together several material announcements into one post, this one, for your review.

Filaticum Fuzzy

Hungarian 3D print filament provider Filaticum has announced an unusual new PLA filament: Filaticum Fuzzy. Apparently this material, when printed, results in a “fuzzy” surface. They explain:

“Filaticum Fuzzy filament was developed to create unique objects with a special surface. The layers typical for FDM 3D printing are blurred, almost disappeared, as a fluffy, fuzzy surface is formed over them. This is combined with a matte effect.”

They say the fuzzy feature requires certain additives that as a bonus also make the material a bit stiffer when printed.

This seems similar to the “fuzzy skin” option available in some 3D print slicers, except the fuzz is made directly from the material itself.

The material is sold in 750g spools for the rather low cost of about US$20 per spool + VAT.

Sintratec Material Developer Upgrade

While it’s not specifically a material itself, Sintratec announced the “Material Developer Upgrade”, a software feature for their SLS 3D printers. The feature unlocks the ability to use experimental materials and thus is ideal for those companies and institutions attempting to develop new and unusual SLS materials.

Sintratec said the feature allows the operator to tweak up to 100 different 3D printing parameters, creating “unlimited freedom for laser strategies”.

Desktop Metal 925 Sterling Silver

Desktop Metal announced a new precious metal material for 3D printing has been qualified for use on their Production System (both P-1 and P-50): 925 sterling silver.

The company expects this material to be used to produce “high-quality jewelry, watches, belt buckles, and decorative hardware for handbags”, among other applications.

They are apparently also working on releasing more precious metal material qualifications this year, including 18K yellow gold. And Rose Gold is also in the lab, with no stated release date.

Carbon’s EPU44

Carbon announced a new material, EPU44, with a difference: this resin material is made from 40% plant-derived sources as measured by weight.

The material is designed to be used in large volume manufacturing of 3D printed parts, and apparently has already been used by Adidas in their footwear midsole projects.

The shift towards sustainable materials continues.