Team colorFabb, Author at Learn ColorFabb

Poly Cup

Low Poly designs have been 3D print favorites for many years. And with good reason: Nice and clean designs that allow for great prints. Designers like Flowalistik specialize in low poly designs. For today’s print we used the Low Poly Cup by HummusBird.

Design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2548981

Printed on the Makerbot Replicator+ using the Experimental Extruder with the 0.6mm nozzle. We used corkFill and woodFill and combined it with our transparent PLA. Simply use the change filament routine during print to conveniently switch between materials during print.

The Makerbot Experimental Extruder was recently announced and allows for more experimenting on the existing Makerbot printers. Over the course of several months, we participated in a beta-test program that included a select group of MakerBot’s Thingiverse power users. During this time the new Experimental Extruder was tested using a range of colorFabb specialty materials – including the corkFill, copperFill, bronzeFill, and woodFill.

woodFill was launched exactly 4 years ago this week during the London 3D Print Show and was our first special filament. Other natural filled special filaments have followed, like bambooFill (which we discontinued earlier this year) and corkFill. Our woodFill has been a hit from day one due to easy processing and its fantastic looks. Added bonus is that your print room smells like a wood shop when printing with woodFill.

As it happens, corkFill is on sale now. Click here to get corkFill with a 15% discount (for a limited time only).

It is not said often enough, but the transparent and translucent colors we offer in our PLA range offer stunning results. You can choose from Red, Green, Yellow, Orange and Violet. All these filaments ship from stock!

Use of 3D Printing in Investment Casting

Last year we learned that 3D printing was used to drastically shorten time and costs in investment casting. Dutch company CIREX B.V. is an expert in investment casting and is exploring the added value 3D printing can bring to their process together with colorFabb.

We partnered with CIREX to better understand how PLA/PHA performs as a material for patterns. We have written exensively about this filament before. Traditionally investment casting uses wax patterns. These patterns are made using metal molds, making the tooling is an expensive process and can take several weeks.

For small series, or one off products creating a mold is not a cost effective solution for foundry companies. 3D printing on the other hand presents several advantages enabling foundries to make single parts or even small series.

Instead of investing in tooling, foundry companies can choose to 3D print their patterns in a material suited for investment casting. ColorFabb PLA/PHA Natural is a material uniquily suited for investment casting. It’s an easy printing material capable of creating complex shapes with great smooth surface finish and will work with most desktop and industrial type FFF 3D printing machines.

The material decomposes at 600C and ensures a clean burnout leaving behind a clean mold ready for casting.

Almost a year ago we highlighted US based Spectra3D’s work in investment casting, using the Stacker S4 and our signature PLA/PHA. Jerry LePore, CEO of Spectra3D explains why he chose PLA/PHA: “We chose Colorafab natural PLA because it contains no color pigments, prints great and burns out really clean from the mold.” You can read the full blog here.

Cut down on development time

Skipping the tooling development step saves a huge amount of time. Typically this could shorten the time to a first metal casted part by 3-4 weeks. Not being dependent on a third party mold supplier also reduces risk in time sensitive projects.

A wax tree with the printed models

3D printing also allows for faster design iterations, a first printed pattern could already be made in several hours depending on the size of the part. This makes it possible to iterate on the design multiple times even within a single day.

The material cost of printed patterns is around €30,- p/kg. Parts are generally printed with the least amount of material needed, which saves print time and material.

Checking out the burnout of PLA/PHA Natural, breaking the mold to inspect pattern for residue. Patterns printed on the Stacker S4, 0.2mm layer height at 20% infill.

3D Printer & Material combination

The Stacker 3D printer was used for this test case. It prints incredibly reliable with PLA/PHA and is able to print parts accurate and consistent. Printing with multiple nozzles cuts down on series production time, 2x faster for the Stacker S2 and 4x faster for the Stacker S4 compared to a single nozzle FFF 3D printer.

The Stacker S2 and S4 can be set-up for small series production, or single large part printing. Mounting up to 4 toolheads on the x-carriage gives the user higher output, but reduces the build volume. The alternative is to mount only a single toolhead and take advantage of the entire buildvolume of the S2 or S4.

Products larger then the build volume of the Stacker can be split into multple parts and assembled after printing. Using pins align the parts is a good method to ensure the assembled model is accurate.

The Stacker S2 and its larger sibling the Stacker S4 is an industrial grade FFF 3D printer. Multiple print heads and a large build volume make it a versatile printer. Small series production or large scale prototyping are no problem for the Stacker printers! This US based printer is very reliable and is a perfect match for any professional looking for serious 3D printing. You can find the full product specifications on our dedicated Stacker page.

For Stacker the term “industrial grade” is not a hollow marketing term. It means their printers are designed for extra long service life, extremely low maintenance and that the printer will maintain its positional accuracy throughout its life cycle. This printer has been designed to be used in a professional environment, be it for large prototypes or small series production.

colorFabb is proud partner of Stacker and official distributor for the EMEA region. At colorFabb we have been extensively testing with both the S2 and S4 in our print lab with our entire range of filaments.

About CIREX

The history of the current CIREX starts in 1947. In the physics laboratory of Philips in Eindhoven, an experimental wax model foundry was set up. From these beginnings CIREX has developed as a development partner and producer of high-quality precision castings in steel, produced according to the “lost wax” process. CIREX has built up a good reputation and recognition among international customers.

You can find more information about CIREX’ rich history on their website.

colorFabb Case Studies

This blog is a first in a new series of how colorFabb filaments are used in different industries – some old, some new. We will collect these case studies as downloadable PDFs on our website: Click here.

3d printing case study cirex colorfabb industrial investment casting lost wax natural pla/pha stacker

Sintratec

As from today colorFabb enters into the SLS desktop 3D printing market by partnering up with hardware manufacturer Sintratec AG for distribution of Sintratec systems in the Benelux region.

colorFabb is now an official business partner for Sintratec AG. Sintratec is a Swiss high-tech company specializing in the development and production of SLS 3D printers. The range includes desktop laser sintering systems which work with high quality polymers. Sintratec’s laser sintering technology allows the production of complex and freeform objects which meet demanding resolution, robustness and temperature standards.

The Sintratec Kit

“The profound knowledge about the 3D Printing industry, the closeness to their customers and especially the passion that colorFabb brings into their daily business have fully convinced us. ColorFabb has tested our machines since 2015 and their decision is a proof of trust for Sintratec. We are proud to have such a well-known market player on board now. As Sintratec goes more and more from local to global we are sure that with colorFabb we have found the right partner for the Benelux region,” says Dominik Solenicki, CEO at Sintratec AG.

The Sintratec S1

“We’ve been following the development of SLS desktop 3D printing with great interest and acquired our first Sintratec S1 at a tradeshow in 2015. We’ve experimented a lot with the Sintratec S1 and have given our engineers the time to truly understand and see the value of this technology. We’re now ready to share our insight and knowledge with our clients. We believe the Sintratec S1 is a unique offering which strengthens our portfolio of 3D printers and professional services.”, says Ruud Rouleaux, CEO at colorFabb

The partnership with Sintratec is in line with colorFabb’s mission statement: Offering added value with high quality material and hardware solutions to meet our customer’s needs by means of interfacing between polymer know how and 3D printing know how.

The Sintratec Kit will be available within a week from colorFabb and the Sintratec S1 will be available later. Inquire with our sales department for more information or a quotation: sales@colorfabb.com

For a full overview of colorFabb’s portfolio of filaments and printers, please have a look at our catalogue.

3d printing colorfabb partnership sintratec sls

corkFill Experimental Extruder Jig

Makerbot designed a simple jig which makes it easier to swap nozzles on the Experimental Extruder. It also has three slots to store the nozzles, making it easy to keep everything together.

Experimental Extruder Jig
by MakerBot

This model was printed using corkFill filament and the 0.6mm brass nozzle. At 0.2mm layerheight and 200C printing temperature we got a beautifull finish.

These new nozzles are the key to printing in this range of materials. We recommend that users use the 0.6 mm brass nozzle for woodFill and corkFill, and the 0.6mm steel nozzle for bronzeFill and copperFill.

corkFill was one of our special filaments we launched 2 years ago, after woodFill and bambooFill (the latter one has been discontinued), that allow for a truly special look of any print. The unique look and finish have made this filament a great success ever since and found a large audience of fans ever since launching.

The Fish Vase is another print we recently made with corkFill on the Makerbot Replicator+.

If you have not tried it, you can find the tips and tricks to print with this filament in our handy tutorial.

corkFill is available in our webshop and ships from stock. Incidentally, at the time of writing corkFill is on sale. Get this awesome filament now at a great price!

corkfill experimental extruder jig makerbot

Making miniature furniture with the Robo C2

Model making has always been a great use for 3D printers all over the world. To all model makers looking to enter 3D printing with an efficient plug&play 3D printer, we present to you the Robo C2 which we used for today’s print in combination with woodFill and corkFill!

28mm Round Table
by Curufin

Making tiny furniture on the Robo C2 is a breeze, combined with colorFabb special materials such as woodFill and corkFill the results look very convincing. One great benefit of these materials is that the final part looks not at all like a plastic part.

Since woodFill and corkFill are PLA based materials the cold build platform of the Robo C2 is not a problem. Printing with a raft works beautifull and parts stay flat and seperate easily.

Miniature Queen Anne Coffee Tables
by PrettySmallThings

woodFill was launched exactly 3 years ago this month during the London 3D Print Show and was our first special filament. Other natural filled special filaments have followed, like bambooFill (which we discontinued earlier this year) and corkFill. Our woodFill has been a hit from day one due to easy processing and its fantastic looks. Added bonus is that your print room smells like a wood shop when printing with woodFill.

The Robo C2 retails for €799.00 excl. Tax (€966.79 incl tax) + 1 FREE SPOOL

The Robo C2 compact smart 3D printer with Wi-Fi gives you the freedom to make whatever you can imagine right from your mobile device using the Robo app.

Engineered to fit anywhere in your home or workplace
Efficient 12.7 x 12.7 x 15.2cm print size
8.9cm built-in color touch screen
Class-leading print speed
Automatic self-leveling

GET ONE TODAY

corkfill miniature furniture robo c2 woodfill

nGen_LUX excellence on the Robo R2

When thinking about applications for nGen_LUX one of the first area’s we see huge potential for this material is 3D printed awards and trophies. A quick search for examples on Thingiverse resulted in many cool models, but we specifically liked the YouTube Diamond Play Button reward designed by Jeffrey122. When Youtube creators get 10 miljoen subscribers, Youtube will reward them a “diamond play button” as recognition for being one of the most popular channels.

YouTube Diamond Play Button
by Jeffrey122

The facets on this model will work really well with the reflective surface quality of nGen_LUX. We printed this model on the Robo R2 at a 0.2mm layerheight. The model was positioned upwards and at a slight angle so the front facing plane could be printed without supports.

nGen_LUX was announced recently as the brand new high quality filament that we will launch later this year. Stay tuned for this new material that we first showcased during the TCT Show in Birmingham about a month ago.

The Robo R2 printer is available at colorFabb and ships from stock. As recently announced we act as Robo’s distributing partner in the Benelux and you can order the Robo R2 now with a free spool of nGen! We feel that the right combination of hardware and material makes for a great user experience and with the Robo R2 combined with our nGen we have once more found this synergy.

With a printer like the new Robo R2 you have a reliable machine that works flawlessly with our nGen filament, enabling end users to make durable and good-looking parts! The compact, but professional looking printer allows for prints of 20x20x25cm & accepts a lot of different materials. Together with Robo we are currently testing all of our materials on this printer.

The Robo R2 is currently available in our brand new webshop and we ship from stock. For € 1399 (excluding VAT) you get a terrific printer with a free spool of nGen filament to make that awesome print right away!

The Robo R2 retails for €1399.00 excl. tax (€1692.79 incl. tax) + 1 FREE SPOOL

GET ONE TODAY

ngen_lux robo r2

A wooden cup barrel on the Replicator+

We’ve been searching Thingiverse for great models to show the aesthetic quality of woodFill filament. One model we particularly liked is this Cup Barrel. It’s a cool model and we can see this being used for many different purposes. It could be used as a dice cup, a desk organizer for pens and pencils and perhaps even a planter.

Cup Barrel
design by kevin Grijalva

This model is printed on the Replicator+ using the Makerbot Labs Experimental Extruder equipped with a 0.6mmm brass nozzle.

The Makerbot Labs Experimental Extruder

As a leader in the 3D printing materials space, we at colorFabb were excited to be part of the beta-test program that included a select group of MakerBot’s Thingiverse power users. During this time the new Experimental Extruder was tested using a range of colorFabb specialty materials – including the corkFill, copperFill, bronzeFill, and woodFill.

makerbot woodfill

Robo C2 3D printing transparent PLA colors

Yesterday we posted the faceted vase, designed by billbo1958, today we continue with the faceted bowl on the Robo C2.

Faceted Bowl and Vase
by billbo1958

Awesome layering on the Robo C2 with transparent Orange PLA.

The transparent colors work really well on this design. As the designer also states, he was going for the cut glass look when creating the vase and bowl models.

The Robo C2 retails for €799.00 excl. Tax (€966.79 incl tax) + 1 FREE SPOOL

GET ONE TODAY

pla robo c2

nGen_LUX on the Robo R2

Our latest print on the Robo R2 involves nGen_LUX and a vase model with many beautiful facets, perfect to highlight the surface finish of the nGen_LUX.

Faceted Bowl and Vase
by billbo1958

This model is printed at 0.2mm layerheight using the special mode ‘spiralize outer contour’. A spiral toolpath allows the Robo R2 to print the model without any visible z-scar. This method is perfect for 3D printing vases, cups and other hollow models which don’t need top surfaces or infill.

For more information on ngen_LUX we suggest to read this article.

The Robo R2 is in Stock

colorFabb is keeping stock of the Robo R2, be sure to secure one before the holiday season starts!

GET ONE TODAY

ngen_lux robo r2

corkFill Fish vase

Makerbot recently announced the new Experimental Extruder and surfaced various colorFabb materials on their landing page for Makerbot labs. We’re excited to be working with Makerbot on this endeavour.

Meanwhile at colorFabb 3D printing lab we’re busy with printing more models which show the potential of our materials using the new Makerbot Labs Experimental Extruder.

Fish Sculpture Vase
by 3DWP

Printed with the 0.6mm brass nozzle using our one of a kind corkFill filament. The texture of the print is smooth and silky and shows a great surface finish.