5 Years colorFabb: nGen_FLEX revisited

We launched our first filament range, PLA/PHA, in February 2013. In this short, limited series of blogs we look back at some of the materials released in the past five years. Earlier we wrote about woodFill and nGen and colorFabb_HT. This fourth and last installment looks back at nGen_FLEX.

Printed, flexible tubes. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/flexible-tubes/

nGen_FLEX was our very first step into flexible filaments. Our main focus before had been rigid and stiff materials, but we found that we should add a functional filament to our portfolio that met the needs of our users. Our co-operation with Eastman Chemical Company has lead to the release in the fall of 2016 of nGen_FLEX – made with Eastman Amphora FL6000.

nGen_FLEX is a semi-flexible filament with a Shore A hardness of 95. This enables users with the Bowden tube printer (like Ultimakers, for instance) to print with this filament without an effort. Of course the user can influence how flexible a print should feel by adjusting infill and perimeter settings. nGen_FLEX is temperature resistant to about 130C. That means 3D printed objects can be steam sterilized at 121C which is a great asset for medical / laboratory environments.

nGen_FLEX is made for those who are seriously looking for a engineering grade semi-flex material, capable of withstanding high temperatures, good chemical stability and result in tough parts fit for real world use. With nGen_FLEX you won’t need to compromise too much on printing speed and the need for specialized flex-extruders is elminated. After the launch we received a lot of acclaim for the filament:

“#3dprinting with @ColorFabb #nGen_flex – prints very easily, on @Ultimaker bowden even!” – Joel Telling

“Very impressed by the flexibility of the filament and its ability to be printed without special extruders.” – Michael Teeuw

“Works quite well for low density parts.” – Matthew Gorton, Printed Solid

“Looking good, great shine!” – Steve Cox

You can find more here. Visit our dedicated landing page for more information:

nGen_FLEX has seen some fantastic applications in the past 18 months since we launched it. Below are some of the prints we have posted about before:

Our former intern Niels van Valburg built his entire internship around nGen_FLEX and his goal was to design a chair that was easily printed. The result was the FLEX_Link, which is still on display in our office. And yes, you can sit on it! Read more about the FLEX_Link here – you can even download the handy IKEA style manual to make your own!

Printing a slipper. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/slipper/

Everyday objects can easily be replicated, either as a prototype or a replacement like the examples below:

Water cap. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/water-cap-ngen_flex/

Handlebar grip: https://learn.colorfabb.com/handlebar-grip/

Oil funnel. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/oil-funnel/

One of our most ambitious (and fun!) prints was Daniel Norée’s Open RC F1 car which we upscaled to 250%. The upcoming release of nGen_FLEX back then inspired this print since we were looking to make good use of the tyres that needed to be printing. Be the judge yourself:

The entire F1 car was printed with co-polyester filaments. You can read the original post here.

Printing the wheels did work out so well, we even printed the wheels of a fully functional skateboard with it:

Another added advantage of nGen_FLEX is how well it works with nGen, for instance:

Pliers (click image for the gif to play). Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/pliers

Coupler (click image for the gif to play). Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/coupler/

nGen_FLEX is currently available in Black and Dark Gray, but as from next week (early March 2018) we will also add the Clear option to our portfolio. Click here to head directly to our webshop.

All blogs and articles about our fifth anniversary can be found by clicking here.

3d printing 5yearscolorfabb colorfabb ngen_flex

5 Years colorFabb: colorFabb_HT revisited

We launched our first filament range, PLA/PHA, in February 2013. In this short, limited series of blogs we look back at some of the materials released in the past five years. Earlier we wrote about woodFill and nGen. This third installment looks back at colorFabb_HT.

Printing near transparent prints with colorFabb_HT. Continue reading…

At colorFabb we always look for the right motivation to release a new filament. In our view you can only stand out in either aesthetics or functionality. Sometimes both. But functionality was what we had in mind when we released colorFabb_HT, three years ago in 2015.

colorFabb_HT is made with Eastman Amphora™ HT5300 and is a low-odor and styrene-free material uniquely suited for advanced 3D printing users, particularly those who need their models to exhibit excellent durability, toughness and high temperature resistance with a Tg of over 100⁰C. Amphora is Eastman’s brand of co-polyesters dedicated for 3D printing. Our nGen, colorFabb_XT and nGen_FLEX are also made with Amphora materials.

Below is a chart how our range of co-polyesters compare to other materials like PLA and ABS:

Learn more about co-polyesters in our previous blog.

colorFabb_HT empowers professional users to create more durable and useful items, making prototyping truly functional. This opens up new areas in which 3D printed applications can be successfully applied. With certain FDA approvals and chemical resistance it is an engineering grade material that has been in high demand with the professional users and hobbyists alike. Another feature is that it is dishwasher proof.

High tech clamps, printed with colorFabb_HT on the Leapfrog Bolt by Peter de Corte

colorFabb_HT is uniquely suited for advanced 3D printing users, particular those who need their creations to exhibit excellent durability, toughness and temperature resistance. You can find more information on our dedicated landing page.

colorFabb_HT is enabled by Eastman Tritan™ copolyester technology. Tritan is Eastman’s flagship product and has been succesfully added to the 3D printing portfolio with colorFabb_HT.

One of the unique features of colorFabb_HT is the ability to print near transparent parts. Due to the high flow characteristics it is now possible to print parts that are almost see-through. Check out the blog we wrote about it previously here.

Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/lets-make-something-clear/

Another aspect of the filament is its ability to print extremely detailed prints, like seen below:

Tiny Hellboy. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/tiny-hellboy/

Although our range of co-polyesters already look extremely good, there are quite a few way how you can perform so-called secondary operations, like glueing, painting, etc. Click the image below for more information:

Below are some of the prints we made in the past few years with colorFabb_HT:

Old and broken laundry dryer part left, new printed one on the right. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/laundry-dryer/

Air gun adapter. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/adapter/

Brushless motor, colorFabb_HT print in combination with steelFill. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/brushless-motor/

Vertical windmill. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/vertical-windmill/

Dremel tool holder, printed with colorFabb_HT and woodFill. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/dremel-tool-holder-colorfabb_ht/

Eager to try out colorFabb_HT? Now is the right time to place your order. During this month, February 2018, we celebrate our fifth anniversary by giving every fifth spool you order in our webshop for free. Click on the banner below for more info:

We also run a contest: post your favorite colorFabb print online, tag us and use hashtag #5yearscolorfabb and maybe you will win a value pack with 16 spools of our filaments! Again, more info by clicking the banner below:

All blogs and articles about our fifth anniversary can be found by clicking here.

3dprinting 5yearscolorfabb colorfabb colorfabb_ht

5 Years colorFabb: nGen revisited

Our range of nGen colors… with more to come soon!

To talk about nGen is to talk about colorFabb_XT and the start of our co-operation with Eastman Chemical Company. Back in 2013 we got in touch with Eastman Chemical Company from Kingsport, TN. We were looking for new exciting (and most of all, functional) materials to turn into filaments and Eastman was looking for a dedicated partner already in the world of 3D printing. Eastman is a worldwide specialist in co-polyesters and has since launched a range of materials specifically for 3D printing, called Amphora. Check out their website for more information. We signed an agreement to co-operate together early 2014 and went to work. The first filament released, colorFabb_XT, was later that year during the 3D Print Show in London.

colorFabb_XT is a great engineering grade filament that can be used for a lot of applications that need to perform. We found however that there was still a gap between our (or any) PLA filament and filaments like colorFabb_XT. In the summer of 2015 we were vigorously testing with a new raw material that came from Eastman, code name AM3300. The more we tested the more we were convinced this was going to be a material that was going to be a hit with users, old and new. We only didn’t know how big a hit it would become.

We decided to call this new filament “nGen” – next Generation. We believed then (and still do) that this filament was a next step for 3D printing materials. It was our goal to bring a filament to the market that has functional properties, looks astonishingly good and prints like a dream.

After a small launch in November of that year we went big and launched with Aleph Objects, makes of the excellent Lulzbot printers, at their stand at the CES Show in January of that year.

Lulzbot stand at the CES 2016, Las Vegas

nGen has been a hit ever since. This is not without reason. It is true all-round material suitable for most day to day 3D printing activities. Its chemical make up ensures a very consistent quality. An advantage over PLA is its elevated temperature resistance: 80 degrees instead of 45 degrees, so even in hotter climates (or a hot summer day) the material holds up extremely well. Below is a comparison chart of several of the Amphora based filaments compared to commodity materials like ABS and PLA.

You can read more on our dedicated landing page or our blog about co-polyesters.

Lulzbot mascotte Rocktopus printed with 21kg of nGen on the CES 2017

nGen is an amazing material which enables users to create parts with gorgeous detail and the benefit of long term stability. Don’t just take our word for it. Below are some of the reviews that our users posted in our webshop:

“Its just the perfect Filament for me!”

“Printing as easy as PLA, but with better material properties.”

“nGen is very predictable and strong.”

“nGen is always my “go to” filament. It just prints beautifully. It’s strong, handles heat well, reliable, and just looks great.”

“… prints like butter 🙂 and the finish is absolutely perfect.”

“The material has good print bed adhesion, low warping and low shrinkage. Easy to print.”

Beyond our initial goals to create a filament that prints well and holds up to every day 3D printing tasks we have since found out more properties of the filament, giving it a great advantage. For instance, we recently came across a business case where a printed object made with nGen has been under water in the ocean for 16 months! And it did not loose its functional properties!

And you can get highly detailed prints as well:

Model balustrade. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/detailed-balustrade/

Although nGen is a true star in our portfolio, it doesn’t feel too good to perform a supporting role from time to time. Literally. In combination with colorFabb_XT nGen filament can also be used as a breakaway support. Complex designs like the drill case below do need support material and we found that nGen did a great job in that department.

Drill case. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/drill-case/

Another great material it works extremely well with is our nGen_FLEX:

Pliers (click image for the gif to play). Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/pliers

Coupler (click image for the gif to play). Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/coupler/

It is not only materials nGen plays well with. It also performs extremely well on a wide range of printers.

On the Lulzbot TAZ 6. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/hyper-soccer-ball/

On the Ultimaker . Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/mixee-wallet/

On the Robo R2. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/ngen-robo-r2/

On the Leapfrog HS. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/turbine-prop/

Below is a small selection of varied prints we have posted about in the past two years:

RC 180 degree camera housing. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/rc-180-degree-hd-camera-printed-ngen/

Saturn V Rocket. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/ngen-saturn-v-rocket/

Robot arm. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/robot-arm/

Educational Brake Caliper. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/caliper/

Eccentrically Cycloidal Drive Mode. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/eccentrically-cycloidal-drive-model/

Universal Bottle Opener. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/ubo/

Flexbot quadcopter: https://learn.colorfabb.com/flexbot-quadcopter/

More than once we have heard from our users that after trying nGen they have never looked back at PLA. And why should they? nGen is PLA and more.

And we are not done yet with nGen yet. Next up: nGen_LUX. We have used the basis of nGen to develop a new material that will look like no other 3D printing filament. We will release that one this very month! Stay also tuned for more nGen colors coming soon… We have six more colors lined up for you.

Eager to try out nGen? Now is the right time to place your order. During this month, February 2018, we celebrate our fifth anniversary by giving every fifth spool you order in our webshop for free. Click on the banner below for more info:

All blogs and articles about our fifth anniversary can be found by clicking here.

3dprinting 5yearscolorfabb am3300 colorfabb ngen

5 Years colorFabb: woodFill revisited

We launched our first filament range, PLA/PHA, in February 2013. In this short, limited series of blogs we look back at some of the materials released in the past five years. The first entry is about woodFill.

Our first special filament was woodFill. In our first year of existence we had a great filament, PLA/PHA, in the market and we were already looking for more filaments to be added to the portfolio. Someone asked us a very serious question: “Why don’t you make a wood filament?” We thought: “Why not?” Granted, we weren’t the first, but the filament world was still young and with our compounding partner FKuR, located in Willich, Germany, we went to work.

True story: We produced the first test run of filament late October 2013, put it on the printer and… it worked! Flawlessly! This was mere days before we were off to the 3D Printing Show in London, early November 2013. With the few spools we had we printed a lot of examples, put them in our suitcases and off we went! (By train, it was still the olden days…)

The very first woodFill print… ever

The 3D Printing Show was an amazing experience. As luck (or mad negotiation skills) would have it, we were placed right at the entrance. As anyone who has ever printed with woodFill knows, the material really smells like wood when printing. And that was exactly what the visitors smelled when they entered the show floor.

As heard many, many times during those 3 days:

“It smells like… wood.”

“That’s because there is real wood in the filament.”

“But how did you get the smell in there?”

“Because there is real wood in the filament.”

We admit, the main component is our signature PLA/PHA, but the wood is what makes the filament truly special.

We started with two variations: woodFill Fine and woodFill Coarse. Problem was that the Coarse could only be printed with a 0.8 nozzle and sales reflected that people were not eager to switch nozzles a lot. Only after a few months we discontinued woodFill Coarse and focused entirely on woodFill Fine. But a few times every year someone informs if there are still some spools of the Coarse left.

We have literally sent out thousands of woodFill spools all over the world and it has been a solid hit with our customers, old and new. Its ease of printing (can your printer print PLA? If yes, you can print woodFill. If no, buy a new printer) has really helped, but again: the smell of wood during printing, that authentic woodshop idea has been appealing for a lot of printers. And be honest: the prints look like they have been carved from… wood.

Below are some (but not all, at all) great examples of woodFill creations:

Tony Short’s gift box. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/colorfabb-gift-box/

Megafone amplifiers by AKLIH. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/aklih/

Print+ headphone. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/printplus/

Replicas of historic church figures. Original post: https://learn.colorfabb.com/excellence-woodfill-3d-printing/

Some printed examples on the Lulzbot Mini: https://learn.colorfabb.com/woodfill-lulzbot/

After woodFill we expanded the range with bambooFill (since discontinued) and corkFill (still available). Both great materials, but woodFill will have a special place in our portfolio as our first special filament.

woodFill is available in our webshop and through our reseller network. We offer both 600 grams and 1800 grams (XL) spools.

3d printing 5yearscolorfabb colorfabb woodfill

10% off on printers!

It’s our fifth anniversary and we give extra discount on 3D printers! We currently offer both the Lulzbot TAZ 6 and the Robo C2 with 10% discount!!

Both printers have been extensively tested in our printlab and ship daily from stock. With free filament as well! Read on…

Robo C2

The Robo C2 retails normally for €799.00 excl. Tax (€966.79 incl tax) + 1 FREE SPOOL. Now you get it for € 719.10 excl. VAT – and still that extra spool!

GET ONE TODAY

Robo C2 Features
Although the Robo C2 is compact in size it’s loaded with features seen on bigger and more expensive units. The Robo C2 works great with colorFabb PLA/PHA, colorFabb Economy PLA. For the more experienced users the C2 will also work with our pla based special materials such as bronzeFill, copperFill, brasFill, woodFill, corkFill.

Wi-Fi connectivity
Connect Robo C2 to your home or workplace Wi-Fi network from your mobile device and the Robo app for the most accurate 3D printing experience.
Automatic self-leveling print bed
Spend more time making without having to manually adjust the print bed — plus it’s removable.
Filament run-out detection
Lets you know when you’ve run out of material and automatically saves your 3D print.
Print from your phone
Easily print everything you make right from your smartphone or mobile device using the Robo app.
Integrated model slicing
Simplifies the path to every finished print, giving each layer more customized and controlled attention to detail.
Compact Size
Small footprint fits any space, giving you the freedom to make just about anywhere.
Total Print-Smart Control
Take control of every detail in real time with the built-in 3.5” color touch screen and precision sensor technology.

Check out some prints we made on the Robo C2: here and here.

Lulzbot TAZ 6

Engineers, designers, educators, and makers agree: The LulzBot TAZ 6 is the most reliable, easiest-to-use desktop 3D printer ever, featuring innovative self-leveling and self-cleaning, and a modular tool head design for flexible and multi-material upgrades. With proven 3D printing technology and one of the largest print volumes in its class, the LulzBot TAZ 6 is ready to work.

GET YOURS NOW!

3D printing is more reliable than ever with the integrated automatic bed leveling system, all metal LulzBot v2 Hot End, and heated PEI print surface. With the all metal hot end, you can take advantage of the cutting edge market for new materials. Perfect for both large and small objects, the heated PEI build surface keeps your 3D printed objects in place when hot and releases when cool. With Cura LulzBot Edition, you have hundreds of quickprint profiles built in for seamless 3D printing.

The Lulzbot TAZ 6 is now available in our webshop at a reduced rate of € 2722.50 including VAT / € 2.250 excluding VAT – that’s an immediate 10% discount!!

Not sold yet? The TAZ 6 was reviewed by both Richard Horne (RichRap) and Joel Telling (3DPrintingNerd). See their videos below:

You can find Richard’s full blog here.

And of course Joel Telling‘s review:

Richard and Joel have convinced you, we’re sure, but we’ll throw in a bit more:

free shipping in Europe
four (4!) free spools of our filament!

The Lulzbot TAZ 6 works with a wide range of materials, but none more so than our very own nGen – which is a perfect match with this printer!

#5yearscolorfabb

During this month, February 2018, we celebrate our fifth anniversary by giving every fifth spool you order in our webshop for free. Click on the banner below for more info:

All blogs and articles about our fifth anniversary can be found by clicking here.

3d printing 5yearscolorfabb colorfabb discount lulzbot taz 6 printers robo c2

5 Years colorFabb: Contest

In February 2018 colorFabb celebrates its 5th anniversary and we’re having a small contest. You can win a value pack with 16 colorFabb spools of choice by simply sharing your favorite print you made in the past 5 years with colorFabb filaments!

You can share your print(s) on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #5yearscolorfabb. Also mention the colorFabb filament used. At the end of the month we will choose one post and that person will get a value pack of colorFabb filaments of his or her choice. That is 16 spools!

So, that’s quite an easy way to participate. Please tag us and use that particular hashtag (#5yearscolorfabb) to participate so we can track all entries.

Our official social media channels are:

Twitter: @colorfabb
Facebook: @colorfabb
Instagram: @colorfabb_official

To see all entries so far, check the links below:

Entries on Twitter, click here.
Entries on Facebook, click here.
Entries on Instagram, click here.

And don’t forget, this month every 5th spool of filament is free in our webshop! Check out the details here.

3d printing 5yearscolorfabb colorfabb contest

colorFabb: Five Years

Has it really been five years this month? In February 2013 we launched our first products at the RapidPro trade show here in the Netherlands. We had about 20 colors PLA/PHA and only 2.85mm filament. It was still in the early days when there were only a few of us and we constantly had to explain: “No, we are not selling the printers, we make the filament.” (Disclaimer: these days we do sell printers!)

One of our first tweets when we had 10 followers or so.

A lot happened in the past five years. We basically started in a garage booth with an idea and a lot of ambition. The idea is still the same: to bring the best possible filament to the market and make sure we meet the need of our customers. The ambition has only grown over the past years. The only thing we left behind was the small garage and the little office above. To give you an idea, the image below was our print lab / logistics:

Scale: almost 1:1

In the meantime we moved twice, went from 20 products to 500+ SKUs (with more to come in 2018), expanded our staff from 3 to 20+, we became an independent company, ship to 70+ countries worldwide, have the best customers in the world (yes, that’s you) and have been running, working, printing and producing almost 24/7 to make sure you get the best possible filament to print with.

colorFabb has become a company and brand we are very proud of. We started to produce and ship filaments, but we do so much more these days: we advice, we design, we print, we offer various printers. Check our services page for more information.

You can find some recaps per year by clicking below (2013, when we started is sadly lacking, but believe us when we say it was awesome):

Which brings us to the beginning of 2018. And we know, but don’t tell yet, it is going to be an amazing year. We have some great developments in the pipeline and will share news with you soon. Of course we have nGen_LUX coming up later this month, but also some more great projects lined up.

But now, our fifth birthday party. How are we going to celebrate, you ask?

Buy 5, Pay 4!

First of all, a discount for you. Or rather a free spool! For the rest of the month you get your fifth spool for free. Add five spools (or a multiplier) in your basket and we deduct the costs of the cheapest spool! Easy. Small print made big: This discount not work on samples or printers though and not in combination with other discounts, but you will find this to be a great deal! Due to the nature of our XL spools a slight variety in pricing may arise when choosing those.

What do you have to do? Nothing, we have already set up the system this way.

Go to our webshop now to get the best deal in town. Remember, we ship daily, worldwide and from stock.

Contest

Last week we shared a lot of prints that we saw coming by in one week alone (check out the blog here) and we have seen thousands of prints in the past five years. We ask you to post or re-post your favorite prints made with colorFabb filaments on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #5yearscolorfabb. Also mention the colorFabb filament used. At the end of the month we will choose one post and that person will get a valuepack of colorFabb filaments of his or her choice. That is 16 spools!

So, that’s quite an easy way to participate. Please tag us and use that particular hashtag (#5yearscolorfabb) to participate so we can track all entries.

Our official social media channels are:

Twitter: @colorfabb
Facebook: @colorfabb
Instagram: @colorfabb_official

Furthermore we will highlight some of the greatest prints, pictures, shows, etc. in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.

All posts concering our fifth anniversary are bundled here.

3d printing colorfabb contest discount five years