Today we feature this fully 3D printed gearbox for a NEMA 17 stepper motor with a 4:1 reduction ratio in colorFabb_XT. Designed by Youmagine user Kevin, it utilizes herringbone gears and it performs great.
This print was done using a 0,25mm nozzle width and 0,06mm layerheight on an Ultimaker 2+. colorFabb_XT was used in both light and dark gray to ensure a durable and strong gearbox. The fine detailing meant that the print took a full day to complete. But it’s gears fit together very precisely and there is only minimal play in the system.
colorFabb_XT is made with Amphora AM1800 and was the first material we launched together with Eastman Chemical Company back in 2014.
It has a unique formulation for 3D Printing that features excellent properties : High strength and very high toughness, Odor Neutral processing, High Tg / improved temp. resistance, Styrene free formulation, FDA food contact compliance, BPA (Bisphenol A ) free formulation. It will allow the user to produce 3D printed functional products in a safe way. Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer is a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive.
A quick sneak peek of the BCN Moveo Robot arm we are printing right now on the Stacker S4 printer. We recently started this project with our Amphora based co-polyesters to make a very cool and functional print. You can find the full details on the site of BCN3D who supplied the design.
Our range of Amphora based co-polyesters are perfectly suited for a project like this. In 2014 colorFabb teamed up with Eastman Chemical Company to develop unique grades of co-polyesters suited for 3D printing. Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer are a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive.
So far we have launched four grades, starting with colorFabb_XT in 2014, which is a fantastic functional engineering material. Late 2015 we follow this up with nGen, our next Generation general purpose filament and a drop in replacement for PLA. A wide processing window and perfect reliability make this filament a very popular one in our portfolio.
Earlier this year we followed that up with colorFabb_HT, a high-temperature resistant filament that allows for functional engineering projects that need lasting parts. Recently at the TCT Show in Birmingham we introduced nGen_FLEX to the market, a flexible filament with a Shora A hardness of 95 allowing for functional and flexible parts to be printed.
Today’s featured print is a demonstrator model we also used at the recent TCT Show. For this model, which is our own design, we used nGen Gold Metallic for the base and nGen_FLEX Dark Gray for the flexible part.
Printing on the BCN3D Sigma we see how a world of opportunities opens up when you are able to use two different materials in the same print. The layer adhesion between the two materials is downright excellent.
nGenwas released late last year and is an all-round filament which has many advantages over, say, a PLA. The temperature resistance is over 80 degrees C and it works on most printers with a heated build plate. nGen is a low-odor, styrene-free material uniquely suited for 3D printing enthusiasts, particularly those who need the flexibility to print within a wide processing temperature range. With nGen you will have good flow properties through the printer nozzle—even at lower temperatures than some other polymers require. These properties make nGen more workable at a wider breadth of temperatures, producing reliable results and resulting in less waste.
nGen_FLEX was released recently at the TCT Show and is our first semi-flexible material. With a Shore A hardness of 95 it is a material that is ideally suited for functional parts. It is not soft and squishy like other flexible materials in the market, but allows for fast printing and printing on 3D printers using a Bowden tube. nGen_FLEX is a material for users looking for an engineering grade flexible filament with a high temperature resistance (over 120 degrees C) and good chemical resistance.
Both nGen and nGen_FLEX are made with Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymers, a range of co-polyesters developed with Eastman Chemical Company for 3D printing. Amphora co-polyesters are low-odor, styrene-free choices that are uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient and attractive. You can find more information about co-polyesters in the article we recently published: What we talk about when we talk about co-polyesters.
Both nGen and nGen_FLEX are available now in our webshop (click here or here) and via our network of distributors and resellers. Click here for a reseller closest to you.
We are always looking for functional designs that we can use in real life. And when it comes to functionality we always go for one of our Amphora based co-polyester filaments. Developed with Eastman Chemical Company, we currently offer four grades: nGen, colorFabb_XT, colorFabb_HT and the recently launchednGen_FLEX.
As described by the designer himself: “A hose or plastic tube is attached to the inner nozzle on the Water Cap. This is then inserted into the water container. The cap is screwed on and the inner rubber washer ensures an air tight seal. The water container is half filled with water. Then a longer piece of hose or plastic tube is attached to the outer nozzle and its other end installed in the flex tap. The flex tap works by creating a kink in the tube which controls or stops the water flow depending on how much the user flexes the handle. A bicycle pump is connected to the schrader valve and the container pressurised with air.”
With nGen_FLEX we created a truly functional print of this design. nGen_FLEX was launched succesfully at the TCT Show recently and is our first semi-flexible filament. It has a Shore A hardness of 95 and has very good printability on a wide variety of printers, even the ones with Bowden tubes which are in general challenging to print flexible filaments on. The heat resistance of over 120 degrees C adds to the functionality and even allows steam sterilization of your print when needed! You can find more information about the material, the data sheets and print tutorials on our dedicated landing page.
We printed the water cap on the Mass Portal Pharaoh 3D with a 0.2mm layer height.
Of course we love our prints as they are. We put great effort to choose the best materials and the finest materials. With our “How To…” posts we want everybody to be able to create the best prints possible on a wide variety of printers. We have written before about post-processing our metal filled filaments, which literally truly shine when processed the right way. More links to blogs about post-processing these special filaments can be found here.
Beyond the special filaments, which have great aesthetic properties, we also have our range of co-polyesters: nGen, colorFabb_XT and colorFabb_HT and we received quite a few questions about post-processing these materials. To find our more about the materials themselves, check out the blog we have written before by clicking here.
Developed by Eastman Chemical Company, Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymers are the basis of our co-polyesters and offer a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive. With superior melt strength and dimensional stability, our range of co-polyesters deliver advanced bridging capabilities to create stronger and more detailed items—with low odor and low emissions.
Now, once a print comes of the printer and you want to be doing something truly functional with it you may need some kind of post-processing with it, also called secondary operations. Be it painting, drilling or glueing there are multiple ways to work with a printed object once it has been printed, but before you can use it. You can truly bring 3D printing into your life by making useful applications.
For instance, you need to drill into a part. This should be no problem with co-polyesters. We recommend drills specifically made for plastic. Steel drills are possible, but only when grounded. Tips like these are to be found in the brochure that Eastman has prepared and which you can find by clicking here.
Click on the image below to find the full guide prepared by Eastman Chemical Company:
Today, on the first day of the TCT Show, we proudly announce and launch our new 3D printing filament:
nGen_FLEX
Heat resistance 125C | FDA compliance | Styrene-free | BPA-free
nGen_FLEX is a new elastomer material added to our existing range of co-polyester functional 3D printing filaments. It is made from Eastman Amphora™ Flex 3D Polymer FL6000 and the fourth filament in our range of Amphora based co-polyester, following colorFabb_XT, nGen and colorFabb_HT.
nGen_FLEX is available for pre-ordering today: Click here. Shipping will commence next week.
It is best described as a semi-flexible material with good printability on most 3D printers eliminating the use for specialized flex extruders. It’s rated at a Shore A hardness level of 95. By adjusting infill and perimeter settings it’s possible to influence how flexible a part should feel after printing.
nGen_FLEX will initially be available in two colors: Dark Gray and Black. Other colors may be released after initial launch including the possibility for skintone colors. Several skintone colors have already be developed and will be on display at the TCT Show this week. nGen_FLEX is a great material to print prosthetics, for instance.
For those who are looking for a durable flexible material to be used in their prototypes, demonstrators or even final parts, look no further. The filament has excellent chemical resistance and extremely high temperature resistance. nGen_FLEX is temperature resistant to about 125C. That means 3D printed objects can be steam sterilized at 121C.
nGen_FLEX is engineered as a semi-flexible materials which allows most users to print at regular print speeds, cutting down build times compared to other very flexible filaments. Also Bowden style 3D printers, 1.75mm and 2.85mm, will be able to push this filament through without much trouble.
Because of its durable nature the material is an excellent choice for making your own tools and clamps. Whether it’s an improvement for your workshop or actual custom made parts for a productionline, this material will be uniquely suited for the job. One project we used nGen_FLEX for this summer was the F1 open RC project. We wanted to print the entire car with co-polyester filament and found nGen_FLEX to be perfect for the tires.
During the summer we have been busy testing this material on several printers. Below you can find the settings of some of these printers. Click on the table to find our more about our recommended settings:
nGen_FLEX is available for pre-ordering now and will start shipping next week. Price for a spool, which contains 650 grams, is € 39.95 (incl. VAT), so that is € 33 excluding VAT for a full spool of filament!
You can find us this week at the TCT Show in Birmingham, where we are showcasing several prints made with nGen_FLEX: the F1 car, the prosthetic hand, several functional parts and a skateboard (the wheels were printed with nGen_FLEX). If you are at the show or near Birmingham, we are in Hall 3A, Stand B36.
Earlier this year we came across the new design Daniel Norée made: an F1 car, his follow-up to the OpenRC Truggy design we had printed previously. “After a bit of thinking I came to the conclusion that a Formula 1 car would probably a perfect follow up project to the Truggy!” says Daniel Norée. Hence, the OpenRC Formula 1 car was born.
As he stepped up his game we felt we had to step up ours as well. First of all we set our print engineer Jos Deelen at work with scaling up the design to 250%. When it came to a choice of materials we didn’t have to think for very long: co-polyesters. Which one? All of them. We found that different parts had different requirements and with nGen, colorFabb_XT, colorFabb_HT, XT-CF20 and our brand new nGen_FLEX. we almost had all our bases covered. If you want to know more about co-polyesters, click here for a blog we posted this summer explaining these great materials we developed with Eastman Chemical Company.
The tyres were made with our new nGen_FLEX filament, released during the TCT Show om September 28th 2016. You can read all about our new semi-flexible filament here: https://learn.colorfabb.com/ngen_flex/
We have published the 250% scaled files on Thingiverse: Thing:1834126. On Thingiverse you can find all the files as well as a more detailed description about how to build your own 1m long OpenRC Formula 1 car. The helmet used in the driver seat is Thing:170222.
We are very proud of the result:
“I learned alot from the OpenRC Truggy and i wanted to use what i had learned in the new project,” Daniel told us. His aim was to design a car with a simpler design and without the hard-to-source parts. According to Daniel, another important part was the material: “While many failed on the Truggy due to the need of hard to print materials like Polycarbonate and it´s likes this time materials like PLA or Co-Polyesters should do the job.”
He spent a couple of intense weeks in Fusion 360 CAD designing the F1 and the result was introduced at a trade fair in Sweden together with Autodesk.
Although Daniel aimed to make a simpler design, the sheer size of the F1 car was a great challenge to get it right. And we did get it right. Due to the size of several parts we used the Stacker S4 printer for the bulk of the print work with great results. It measures a full 107cm from the front to the end. Using all the functional materials (old, new and upcoming…) we had at our disposal we completed the job and recently we took the car out for a test drive.
You can see the results below:
The F1 car will be on display at the TCT Show next week where you can find us at stand B36, running the co-polyester filaments on the Stacker S4.
You can find more about our co-polyesters on our dedicated landing pages for nGen and colorFabb_HT. Our colorFabb_XT, nGen, colorFabb_HT and XT-CF20 are available online.
We printed two of the vacuum tools recently featured by Thingiverse and designed by Zivbot with colorFabb_XT in light green and light blue. Excellent prints for practical use.
colorFabb_XT is made with Amphora AM1800 and has a unique formulation for 3D Printing that features excellent properties : High strength and very high toughness, Odor Neutral processing, High Tg / improved temp. resistance, Styrene free formulation, FDA food contact compliance, BPA (Bisphenol A ) free formulation. It will allow the user to produce 3D printed functional products in a safe way.
Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer is a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive.
Two years ago, in the summer of 2014, we announced our partnership with Eastman Chemical Company. Eastman is a worldwide specialist on co-polyesters, a material we recognized to have benefits for 3D printing. In the past two years we have launched three filament grades with Eastman’s raw materials, branded as Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer.
Why co-polyesters?
The way we see it, FDM 3D printing filaments will be all about functionality in the future. How you are going to use your prints in the real world will define what material you choose. We have found a lot of characteristics in Eastman’s range of Amphora co-polyesters that offer functionality, durability and efficiency. Added benefits compared to ABS are the low-odor while printing and that Amphora based filaments are styrene free.
Compared to PLA, Amphora features a much better heat resistance, starting at 75C for colorFabb XT, 85C for colorFabb nGen and 100C for colorFabb HT. You can find the comparison between our co-polyesters, ABS and PLA in the table below:
More information about emissions during 3D printing can be found in the brochure that Eastman has prepared after some extensive studies. You can find the pdf extract of this study by clicking the button below:
