Rubber band powered boat

We printed a rubber band powered boat with nGen Orange and Light Blue on the Leapfrog HS.

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Design can be found here: http://www.thingiverse.com/make:254456

nGen is a great material to print toys with. For toys we need materials with great colors and good stable mechanical properties. nGen comes in 17 colors. Because of nGen’s good mechanical properties parts will last a long time. Printing high resolution is no problem with nGen. With good performance on overhanging surfaces and great stability during printint we think this makes nGen a great material to create your own creations.

You can find more information on the dedicated nGen landing page. nGen is now available and in stock in our webshop.

With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive.

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nGen is made with Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer AM3300 and is a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. It has 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.

You can find all relevant data sheets here: http://colorfabb.com/Materials/

RC 180 degree HD camera printed with nGen

Today’s featured print is a great one that has already been used extensively in the real world and is printed with nGen. Thes prints were made by Claus Forster, who works for Eastman Specialty Plastics. Eastman is of course the producer of the Amphora™ 3D polymer, so Claus knows the material on which nGen is based very well!

To find out more about co-polyesters, please check our previous blog explaining these materials.

This is an Arduino activated remote controlled 180 degree HD camera which has been modified. The aim was to make videos during a motorbike tour in the highest French Alpine mountains during driving in direction forward, sidewise and backwards. Beside that an easy fix and release via hook and loop fastener provided a comfortable handling and the camera fits exactly into a helmet. Because of this the camera could even be covered/hidden by the helmet during parking or break and sometimes the helmet was the ‘transport-box’ when taking it off during the night.

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An Arduino Nano (open-source electronic prototyping platform) controls the RGB-LED – shows the status of the camera – and the rotating – done by a RC-servo – and operates the camera – switching on and  start/stops recording. All electronics – remote, interface, Arduino – is soldered on a 50x70mm board.

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These parts were entirely printed with nGen. nGen is made with Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer AM3300 and has 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 exhibits advanced overhang ability, excellent looks, and large printing temperature range—empowering large panel of users to create durable and useful items.

The hardware was done early this year but the functional 3D parts were printed just one week before the trip:

  • Bottom and brackets for the electronic board (1)
  • Housing with LED and RC servo (2)
  • Dome for camera – front (3)
  • Dome for camera – rear (4)
  • Sender/Control battery operated (5)
  • Adapter for camera on motorbike (6)
  • Adapter for sender on the handlebar  (7)

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The camera even passed an unplanned drop test of 1.2 meters! You can see the camera in action here:

More information about nGen can be found here: http://ngen.colorfabb.com/ 

nGen is available now in a variety of 17 colors: http://colorfabb.com/co-polyesters/ngen

TCT Show 2016

 

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For the third time in a row we will be attending the TCT Show in Birmingham this year. On September 28th and 29th (yes, this is within two weeks and yes, time is indeed flying) we are at stand B36 in the NEC in Birmingham. In 2014, our first time in Birmingham, we showcased our then brand new colorFabb_XT there.

Looking back one year, in 2015, we featured the Stacker on our stand and showcased the then new XT-CF20, as well as the launch of corkFill. And now, in 2016, we are back again to join the other exhibitors at the TCT to show the latest and greatest in the world of 3D printing. You can find us at stand B36.

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Events like the TCT Show are great since they draw a great crowd and we love meeting the people there. That’s why we are coming back to the TCT Show for the third time and you can find us at stand B36, having varous printers running our best and newest materials. One of the printers will be the Stacker S4, the go-to printer for small series and large volume printing. You can find more information about the Stacker here: http://stacker.colorfabb.com/  Shipping of the Stacker S4 will start mid-October.

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Keen to know what we are up to next? It is almost a tradition that we announce something at the shows we attend and the TCT Show in no exception. What the announcement is, we’re not telling yet, but we cannot wait to reveal it.

So, we hope to see you soon in Birmingham. Drop by for a chat at stand B36, get some free samples and discuss 3D printing with us! We look forward to a great time at the TCT once again. While you’re at the TCT Show, drop by at Creat3D, our UK distributor, at stand B20 and Aleph Objects, makers of the Lulzbot Mini and the recently launched TAZ 6 printers at stand D36.

In the meantime, check out the teaser of one of the main prints we will be showcasing during the show:

Have a great weekend!

Team colorFabb

 

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What we talk about when we talk about co-polyesters

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:

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