voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak

Our filaments find their way all over the world to thousands of users. From hobbyists to the largest companies we see how filaments are being used for numerous applications: from fun to functional. Earlier this year we held a contest, #madewithcolorFabb, where we invited our users to share their prints with us. Derek Cameron from voestapline Railway Systems Nortrak sent in a fantastic print of a model railway track he made with our Color on Demand PLA on the Blackbelt 3D printer:

 

About voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak Inc.

voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak (“vaRSN”), with ten production facilities across Canada, US and Mexico, is North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of special trackwork for the railway industry.  As the industry’s technology leader, they take pride in providing superior products, excellent customer service and unbeatable engineering design services to our customers. They are committed to bringing innovative solutions, products and services to their customers across the freight, transit, industrial and high speed segments. Nortrak is a subsidiary of voestalpine AG, a leading technology and capital goods group with combined material and processing expertise.  Nortrak is closely affiliated with voestalpine’s Railway Systems group which operates 50 production and sales facilities in 23 countries and is the global market leader for intelligent railway infrastructure system solutions.

vaRSN’s creative research and development team utilizes the latest analytical and testing techniques to tackle the industry’s technical challenges.  They can also tap into the global expertise of their parent company.  This ensures that optimal solutions are developed regardless of the client’s operating requirement. vaRSN is an acknowledged industry leader with numerous patents related to turnouts, turnout components, and switch machines.

All images and video by Scott Crego and Derek Cameron / voestalpine

About 3D printing at voestalpine

In Derek Cameron’s words: “We often utilize 3D printing as display models for customers, trade shows and also for prototype fit and function. Our sales team especially appreciates our 3D printing capabilities.  Showing a 3D printed model to a customer really grabs their attention, which can be difficult to do with just a 2D drawing.”

“Because we research and develop new products for the railway industry it was important for us to have a printer that could print full-scale prototypes and models. Most railway components are typically not very wide nor tall, but instead very long. We considered several large-volume 3D printers on the market but each of them had a finite limit for each axis. This is where the BlackBelt 3D printer added value that other printers could not. One of the axes is theoretically limitless, enabling us to continuously print models without the need to piece multiple parts together afterward. Additionally, we often need to print multiple copies of the same model. With the BlackBelt we can print multiple models back to back without the need to remove each individual one from the bed before starting the next print job.  This has saved us time, money, and also produces higher quality models. In short, the BlackBelt has been a game changer for us by enabling us to complete projects faster and create higher quality models that would not have been possible for us before.”

The vaRSN team had been using colorFabb filament for several years when we announced Color on Demand service. Derek Cameron continues: “When I saw the announcement I instantly thought of how great it would be to have models printed in our company’s official color, especially for models used at tradeshows. I no longer had to search to find a filament that was “close enough” in color. This, along with colorFabb’s consistent high quality and ease of printing made the filament an easy choice.”

 

About Color on Demand

With Color on Demand companies like vaRSN can now print with the colors they wish for and need. By making the treshold as low as a 2kg spool for a unique, custom-made color the proverbial sky is the limit when it comes to choice and options. Or check out our series of RAL Classic colors! Almost every RAL Classic color is already matched and ready to order as from a single 750gr spool!

We have developed a new filament production method which not only allows more flexibility to produce a great, unlimited amount of colors, but is so efficient that even very small amounts of filament can be produced efficiently at no higher costs compared to ordinary filaments. Color on Demand initially starts with the material most popular in the market right now: PLA. With Color on Demand the potential colors on offer can be in the thousands.

 

About Blackbelt

The Blackbelt 3D printer is a new type of 3D printer using fused filament fabrication (FFF) in combination with innovative belt technology. Printing on a belt (patent pending) provides new possibilities like long prints, printing horizontal overhangs without support and producing series production of the same or individual parts. Launched in 2017 it has been a new kind of 3D printer, allowing companies like vaRSN to complete long prints without feeling the limit of a regular desktop 3D printer.

Introducing: Color Favorites

Today we introduce Color Favorites (or Colour Favourites, for you using the English spelling), our brand new special filament category.

Magneto design by Pascal Ackermann (link)

 

What is ‘Color Favorites’

Color Favorites is the new category within Color on Demand. Every since we launched Color on Demand, back in June 2018, we have received a lot of requests for certain colors, but with a special effect, or with an additive. We are now adding some of them in a separate category, starting with two much sought after colors.

 

Smokey Black

A semi transparent black filament with interesting light transmittance quality. Great for printing luminaires and other artifacts which need to hide the light source but also emit light.

Lamp design by Flowalistik (link)

Click here to go directly to our webshop.

 

Milky White

Another semi transparent white filament with excellent surface quality finish after printing. Due to the semi transparent surface details look crisp and smooth.

Click here to go directly to our webshop.

 

Availability

Both Milky White and Smokey Black are made to order, being part of our Color on Demand program. We do not keep stock of these products. Please keep a lead time of at least a week in mind for these filaments.

More colors and effects will be added in the months to come. Stay tuned.

 

Your own color

At colorFabb we think that customization does not end with the unique design and print you make. Color should be choice as well. With Color on Demand we offer a wide range of custom made colors. We have already matched most of the RAL Classic colors, but can of course make a tailor-made color especially for you! Click here for our Color Request form and have your own color made by us!

 

Rolling Jack

With a lot of 3D printing tools at our disposal it becomes easier (and more fun!) to print large, multi-material prints. As a visual prototype we printed this rolling jack with various materials in our print lab on the Stacker S4 XL.

Design by Sevatar (Grabcad link)

We printed on the Stacker S4-XL with a 0.6mm nozzle for an optimal balance between speed and quality. It took quite some time to print this one:

  • Main body: 70 hours – 1kg material used
  • Other silver parts: 65 hours – 850 gr. material used
  • Black parts: 20 hours – 280gr
  • White parts: 12 hours – 140gr
  • Handle: 2,5 hours – 30 gr.

The rolling jack is entirely made out of PLA and we used various PLA grades from our portfolio where they would fit best, aesthetically:

All these materials are available in our webshop and ship from stock! All parts of the rolling jack were glued together with Loctite glue, which is now also available in our webshop! Check out the accessories we currently offer by clicking here.

 

ABOUT STACKER 3D PRINTERS

The Stacker 3D printers are industrial grade FFF 3D printers. Recently the even larger Stacker S4 XL was added to the portfolio. Multiple print heads and a large build volume make them versatile printers. 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.

The Stacker printers on display in our print lab

As many of you know, we are the distributor of Stacker 3D printers in Europe. We have been working with Stacker ever since their first prototype and now have several in our print lab. In the past 6 years we have seen 3D printing emerging from a hobby market to more professional uses. A lot of our users are using 3D printing to make a living or at least support their business in one way or another.

Interested? Get a quote or contact us!

Jerrycan

Real size prototyping can be a problem on most desktop 3D printers. With build limits of 30cm squared, at best, the size of the print needs to be small – or one has to start chopping up the print and assemble it later. With the Stacker S4- XL one can print prototypes in their real size, like this jerrycan:

Design by Langgeng (Grabcad link)

The 10 liter jerrycan took 77 hours to print on the Stacker S4-XL and consumed 1kg of filament. For the filament, we used our Color on Demand Traffic Red, RAL 3020.

About Stacker 3D Printers

The Stacker 3D printers are industrial grade FFF 3D printers. Recently the even larger Stacker S4 XL was added to the portfolio. Multiple print heads and a large build volume make them versatile printers. 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.

The Stacker printers on display in our print lab

As many of you know, we are the distributor of Stacker 3D printers in Europe. We have been working with Stacker ever since their first prototype and now have several in our print lab. In the past 6 years we have seen 3D printing emerging from a hobby market to more professional uses. A lot of our users are using 3D printing to make a living or at least support their business in one way or another.

Interested? Get a quote or contact us!

 

About Color on Demand

With Color on Demand we have already matched hundreds of colors. We have published the RAL references (over 100 already) online which can readily be ordered. But we can match more than only RAL colors. Some customers send us physical references, others send us well-known color references like CMYK, Pantone or other standards which we then try to match as close as possible.

RAL 3020 is one of the brightest and most stunning reds in our portfolio

With Color on Demand we re-invented the way makers can choose colors. No longer you are bound to the colors that have been pre-selected by filament manufacturers anymore. Now you can order the color you actually need and want.

We have already matched over 100 RAL colors, which can easily be ordered online. Click here to see our collection. You can order as from one 750 grams spool! If we have not matched your favorite color, request it by using our online form. Starting from a 2kg spool we match the specific color you want, based on RAL, other well-known color references or a physical reference.

With Color on Demand you can say “yes” to that print job which needs a specific color or a look you have been waiting for. Stun your colleagues, family or other makers with your prints. You could already print one-of-a-kind designs, now you can also make them look unique!

Check out more recent Color on Demand prints by clicking here. Make sure you read our color disclaimer. Want to know more about Color on Demand, check our our FAQ page.

Skin tone

With Color on Demand we have already matched hundreds of colors. We have published the RAL references (over 100 already) online which can readily be ordered. But we can match more than only RAL colors. Some customers send us physical references, others send us well-known color references like CMYK, Pantone or other standards which we then try to match as close as possible.. There are many series of colors & varieties and the one we focus on today is the skin tone color:

Design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2774477/files

With skin tone references 3D printed prosthetics are no longer limited to the basic colors, or subject to extensive post-processing like painting. For today’s print we used the Kwawu 2.0 Prosthetic Hand by Jacquin Buchanan, who is specialized in designing and printing prosthetics. You should definitely check out his website, One Monk Clapping.

We printed this hand on the Makerbot Replicator 2, with a 0.2mm layer height and at a print temperature of 195C.

By using skin tone colors designers and people wearing prosthetics have more options than ever beyond the standard color palette.

 

About Color on Demand

With Color on Demand we re-invented the way makers can choose colors. No longer you are bound to the colors that have been pre-selected by filament manufacturers anymore. Now you can order the color you actually need and want.

We have already matched over 100 RAL colors, which can easily be ordered online. Click here to see our collection. You can order as from one 750 grams spool! If we have not matched your favorite color, request it by using our online form. Starting from a 2kg spool we match the specific color you want, based on RAL, other well-known color references or a physical reference.

With Color on Demand you can say “yes” to that print job which needs a specific color or a look you have been waiting for. Stun your colleagues, family or other makers with your prints. You could already print one-of-a-kind designs, now you can also make them look unique!

Check out more recent Color on Demand prints by clicking here. Make sure you read our color disclaimer. Want to know more about Color on Demand, check our our FAQ page.

Palette 2 Pro

Late last year we got the Palette 2 Pro on loan as a test unit and printed not only our own logo, but also the Multi-Color Mosaic Keychain by Mosaic Manufacturing as a test:

Design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3245701/files

We printed on the Stacker S4 with a 0,6mm nozzle and printed this key chain in 3h 7min. It has 19 color changes (splices). As for the colors, we used 4 colors that were matched in our Color on Demand program:

Palette 2 (pre-order)

The Palette 2 Pro was loaned to us generously by the Mosaic team and does its job extremely well. Although not cheap it will definitely solve a lot of problems for users, especially ones with a single nozzle printer. Check out their website!

With Color on Demand we re-invented the way makers can choose colors. No longer you are bound to the colors that have been pre-selected by filament manufacturers anymore. Now you can order the color you actually need and want.

We have already matched over 100 RAL colors, which can easily be ordered online. Click here to see our collection. You can order as from one 750 grams spool! If we have not matched your favorite color, request it by using our online form. Starting from a 2kg spool we match the specific color you want, based on RAL, other well-known color references or a physical reference.

With Color on Demand you can say “yes” to that print job which needs a specific color or a look you have been waiting for. Stun your colleagues, family or other makers with your prints. You could already print one-of-a-kind designs, now you can also make them look unique!

Check out more recent Color on Demand prints by clicking here. Make sure you read our color disclaimer. Want to know more about Color on Demand, check our our FAQ page.

Our Color on Demand experience room, still under construction, with all the RAL colors we matched… so far.

Ultimaker Market Place

Updated: XT-CF20 has been added as well!

We are proud to announce that two of our filaments have been added to the Ultimaker Market Place. By adding both Color on Demand  ( PLA )  and woodFill to the market place it is easier than ever to start printing with the right settings on Ultimaker printers. How? Download the latest version of Cura (3.6) and add the profiles as detailed in the short video below:

https://youtu.be/h_5mp_TK5zw

Our filaments have always been tested on Ultimaker 3D printers ever since the beginning. In fact, the very idea of colorFabb started with an Ultimaker Original and it was the first printer we tested on back in 2012. Fun fact: that printer is still in our print lab. We have added more printers to our test lab ever since and have made sure that every major Ultimaker release was added to it as well: The Ultimaker 2, 2+, 3 and S5 are all part of our standard range of printers to ensure our filaments work as flawless as possible on these highly popular Dutch printers.

We’re joining an ever expanding range of premium material brands in the market place.

Update December 14th: We are happy to announce that XT-CF20 has been added to the list as well. Simply add the profile the same way as described above to make functional prints that need extra stiffness.


CARBON FIBER IS ABRASIVE: A special point of attention is the abrasive nature of the carbon fibers. In general these fibers will accelerate the nozzle-wear of brass nozzles, much faster than unfilled filaments. Therefore we  recommend to use hardened steel nozzles for this material.

Will more materials be added? Probably in due time. But rest assured that, as mentioned above, we have tested all of our materials on the Ultimaker printers at our disposal. One can also choose Ultimaker materials as a starting point (like CPE settings for our colorFabb_XT and CPE+ for colorFabb_HT). We also share the settings of most of our materials on dedicated blogs, like:

Still not sure if you’re on the right track? Contact us at support@colorfabb.com so we can help you further!

Dizingof’s 2 Colors Klein Bottle

Few designs are so well-known in 3D printing as the Klein bottle. Renowned Israeli designer Dizingof has a Klein Bottle available on his website (a free download these days!) ideally suited to be printed in two colors:

Design: https://www.3dizingof.com/shop/free-designs/2-colors-klein-bottle-by-dizingof/

Dizingof’s designs are world famous and a high standard in 3D printing world. As Fabbaloo mentioned it several years ago: “Dizingof’s creations are typically complex, flowing and invariably beautiful. Browsing through his extensive portfolio of dozens of designs, you’ll see vases, jewelry, bowls, lamp shades and a few trays and holders, but mostly it’s just art, amazing mathematical art.” (source)

This two-color Klein bottle is a perfect example to showcase our Color on Demand colors. In this case we used RAL 3005 (Wine Red) and RAL 7036 (Platinum Grey) and printed on the Ultimaker 3, making the most of the dual extrusion capabilities.

You should definitely visit Dizingof’s webshop and check out all the amazing designs he has made over the years.

 

With launched Color on Demand we re-invented the way makers can choose colors. No longer you are bound to the colors that have been pre-selected by filament manufacturers anymore. Now you can order the color you actually need and want.

We have already matched over 100 RAL colors, which can easily be ordered online. Click here to see our collection. You can order as from one 750 grams spool! If we have not matched your favorite color, request it by using our online form. Starting from a 2kg spool we match the specific color you want, based on RAL, other well-known color references or a physical reference.

With Color on Demand you can say “yes” to that print job which needs a specific color or a look you have been waiting for. Stun your colleagues, family or other makers with your prints. You could already print one-of-a-kind designs, now you can also make them look unique!

Check out more recent Color on Demand prints by clicking here. Make sure you read our color disclaimer. Want to know more about Color on Demand, check our our FAQ page.

Our Color on Demand experience room, still under construction, with all the RAL colors we matched… so far.

How does it work?

Once an order is placed the team of specialists at colorFabb then go to work to start matching this color request if is a new color. You can opt to receive an injected molded plaque to verify the color first, before the spool is produced. This is optional. If the color has already been matched, we plan production right away.
Expected lead times are:

Color on Demand is produced on spools containing either 2kg or 750 grams. The 750 grams option is only available for colors already matched. All new colors are produced on 2kg spools only. Curious about the spool size? Check out this post. But we do not stop there. At the same time Color on Demand is being offered for granulates as an extra supply option besides filament.

Important: If you order a Color on Demand spool, as well as regular stocked products, we will ship these together as one shipment.

How is color matching being done?

Check our disclaimer! We use the RAL Classic references as our guide. All filaments produced are optically checked by our specialized production and QA team. You can order an injected molded plaque before commiting to order a full spool. Please check in the webshop!

Please be aware that we use the actual RAL reference. Colors on a computer screen, printed images and promotional art can give a misrepresentation of the actual color. Injection molded color plaques can be ordered for a quality check before ordering a full spool.

If the color is then accepted production will be planned. Whenever a color has been matched, it will be added to the colorFabb website for future references.Pricing is as low as € 75 (ex VAT / shipping) for a 2kg spool of custom made filament, with tier pricing available: 10% discount when 4 spools are purchased, 20% when 10 spools are purchased.

Color on Demand is a first new step into the direction of customization of filaments for the end users. Starting with PLA and RAL, the possibilities to expand to other materials and color references are plenty and will be implemented at a later stage.Basically, color on demand will enable the maker / 3D Printer user to pinpoint specific projects and claim a different position in the supply chain with exactly that color that is requested.

Users can send your requests to colorFabb or visit our website:

More questions that need answering? Contact us through sales@colorfabb.com

Pumpkin

Tis the season to be scary. It’s Halloween and you will see many pumpkins today, many of them real, lots of them printed and only one of them printed with RAL 2000 Yellow Orange – a perfectly suited color which is part of our Color on Demand program.

Design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:167043

Designed by MakieLab it is a great scary pumpkin for Halloween. We printed it on the Ultimaker 2+ using standard PLA settings at 0.2mm layer height.

With launched Color on Demand we re-invented the way makers can choose colors. No longer you are bound to the colors that have been pre-selected by filament manufacturers anymore. Now you can order the color you actually need and want.

We have already matched over 100 RAL colors, which can easily be ordered online. Click here to see our collection. You can order as from one 750 grams spool! If we have not matched your favorite color, request it by using our online form. Starting from a 2kg spool we match the specific color you want, based on RAL, other well-known color references or a physical reference.

With Color on Demand you can say “yes” to that print job which needs a specific color or a look you have been waiting for. Stun your colleagues, family or other makers with your prints. You could already print one-of-a-kind designs, now you can also make them look unique!

Check out more recent Color on Demand prints by clicking here. Make sure you read our color disclaimer. Want to know more about Color on Demand, check our our FAQ page.

Our Color on Demand experience room, still under construction, with all the RAL colors we matched… so far.

How does it work?

Once an order is placed the team of specialists at colorFabb then go to work to start matching this color request if is a new color. You can opt to receive an injected molded plaque to verify the color first, before the spool is produced. This is optional. If the color has already been matched, we plan production right away.
Expected lead times are:

Color on Demand is produced on spools containing either 2kg or 750 grams. The 750 grams option is only available for colors already matched. All new colors are produced on 2kg spools only. Curious about the spool size? Check out this post.
But we do not stop there. At the same time Color on Demand is being offered for granulates as an extra supply option besides filament.

Important: If you order a Color on Demand spool, as well as regular stocked products, we will ship these together as one shipment.

How is color matching being done?

Check our disclaimer! We use the RAL Classic references as our guide. All filaments produced are optically checked by our specialized production and QA team. You can order an injected molded plaque before commiting to order a full spool. Please check in the webshop!

Please be aware that we use the actual RAL reference. Colors on a computer screen, printed images and promotional art can give a misrepresentation of the actual color. Injection molded color plaques can be ordered for a quality check before ordering a full spool.

If the color is then accepted production will be planned. Whenever a color has been matched, it will be added to the colorFabb website for future references.Pricing is as low as € 75 (ex VAT / shipping) for a 2kg spool of custom made filament, with tier pricing available: 10% discount when 4 spools are purchased, 20% when 10 spools are purchased.

Color on Demand is a first new step into the direction of customization of filaments for the end users. Starting with PLA and RAL, the possibilities to expand to other materials and color references are plenty and will be implemented at a later stage.Basically, color on demand will enable the maker / 3D Printer user to pinpoint specific projects and claim a different position in the supply chain with exactly that color that is requested.

Users can send your requests to colorFabb or visit our website:

More questions that need answering? Contact us through sales@colorfabb.com