Polycarbonate (PC) materials specifically
designed for industrial 3D printers with a heated chamber
New materials bring strong mechanical and
thermal properties to METHOD X 3D printer for a wide range of
engineering applications
MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing and subsidiary of
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), today announces that Polymaker, a
leading provider of 3D printing materials, has qualified three
polycarbonate materials for MakerBot LABS™ for the MakerBot METHOD
X™ 3D printer.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200917005279/en/
Polymaker PC materials now available for
MakerBot LABS for METHOD (Photo: Business Wire)
Polymaker™ PC-PBT, PolyMax™ PC-FR, and PolyLite™ PC are
available to print on the METHOD X 3D printer with the MakerBot
LABS Experimental Extruder. This extruder turns METHOD into an open
materials platform, enabling users to print with a wide variety of
third-party materials on an industrial 3D printing platform. The
latest material additions from Polymaker to the LABS portfolio aims
to enable METHOD X users to harness the strong mechanical and
thermal properties of polycarbonate (PC), while reducing problems
such as warping and curling that typically occur when used with
conventional desktop 3D printing machines.
Polycarbonate is a popular high-performance engineering material
that possesses a unique balance of toughness, good light
transmission, high heat resistance, and excellent electrical
resistance. It is lightweight, has the ability to transmit light as
effectively as glass, and withstand impacts better than other
thermoplastics such as ABS. Due to these properties, PC materials
are commonly used for functional prototyping and end-use parts in
the production of automotive components, protective gear, medical
device components, and exterior lighting fixtures.
However, polycarbonate can be challenging to print due to its
ability to contract if it is cooled too quickly, which can cause
warping and shrinkage of the printed part. Controlling the ambient
temperature, such as with a heated chamber, is one of the most
critical factors when printing polycarbonate.
The MakerBot METHOD X 3D printer is the only printer in its
price class with a heated chamber that reaches up to 110°C, letting
the parts cool down gradually to minimize curling and warping.
METHOD controls how fast a part cools down during the printing
process, allowing it to print polycarbonate and other advanced
materials more successfully than typical desktop 3D printers that
only have a heated build plate. In addition, with the moisture
sensitivity of PC materials, Polymaker recommends using a material
caddy, such as the Polymaker PolyBox™, to safeguard them from
precipitation in the environment. MakerBot METHOD™ users can also
use the Material Drying mode on the METHOD X to remove moisture
from the materials.
"Polycarbonate is often the choice for parts that function in
demanding applications. Its mechanical properties, flame
retardance, and chemical resistance also allow engineers to push
the boundaries of their 3D printed parts and experiment with new
geometries,” said Xiaofan Luo, PhD, President of Polymaker. “Anyone
who is serious about printing polycarbonate knows that a heated
chamber is essential for printing large and strong complex parts.
METHOD is bringing industrial capabilities to a desktop machine,
and we think its users will really benefit from the material
properties our PC range offers.”
“With its up to 110°C heated chamber, METHOD is a powerful and
unique 3D printer platform for printing advanced engineering
materials. The availability of Polymaker’s PC materials on METHOD
offers allows engineers to print polycarbonate parts that they
previously had to outsource to more expensive industrial 3D
printers,” said Johan-Till Broer, VP of Product Development,
MakerBot. “We are seeing increased interest in industrial materials
as engineers advance from simple prototyping to 3D printing end-use
parts. We are thrilled that Polymaker has qualified its industrial
range of PC materials for MakerBot LABS.”
The addition of Polymaker polycarbonate materials brings the
MakerBot LABS for METHOD portfolio of materials to nine and the
total number of materials available on the METHOD platform to 19.
The newly qualified polycarbonate materials from Polymaker
include:
- Polymaker PC-PBT: This polymer blend combines the good chemical
resistance of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) with the strength
and toughness of polycarbonate. Compared to PC resins and PC-ABS
compounds, PC-PBT offers better resistance to chemicals, which
enables printed applications where resistance to intermittent
contact with fuels, oils, lubricants, or cleaners is necessary. It
performs well under extreme circumstances, whether in contact with
hydrocarbon-based chemicals or operating at subzero temperatures.
Polymaker PC-PBT is a specialty material that maintains good
toughness and natural ductile fracture behavior at low
temperatures.
- PolyMax PC-FR: A flame retardant (FR) polycarbonate material,
PolyMax PC-FR meets the UL-94 V0 standard, an important fire safety
specification. The material displays excellent toughness, strength,
and heat resistance, making it ideal for applications within the
automotive, railway, and aerospace industries.
- PolyLite PC: PolyLite PC is produced using a polycarbonate
resin specifically engineered for 3D printing. This material
demonstrates a high modulus, making it ideal for applications that
require good stiffness and light diffusion, such as outdoor light
housings. PolyLite PC is available in transparent color, showing
good optical clarity, rendering parts with an attractive crystal
shine.
To further strengthen PC parts, Polymaker recommends annealing
them right after the printing process to release the residual
internal stress. The combination of METHOD’s heated chamber and
annealing feature is designed to enable users to produce strong,
manufacturing-grade parts.
Polymaker materials can be purchased on the Polymaker site.
The MakerBot LABS extruder enables users to print with a wide
variety of third-party materials on METHOD as an open materials
platform, expanding the possibilities of applications. MakerBot
offers a wide range of industrial materials through MakerBot LABS,
and is continuing to identify additional advanced materials for the
platform. Partners in the MakerBot LABS Materials Development
Program include BASF 3D Printing Solutions, Jabil, Kimya, LEHVOSS
Group, Mitsubishi Chemical, and Polymaker.
For more information, visit www.makerbot.com/method.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is a
global leader in the 3D printing industry. The company helps create
the innovators of today and the businesses and learning
institutions of the future. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY,
MakerBot strives to redefine the standards for 3D printing for
reliability, accessibility, precision, and ease-of-use. Through
this dedication, MakerBot has one of the largest install bases in
the industry and also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing
community in the world.
We believe there's an innovator in everyone, so we make the 3D
printing tools that make your ideas matter. Discover innovation
with MakerBot 3D printing.
To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com, the MakerBot
blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Stratasys (parent company of
MakerBot) reserves the right to utilize any of the foregoing social
media platforms, including the company's websites, to share
material, non-public information pursuant to the SEC's Regulation
FD. To the extent necessary and mandated by applicable law,
Stratasys will also include such information in its public
disclosure filings.
MakerBot, MakerBot LABS, MakerBot METHOD, and MakerBot METHOD X
are trademarks or registered marks of MakerBot Industries, LLC. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’
and/or MakerBot's beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will
experience from using Polymaker polycarbonate materials, MakerBot
LABS for METHOD materials, MakerBot LABS Experimental Extruder, and
the METHOD platform are forward-looking statements reflecting
management's current expectations and beliefs. These
forward-looking statements are based on current information that
is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to
risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys' business, actual
results could differ materially from those projected or implied by
these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to: the degree of our success at
introducing new or improved products and solutions that gain market
share; the degree of growth of the 3D printing market generally;
the duration of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which, if extensive,
may continue to impact, in a material adverse manner, our
operations, financial position and cash flows, and those of our
customers and suppliers; the impact of potential shifts in the
prices or margins of the products that we sell or services that we
provide, including due to a shift towards lower-margin products or
services; the impact of competition and new technologies; potential
further charges against earnings that we could be required to take
due to impairment of additional goodwill or other intangible
assets; to the extent of our success at successfully consummating
acquisitions or investments in new businesses, technologies,
products or services; potential changes in our management and board
of directors; global market, political and economic conditions, and
in the countries in which we operate in particular (including risks
related to the impact of coronavirus on our operations, supply
chain, liquidity, cash flow and customer orders; costs and
potential liability relating to litigation and regulatory
proceedings; risks related to infringement of our intellectual
property rights by others or infringement of others' intellectual
property rights by us; the extent of our success at maintaining our
liquidity and financing our operations and capital needs; the
impact of tax regulations on our results of operations and
financial condition; and other risk factors set forth under the
caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on
Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
on February 26th, 2020. Readers are urged to carefully review and
consider the various disclosures made throughout our 2019 Annual
Report and the Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K that
attaches Stratasys’ unaudited, condensed consolidated financial
statements and its review of its results of operations and
financial condition, for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020,
which we furnished to the SEC on May 14, 2020, and our other
reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, which are designed to
advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect
our business, financial condition, results of operations and
prospects. Any guidance provided, and other forward-looking
statements made, in this press release are made as of the date
hereof, and Stratasys and MakerBot undertake no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except
as required by law.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200917005279/en/
Bennie Sham MakerBot bennie.sham@makerbot.com
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