Nov 25, 2015 | By Kira
3D printing filament developer colorFabb has today launched a new line of copolyester-based 3D printing filament called nGen. Made from Eastman Amphora AM3300 3D polymer, nGen is a low-odor, styrene-free material with excellent functional properties that are suited to a wide range of applications, from home appliances to electronics to medical prosthetics. A filament specifically developed for 3D printing enthusiasts, nGen offers heat resistance of 85ºC, 220-240ºC processing temperature range, and is currently available in 17 different colors.
There are an increasing number of innovations in 3D printing materials, from entirely recyclable solutions, to rubber-like materials, to raw metal or conductive powders, each of which are well-suited to various specific 3D printing applications. However, what 3D printing enthusiasts increasingly require is an ‘all around’ single type of filament that can take them from project to project without compromising quality, speed, reliability, or performance.
With nGen, colorFabb hopes to fill that need. Available for the first time as of today, nGen offers the flexibility to print within a wide processing temperature range. With a glass temperature of over 85ºC, it has over double the heat resistance of PLA—yet at the same time, it maintains good flow properties through the printer nozzle even when printing at lower temperatures than some other polymers require.
According to colorFabb, one of nGen’s most unique features is its melt stability: “from pellet to filament to 3D printed part, the mechanical properties of the material will hardly be affected, providing a great deal of printing stability and the ability to reproduce exactly the same parts over and over again, reducing failed print rates significantly,” they said. All of this amounts to more stable results with less waste of time and material. It's key attributes include:
- Clarity and gloss
- Dimensional stability
- Enhanced aesthetics
- Excellent toughness and temperature resistance
- Extended Processing Window
- FDA compliance
- Low odor
- Property retention in 3D applications Styrene-free
- Workability
The full range of properties can be seen in the table below:
In order to ensure they could come through on all of the promises of this powerful material, colorFabb spent several months extensively testing the nGen filament on a range of 3D printers, including the Lulzbot Mini, Ultimaker Original, Ultimaker 2, Prusa i3, and many others. They’ve even created a handy resource page that details specific print settings for different machines in order to get the best out of your 3D prints.
Having thoroughly tested the product, colorFabb has today released an initial portfolio of 17 varieties (16 colors and one clear filament, ranging from metallic silver, to white, to vibrant red, pink, blue and purple) available in both diameters, for the same price as their current PLA/PHA filaments (€35.95 per 1.75mm spool).
“With nGen, we bring a filament to the market that has functional properties, looks astonishingly good and prints like a dream,” said colorFabb in their announcement today. Last year, colorFabb also worked with Eastman Amphora to produce their notable copolyester 3D printing filament, colorFabb XT.
Posted in 3D Printing Materials
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