Jun 4, 2015 | By Alec
3D printing conventions are always an excellent place to run into new and exciting 3D printing innovations, and it is already looking like the currently ongoing Chengdu World 3D Printing Technology Expo in China is no exception. And today a new and very promising 3D printing kit will be unveiled by RepRap’s dr. Adrian Bowyer and Chinese filament manufacturing giant eSUN: the Low Temperature 3D Printing Kit for Children.
Aside from the kit itself, this is already a very eye-catching line-up, as eSUN is one of the largest players in the field of innovative 3D printing filament, and Dr. Bowyer is in fact the man who founded the RepRap revolution way back in 2004. Since 2011, he has been the mastermind behind RepRapPro, a company specializing in affordable and very capable RepRap 3D printer kits.
And now at the third annual Chengdu World 3D Printing Technology Expo, he and the CEO of Shenzhen eSun Industrial, mr. Yihu Yang, are set to unveil another promising kit. As the name suggests, the ‘Low Temperature 3D Printing Kit for Children’ is completely aimed at the growing and lively educational market in the 3D printing community, and will seek to help children get acquainted with the technology in a safe and educational environment.
As Dr. Bowyer explains to 3ders.org, this safe aspect is largely found in the low 3D printing temperatures the kit relies on. ‘It has four main features: it is Safe, Affordable, Reusable, and Environmentally-Friendly. The internal temperature of the nozzle is 80-100 ℃, but the surface temperature of the nozzle is only around 70℃, which is lower than regular printers in the market which use about 200℃,’ he says.
Key behind this low printing temperature is, and this is where the collaboration will start to make a lot of sense, eSUN’s 4d-fila 3D printing filament. ‘[It] is mainly prepared and modified from PCL. As a biodegradable material, PCL has been widely applied in the food and medical industries. This material is solid at normal temperature, but it becomes soft when the temperature is above 60 ℃. And this special feature gives eSUN 4d-fila a repairing function: users can easily revise their work after finishing printing; also waste material can be used for DIY handcrafts,’ Dr. Bowyer explains.
This should take care of the horrifying scalding burns molten plastic usually inflicts upon children who are too inquisitive, creating a safe and educational atmosphere. It is the hope of RepRapPro and eSUN Industrial that this kit will contribute to children's education all over the world. It will also be priced low enough to enable children everywhere to get their hands on a printer for themselves.
If you’re interested and happen to be at Chengdu, go and take a look at this fascinating kit yourself at the eSUN booth D29 at the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center.
Posted in 3D Printers
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