Polymaker, as a high-tech company specializing in 3D printing materials, recently announced that it has obtained the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). This certification signifies an important milestone for Polymaker in the field of environmental sustainability and further solidifies its leading position in the industry.

Initiated in 2006 through a multi-stakeholder dialogue and with assistance from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) is a globally recognized and EU leading sustainability certification system.

The ISCC certification system covers all sustainable feedstocks, including biomass from agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, biogenic waste and residues, non-biological renewable materials and recycled carbon-based materials and products derived therefrom. It aims to protect forests, high-carbon stock areas, and biodiversity by certifying and managing sustainable, traceable, deforestation-free, and climate-friendly supply chains, contributing to the achievement of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

To obtain the ISCC certification, Polymaker has redefined its supplier audit standards, planned and improved its own management capabilities and material production technologies. This ensures that Polymaker’s supply chain management and production processes complies with ISCC's strict standards and achieves 100% traceability.

Polymaker has a strong reputation in the industry as a world-renowned innovator and manufacturer of extrusion-based 3D printing materials. The first phase of implementing the ISCC system included two environmentally friendly materials: bio-based PC (polycarbonate) and bio-based PLA (polylactic acid). These two types of materials are important components of the Polymaker product family and have numerous applications in consumer, professional, and industrial markets.

"Gaining ISCC certification is of great significance to Polymaker," said Mr. Hang Qu, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Polymaker. "This represents that Polymaker is not only meeting the functional needs of customers but also taking a solid step towards improving corporate ESG responsibilities. This commitment signifies Polymaker's strong willingness to promote sustainable development solutions and effectively deliver this value to downstream customers."

In the future, Polymaker will continue to focus on developing more innovative and environmentally friendly 3D printing materials and technologies. The company will actively seek additional certifications and collaboration opportunities to drive the progress of sustainable development.

With the industrial-grade 3D printing technology gradually challenging traditional manufacturing processes such as machining and injection molding, additive manufacturing has expanded from prototype production to more critical applications in end products.

Recently, a motion control company that provides high-precision direct-drive motors was designing suitable connectors for FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) in their research and development equipment. FFC are commonly used connection structures in electronic devices, and the company needed to place them in customized connectors to connect rotary motors and optoelectronic switch devices.

Initially, the company approached an aluminum processor for a quote, but the response forced them to seek alternative solutions:

  1. MOQ (Minimum order quantity) limitation: 50 pieces per item
  2. Processing limitations: Some slot designs were too complex for traditional machining processes
  3. Unstable lead time: A two-week lead time with no guarantee of transportation time.

Compared to aluminum machining, 3D printing technology not only offers faster production speed but also enables lighter part weights. Additionally, 3D printing allows for the simultaneous production of parts with different specifications, achieving customized requirements more economically and efficiently. In the end, the company decided to collaborate with Amesos mfg and Polymaker to produce connectors for FFC.

In this collaboration, the customized connector features multiple holes and slots in its internal design, serving the purpose of later assembly and positioning. The connector is designed in two parts, and once assembled, it can securely hold the FFC inside, with its ends connected to the rotary motor and other electrical components.

The rotary motor drives the continuous rotation of the FFC, while the connector allows for separation and rotation. The design also includes limiting slots to prevent the cable from tangling or breaking. After the parts are printed on the same day, the customer can immediately proceed with the trial installation.

Considering that the FFC ribbon cable will experience continuous friction as it rotates with the rotary motor, the material choice for the connector must be wear-resistant while providing protective properties. In addition, the electronic components require ESD-safe characteristics. PolyMax™ PETG ESD from Polymaker becomes the ideal choice for the material used in producing these parts.

PolyMax™ PETG ESD not only offers higher strength, impact resistance, and temperature resistance compared to PLA but is also easy to print. Its ESD-safe properties make it suitable for a wide range of applications in the electronics industry, including tooling fixtures, functional prototype design, and electrical enclosure manufacturing.

Through the collaboration between Polymaker and Amesos, the customized production reduced the costs by 85% compared to aluminum machining, and the printed parts were delivered and installed within three days. This signifies that additive manufacturing:

  1. Enables small-batch customization, reducing production lead times by months and significantly lowering indirect costs.
  2. Breaks design limitations imposed by traditional processes, allowing customized parts and complex designs to be produced in a more cost-effective and efficient manner.
  3. Helps customers respond to market demands more quickly without the need for excessive equipment costs or expensive tooling investments, enabling operational diversification.
  4. Facilitates digital production, overcoming supply chain disruptions and eliminating unnecessary inventory.

Project Introduction:

Robot combat is a competitive game where participants use self-made robots of equal weight, following the competition standards, to engage in battles within designated arenas and limited timeframes using any technical means except those on the prohibited list.

Pain Points:

Traditional combat robots are predominantly made of metal plates or HDPE materials to ensure the overall stability of the robots during intense battles. Each level of the competition imposes different requirements on the robots, which means participants need to design multiple robots, significantly increasing the design and production costs. Additionally, every match consumes robot components such as internal drive motors, which reduces the lifespan of the robots. Therefore, protecting the motors from intense impacts has become a pressing issue for participants to address.

3D Printing Solutions:

With the rapid development of 3D printing technology, the range of 3D printing materials has expanded, and flexible materials are increasingly used by participants to address collisions involving electronic components in combat matches. In addition, because the robot fighting competition is usually in accordance with the weight class can be divided into ant level, beetle level and amateur level, some players will according to the needs of the tournament to design their own robot parts, and then select the appropriate material for 3D printing, so as to reduce the design cost and weight.

Why Polymaker: 

Polymaker is reputational for its proficiency in material-extrusion based 3D printing area with comprehensive solutions. It offers three types of flexible printing materials: PolyFlex TPU90, PolyFlex TPU95, and PolyFlex TPU95-HF. PolyFlex TPU95, specifically, is a thermoplastic polyurethane material suitable for desktop-level 3D printers. It has a Shore hardness of 95A and can be stretched to over 3 times its original length without breaking. This material, with its strong interlayer adhesion and flexibility, allows print parts to securely encapsulate electronic components, protecting them from external damage. Compared to TPU90, it offers higher hardness and better absorption of external impacts among similar flexible materials. Additionally, by leveraging 3D printing, this material can achieve different levels of elasticity through model design and varying infill densities. This enables the customization of exclusive products and effectively reduces the weight of robots in their manufacturing process. Overall, PolyFlex TPU95 has become the favored material for robot external armor.

Overview & Outlook

In the future, with the widespread adoption of TPU95 in robot elastic armor, robot combat will experience further innovation and development. The flexibility and interlayer adhesion of TPU95 will effectively protect the internal electronic components of robots, extending their lifespan. Moreover, the flexibility of 3D printing technology will allow participants to customize robot components according to competition requirements, reducing design costs and robot weight. Innovation and collaboration will continue to be our guiding principles, making creation easier than ever before. We look forward to witnessing the breakthroughs and advancements brought by TPU95 elastic armor in the future robot combat arena.

In the heart of Oxford this December, Polymaker joined the vibrant and innovative atmosphere of the inaugural Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival (SMRRF) at Oxford University's Examination Halls. This event, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the late Sanjay Mortimer, brought together the crème de la crème of the 3D printing world, including industry luminaries like James Bruton (@jamesbruton), Matt Denton (@MattDenton), and Joel Telling (@3DPrintingNerd), along with over 50 sponsors and more than a thousand attendees.

Polymaker was excited to present our interactive NFC setup, designed to fully showcase our comprehensive product portfolio and foster engaging interactions with attendees. This feature served as more than just a display; it was an immersive way for visitors to explore the breadth and depth of our offerings in 3D printing. By creating this interactive experience, we not only highlighted our commitment to innovation but also opened up dynamic dialogues and shared excitement with the crowd.

A magical highlight of our exhibit was the enchanting Christmas castle snow globe, designed by the talented @pozzonifulvio and expertly printed by @maisonlumiere_3d. This extraordinary creation immersed visitors in a captivating winter fairy tale, complete with a swirling blizzard that enveloped the castle in a whimsical snowscape. It was a demonstration of how imagination and 3D printing prowess can combine to bring such a fantastical scene to life.

The SMRRF 2023 was an event that transcended a typical exhibition. It was a convergence of individuals united by a passion for 3D printing, offering a platform for novices and experts alike. The presence of VIP speakers, including Adrian Bowyer MBE, the founder of the RepRap movement, added a layer of depth and insight, enriching the experience for all.

The festival also served as a heartfelt tribute to Sanjay Mortimer's legacy. Known for his groundbreaking contributions and unique approach to life, especially in addressing ADHD, Sanjay's story continues to inspire. The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, established in his honor, aims to empower individuals with neurodivergent minds through the world of engineering and making, a mission that resonates deeply with the ethos of the 3D printing community.

For Polymaker, participating in SMRRF 2023 was an opportunity not only to showcase our latest innovations but also to connect with our community and industry leaders. Engaging with our partners, especially those we regularly interact with on Discord, added a personal dimension to our experience.

Reflecting on the event, we are inspired by the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and the enduring impact of pioneers like Sanjay Mortimer. As we move forward, Polymaker remains committed to pushing the boundaries of 3D printing, fueled by the passion and innovation that were so palpable at SMRRF 2023.

Christmas is coming, Polymaker is delighted to unveil our 2023 Christmas Limited Bundle. It is designed to ignite the holiday spirit and bring your Christmas creations to life.

This exclusive bundle features three exquisite filaments, each with its own unique characteristics, and is adorned with a festive "Merry Christmas" packaging that captures the joyful essence of the season. Each filament spool in the Christmas Bundle features a unique 2023 label, signifying its exclusivity as this year's Polymaker Christmas edition.

Let's explore the captivating features of our Christmas Bundle:

  1. Champagne Gold: Step into a world of elegance with this filament. This filament offers a silk-like texture, reminiscent of shimmering holiday lights. Its sheen appearance adds a touch of sophistication to your Christmas-themed prints, making them truly stand out.
  2. Comet's Extravagance Green: Unleash your creativity with Comet's Extravagance Green filament. This filament, with mesmerizing color-changing effect, referring the fact that stars appear in different colors and brightness when viewed from different angles, creates a captivating visual spectacle.
  3. Santa's Velvet Red: Experience the warmth and coziness of the holiday season with this filament. This rich and vibrant red filament exudes a silk texture that adds depth and dimension to your Christmas-inspired designs. It perfectly captures the essence of Santa's iconic suit.

But that's not all! As a special treat, simply scan the QR code on the paper spool label, and discover the secret Christmas gift that Polymaker has prepared just for you.

At Polymaker, we believe the combination of the Champagne Gold, Comet's Extravagance Green, and Santa's Velvet Red filaments will bring your Christmas prints to life, capturing the spirit of the season in every intricate detail.

Please click the below purchase links to get them~

US Web Store: Seasonal Packs (polymaker.com)

Amazon.com: Polymaker PLA Filament 1.75mm Limited Edition 2023 Christmas Bundle, 3x1kg Silk PLA 3D Printer Filament, Print Some Christmas Gifts and Decorations (Velvet Red, Comet’s Green, Champagne Gold) : Industrial & Scientific

Reseller: Find a Reseller - Polymaker

Please note that the Christmas Bundle is available in limited quantities, adding an air of exclusivity to this special collection. Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your Christmas creations with our enchanting filaments and make this holiday season truly unforgettable.

The 4-day Formnext Exhibition took place from November 7th to 10th in Frankfurt, Germany. It was a pivotal event for Polymaker, underlining our role in the dynamic world of 3D printing and additive manufacturing. The event was a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who were instrumental in making our participation a success.

Central to our showcase was PolySonic™, our high-speed filament that has already made a significant impact in the market. Its presence at Formnext reiterated our commitment to offering advanced and efficient printing solutions.

PolyCore™, our versatile pellet range, was also prominently featured. Demonstrated through a 3D printed bar at our booth, PolyCore™ highlighted its practical application in real-world settings. This interactive display not only showcased the product's versatility but also allowed us to engage directly with visitors, offering them a firsthand experience of its potential.

Among our displays, the 3D printed jetpack by Matt Denton, created using Polymaker materials, was a standout exhibit. This piece underscored the creative and functional possibilities achievable with our products.

For more insights into this project, visit Matt Denton's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@MattDenton

Formnext 2023 was not just about product showcases; it was an opportunity to fortify existing relationships and establish new ones. Our participation extended beyond product demonstrations, delving into market needs and collaborative opportunities. We're excited about the new connections made and the reinforcement of our existing relationships.

Reflecting on Formnext 2023, we are encouraged by the positive feedback on our products and our team's efforts. This event marks another significant step in Polymaker's journey, one where innovation, collaboration, and community engagement continue to be our guiding principles, truly achieving the goal of "Simplify Creation".

Polymaker just attended the 2023 edition of the East Coast RepRap Festival which was held in the same school last year in Bel Air, Maryland on 09/31-10/01.

This time the brand booth and the live stream were managed by Polymaker’s discord community members. They volunteered to design, build and manage the booth. In total, 7 community members help designing and building the booth, 5 of them came to ERRF2023, 3 of them managed the booth while 2 helped building partnerships with the makers displaying on site. Thank them for their hard work and dedication!

As RMRRF2023, the most popular display project was our Polymaker Scientist!

Gathering over 350 scientists, this display shows off our wide portfolio offering from a material and color perspective. Moreover, this time we had the amazing ability to scan every scientist on a scanning platform and discover more about every single product on a carefully designed infographic on a 55in HQ display! This project was brought to life thanks to Buildersmark.

Makers of all ages have enjoyed marble track game! Select from a wide variety of design and build your amazing marble track on the magnetic board. Visitors were also impressed by our fully 3D printed table specifically designed for tabletop games and the incredible miniature models from The Free Heathen printed with PolyMax™ PLA!

The booth also displayed fascinating printed model, for example, Hue forge packs. It attracted a lot of eyes and impressed everyone on how 3D printing technology could be used for these amazing pieces of art! Polymaker community displayed amazing prints at our table including: the S-Box, fully functional Ukulele, beautiful dragons, Mechakong, the Titanic, and more!

1 year and a half after its creation, the DEATH RACER is still making plastic parts flying! As the seed sponsor and supporter of this project, Polymaker offer its logo be part of the flying pieces crash after crash. This year we witnessed mecanum wheels and spinning blade design to add to the carnage!

A highlight from our partner 3D Gloop is this tug of war against J.E.Ph.F (Just Enough Physical Force). Team of makers were linked to Jephf via to PLA parts gloop together and the goal was to generate the highest amount of pulling force. Team Polymaker-Creality generated over 500lbs ending second on the leaderboard!

ERRF2023 was another success for Polymaker. We see these hyper focus exhibition growing in popularity and are excited to attend more RepRap festival in the future.

Join Polymaker at Formnext 2023, the international meeting point for industrial 3D printing experts and production professionals, taking place from November 7th to 10th at Messe Frankfurt, Germany. Our booth is located in Hall 12, on the 1st floor, at booth number E59, where we will be showcasing a wide array of our latest products and innovations.

Experience the future of 3D printing with PolySonic™, our high-speed filament that balances speed and print quality, and PolyCore™, our range of 3D printing pellets designed for big area additive manufacturing. Additionally, we are excited to introduce the NFC Polyman presenter, an interactive tool that allows visitors to explore our extensive product portfolio in a unique and engaging manner. Don’t miss the chance to visit our 3D printed bar, created using PolyCore™, where we will be serving refreshing coffee and tea to all our visitors.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with over 800 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors, learn about our products, and discover how Polymaker is pushing the boundaries of 3D printing. Check out the map below to find us at the exhibition:

We have also provided you with free Formnext tickets. Please fill out the following form before 12 pm, November 5, 2023, (UTC/GMT+1:00) to secure your tickets. Limited quantities available, first come, first served!

We look forward to seeing you at Formnext 2023 and exploring the endless possibilities of 3D printing together!

Maker Faire, a carnival of science, technology, engineering, art, crafts, and DIY, returned to Shanghai. As the chief sponsor of this event, Polymaker showcased a wide variety of fancy and cool 3D printed models and held a combat robot competition, bringing immense joy to children and igniting the atmosphere!

Let's have a quick recap of this event.

Polymaker exhibited a variety of filament products, while its partner Bambu Lab brought the latest A1 Mini and P1S printers to the event. Polymaker product manager patiently explained the principles of 3D printing to the children, demonstrated the usage techniques of slicing software, and showcased the printing process of various exquisite models, presenting the limitless possibilities of 3D printing technology.

DIY Spray Painting Workshop - Unleash Infinite Creativity

Polymaker also provided a DIY spray painting workshop experience for the children. These unpainted prototype prints were all made using PolyLiteTM CosPLA. This 3D printing filament specifically designed for cosplay enthusiasts, featuring excellent sanding properties for quick post-processing of print details.

With the assistance of the painting instructor, children can personally painted the 3D prints based on their own creativity and imagination. This activity not only allowed the children to experience the charm of 3D printing but also enabled them to enjoy the pleasure of creation, unleashing their boundless creativity.

The Mecha Competition Come Back

In this event, Polymaker partnered with LBT to bring the RFT Intelligent Battle Armor Competition and the LBTROBO Mech Activity. The RFT Intelligent Battle Armor Competition featured 12 top-tier teams. The intense battles between the on-site robots have ignited audience passion, while the ever-changing dynamics of the arena and the urgent adjustments of the tactics by both sides have made the spectators watch with bated breath.

Polymaker provided their PolyFlexTM TPU95 as prizes for the top three winning teams. This material can be printed for the external armor of the robots, ensuring the protection of the electronic components from external forces during intense battles.

LBTROBO - China's first DIY desktop robot combat product for the general public, combines advanced technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting, allowing children at the event to experience the fusion of technology and creativity. It has received a warm welcome from both children and adults.

DFRobot- Integrating programming into 3D printing

Polymaker and DF Maker Community has brought various wonderful and interesting creations to children. Whether it's an IoT magic wand that can light up rainbows or a 3D-printed electric guitar, these creations have excited the children immensely. These projects allow children to learn programming, AI, IoT, and 3D printing through hands-on practice, providing them with a deep and enjoyable experience of scientific innovation.

Immersive 3D printing experience, colorful print exhibits, intense and thrilling mecha competitions... In just two short days, Polymaker brought countless surprises to everyone at Maker Faire. Join us and embark on a magical journey of "Simplify Creation"!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our highly anticipated 2023 Polymaker Halloween Pack. This limited edition bundle is specifically designed to ignite the imagination of Halloween enthusiasts and creators, providing a unique color palette and special effects that will bring your spooky visions to life!

What makes our Halloween Limited Edition Bundle stand out? Let's dive into its incredible charming points:

At Polymaker, we position our 2023 Halloween Pack as a must-have for those seeking to bring their spooky visions to life including Halloween enthusiasts, cosplayers, prop makers, hobbyists and collectors. The unique gradient color-changing effect and glow-in-the-dark feature will capture attention and create intrigue.

Limited availability adds exclusivity to our Halloween Pack, making it a coveted choice for Halloween-inspired prints. Don't miss out on the chance to elevate your Halloween creations with our captivating filaments and make this Halloween truly unforgettable!

Please click the below purchase links to get them~

US Web Store: Seasonal Packs (polymaker.com)

Amazon.com: Polymaker PLA Filament 1.75mm Limited Edition 2023 Halloween PLA Bundle, 3x1kg PLA 3D Printer Filament, Print Some Unique Halloween Decorations (Slime Glow Green, Patch Pumpkin Orange, Ghastly Purple) : Industrial & Scientific

Reseller: Find a Reseller - Polymaker

We've got a treat for you – a set of spooky STL models you can grab and use! Join in the Halloween fun!  Don't be shy, feel free to get creative and share your spooky creations with us!

https://www.printables.com/model/589860-polymaker-halloween-pack-models-2023

The 3-day TCT Asia Exhibition took place from September 12th to September 14th at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. The exhibition was a huge success over the course of three days, with a total attendance of nearly 20,000 enthusiastic visitors.

As one of the key brands in TCT, Polymaker lived up to expectations by showcasing a series of remarkable new products and 3D printing application solutions. Now, let's take a look at Polymaker's booth.

Part 1. The Future of High-Speed Printing - PolySonic™ Family

At this exhibition, Polymaker unveiled its highly anticipated PolySonic™ High-Speed Printing PLA series. Thanks to its advanced formulation, PolySonic™ satisfies three crucial factors: high volumetric flow, excellent printability and outstanding mechanical properties. Whether you're a hobbyist, engineer, or designer,  PolySonic™ can let you experience faster extrusion rates without compromising print quality or mechanical properties.

Mr. Chengyu Zhang, Polymaker Product Manager had a high-speed filament family - PolySonic™ family launch speech on September 13th. It provided a detailed introduction to the definition of high-speed printing and the product features of PolySonic™ PLA and PLA Pro. These 2 high-speed PLA products not only accelerates printing efficiency but also retains its inherent mechanical performance. It is suitable for a wide range of applications, including functional prototyping, artistic creations, and production of end-use products.

Part 2. Diverse Aesthetic Filaments

As a developer and manufacturer of 3D printing materials, Polymaker showcased a variety of PLA, TPU, PETG, and PA filaments and printed products with different colors and materials at TCT. From the retro and elegant Muted colors to the light and soft candy colors, from the realistic marble-like gloss and texture of marble colors to the gorgeous and elegant silk colors with silk-like smoothness and brightness, Polymaker provided endless possibilities for creativity.

Part 3. Multiple Application Showcase

In addition to products, Polymaker also showcased 3D printing solutions in various fields to the audience.

On the booth, three car models caught the eye, showcasing Polymaker's applications in the automotive field. These car models were printed with PolyLite™ ASA and PolyMax™ PC, demonstrating the entire process from initial prints to color finishing products, providing a visual representation of the possibilities and process involved in using 3D printing in the automotive modeling field.

On the other side of the booth, various functional components manufactured using 3D printing technology were displayed to showcase the company's applications in the agricultural sector. These components included drone casings, magnet-fixed bases, and guide rails, all printed with PolyMide™ PA612-CF. This material has lower moisture sensitivity compared to PA6/66 and PA6-based materials, and better mechanical properties than PA12-based materials. Prints demonstrate high dimensional stability, effectively prolonging the lifespan. The application achieves efficient production, cost reduction, and enhances versatility in terms of shape, design, weight reduction, and development.

Beyond the agricultural field, 3D printing can also bring personalization to the powerboat manufacturing industry. Polymaker, together with Amesos, provided a solution for a well-known powerboat manufacturer in the United States. After several process tests, PolyLite™ PETG was successfully chosen as the material. Its excellent comprehensive mechanical performance, dimensional stability, Warp-Free™ technology, outstanding strength, water resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, and cost-effectiveness make it an ideal material for printing powerboat covers.

In addition to receiving praise from industry professionals, this industry exhibition also attracted the attention of common people, showcasing the infinite potential and charm of 3D printing technology.

Polymaker will continue to lead the industry's development trends, deeply cultivate the field of 3D printing consumables, and make ‘Simplify Creation’ a reality.

On the path of “Simplify Creation”, Polymaker has consistently refused to compromise and has pushed forward with creativity. Today, Polymaker launched a brand-new family of 3D printing filaments dedicated to high-speed 3D printing. This move aims to drive the industry forward by increasing the productivity of 3D printers, allowing a higher volume of parts per hour without compromising on printing characteristics or the mechanical strength of the printed part.

“The latest generation of 3D printers have set a new benchmark for fast printing. But materials are still the missing link. PolySonic™ is Polymaker’s answer to the new era of high-speed FFF Printing.” – Dr. Xiaofan Luo – Founder of Polymaker

Three Crucial Aspects to Define High-Speed Filament:

Extrusion - PolySonic™ PLA filaments exhibit a wider extrusion window when compared to regular PLA filaments, producing a 30% increase in flow rate at the same printing temperatures when compared to regular PLA filaments. This boost in extrusion efficiency allows users to build profiles with higher printing speeds before noticing the effects of under-extrusion on the printed part.

Forming - Polymaker scientists have optimized the rheology of the PolySonic™ so that it can transition from fluid to solid with near-zero shrinkage. This produces crisp corners, fine details and steep overhangs while still extruding at high flow rates. Moreover, it significantly enhances actual printing productivity compared to regular PLA, increasing production efficiency by up to 150%.

Mechanical Properties - PolySonic™ PLA shows only a 6% drop in mechanical properties when printing at high speed compared to the classic test specimen. In contrast, PolyLite™ PLA (regular PLA) witnesses a 24% drop when the speed is increased. This final factor allows PolySonic™ to print both fast and functional which has been the previous limitation to high-speed 3D printing. Users can increase the productivity of their machines without compromising on part strength or print quality.

Two Types of Filaments to Meet Different Needs

PolySonic™ PLA, a revolutionary high-speed 3D printing filament, comfortably build printing profiles over 300mm/s with superior print characteristics. Its fast extrusion rate, high precision, and excellent interlayer adhesion greatly enhance 3D printing speed, providing users with a new and exciting experience! While accelerating printing efficiency, it also preserves its inherent mechanical performance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including functional prototyping, artistic creations, and production of end-use products. Initially available in 5 colors, it allows your colorful creativity to come to life!

PolySonic™ PLA Pro is an improved toughness PLA compounded with impact modifiers that produce ductility similar to ABS and stiffness outperforming ASA & PETG. Its superior toughness and mechanical properties make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including creating finer functional prototypes, producing more durable end-use parts, and providing the necessary engineering components for industries such as automotive and consumer goods. It is an ideal choice for rapidly producing functional parts!

Overall, PolySonic™ is a new type of printing consumable that fully leverages printer efficiency without sacrificing the quality of 3D printed products. Whether you're a hobbyist, engineer, or designer, PolySonic™ PLA will bring your ideas to life faster and better than ever before. Unleash the speed of innovation and join the 3D printing revolution with PolySonic™ PLA.

YouTube video

With the increasing level of mechanization, agricultural drones are being used for various agricultural operations, such as large-scale crop spraying. There are several types of agricultural drones available on the market including 4 types: flight control system, power system, spraying system, and frame structure. The spraying system is the main application module of 3D printing technology in this field, including the pesticide tank, water pump, nozzles, and related sensors.

The pesticide tank of an agricultural drone stores the liquid for spraying, and during operation, the liquid is pumped out by the water pump. However, the vibration of the water pump affects the flight control system of the drone. Common methods use CNC aluminum plate processing to fix the water pump, but they have unavoidable disadvantages such as complex processes, poor corrosion resistance, low design flexibility, and lack of lightweight advantages. These factors can somewhat impact the production efficiency, payload capacity, and endurance of the drone.

By utilizing 3D printing technology, rapid prototyping and validation can be achieved, effectively solving the aforementioned problems and enabling small-batch production. After consideration, the manufacturer decided to collaborate with Amesos and Polymaker to create an additive manufacturing solution.

Amesos is primarily responsible for custom-designing water pump mounting plates that match the specific agricultural drone models to meet customer requirements. Within three days, four different versions were designed and tested, and the most suitable solution was selected and provided to the customer, successfully passing the installation tests. The next step was printing. The individual water pump on the mounting plate weighs around 400g, and the customer requires the installation of 2-3 water pumps. Therefore, the printed part needs to be made of a material that can withstand shocks and is not prone to breakage.

Polymaker is responsible for printing material selection. As a high-tech enterprise specializing in 3D printing materials, Polymaker began experimenting and comparing their diverse range of products as soon as they received the customer's requirements. Eventually, PolyMide™ PA612-CF material was chosen.

PolyMide™ PA612-CF is a carbon fiber-reinforced long-chain co-polyamide filament. Due to its chemical structure, this material has lower moisture sensitivity compared to PA6/66 and PA6-based materials, and better mechanical properties than PA12-based materials. Its advantages, such as high rigidity, toughness, and resistance to high temperatures, ensure that the water pump mounting plate printed with PolyMide™ PA612-CF is not affected by vibrations and maintains sufficient strength and stability. Additionally, its low water absorption allows for usage in humid environments, meeting the specific application requirements. Moreover, with the carbon fiber reinforcement and Warp-Free™ technology, products printed with PolyMide™ PA612-CF exhibit excellent dimensional stability, effectively prolonging the service life of the water pump mounting plate.

By employing 3D printing technology for the design and production of water pump mounting plates, the advantages of rapid prototyping, flexibility, and low cost are fully demonstrated. Manufacturers can quickly create prototypes, perform validation and necessary improvements, and immediately proceed with batch production and delivery. This process effectively shortens the product development cycle, enables the manufacturing of complex geometries and internal structures, and facilitates on-demand, high-efficiency production, greatly enhancing the economic benefits of production manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing technology is a rapidly evolving manufacturing technique that brings greater flexibility and efficiency to product design and production through digitization. It effectively compensates for the traditional machining processes such as turning, grinding, forging, stamping, and casting. As a result, the market shows high expectations for 3D printing technology.

In the motorboat manufacturing industry, the advantages of 3D printing are evident, especially in terms of personalization and increased competitiveness. Polymaker decided to intensify its collaboration in this field. Meanwhile, A well-known motorboat manufacturer in the United States was adjusting their production methods and seeking a customized additive manufacturing solution. After combined efforts of research and comparison from Amesos and Polymaker, they ultimately selected PolyLite™ PETG as the printing material.

Compared to PLA, PETG has a higher heat deflection temperature and better overall mechanical properties. PETG also shows better dimensional stability compared to ABS. Overall, PolyLite™ PETG is a warp-free and cost-effective material. Its excellent impact strength, water resistance, and resistance to chemical corrosion make it the best choice for printing motorboat coverings. The total weight of this printing model, including the cockpit cover and front bumper of the motorboat, is approximately 15 kg.

During the printing process using PolyLite™ PETG, besides appropriate settings for nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and retraction, controlling the cooling fan is a critical factor that affects the print results. Due to PETG's crystalline characteristics, excessive cooling fan usage significantly reduces the interlayer adhesion of the printed parts, making them prone to breakage in the Z-direction and rendering them unsuitable for long-term use. On the other hand, completely disabling the cooling fan reduces surface smoothness and makes support removal more challenging. So selecting the appropriate fan speed has become a major challenge in this application. After several process tests and considering the structure of the motorboat components, the engineers settled on a fan speed of 20% to achieve a good balance between surface quality and layer adhesion.

Thanks to the superior performance of PolyLite™ PETG and the stable and precise printer provided by Amesos, the engineering design of the motorboat's cockpit cover and front bumper was successfully completed. These parts were then used for small-batch continuous production, with a printing efficiency exceeding 163 cm3/hr (200 g/hr). This achievement not only represents a significant application success for Polymaker in the motorboat manufacturing industry, but also signifies the greater possibilities, increased freedom, and higher flexibility in driving innovation and experimentation.

The Polymaker spool adapter is designed to help your cardboard spools print more consistently by reducing friction and creating a structured rolling surface. The spool adapter clips around the face of the Polymaker cardboard spool and is fixed in place by three small tabs that grab the edge of the spool and a location pin that stops the adapter spinning. 

The adapter can help your 3D printer by reducing the rolling friction when mounted both internally or externally on almost every design of spool holder. One benefit that the cardboard spool provides is durability. The spool can be dropped off a table without shattering unlike our previous plastic spools. However, this bends or deforms the cardboard face of the spool leading it to unspool with a wobble. The spool adapter can solve this issue by providing a solid circular rolling surface to interface between the spool and spool holder. 

Watch the video to see how the cardboard spool adapter works:

YouTube video

Multi-material stations that have assisted unspooling are often designed with small intricate gears that can get jammed by dust particles after hundreds of hours of printing. The spool adapter can eliminate the problem of dust build-up and allows Polymaker spools to be compatible with all multi-material stations, such as: Bambu Lab’s AMS or Ultimaker’s Material Station. 

Our spool adapter design is by no means perfect, so we encourage you to remix and redesign to suit your needs where necessary. This design was inspired by our community so who have already designed and posted many similar rings and adapters. We are releasing the .STEP files as well as the .STL which will allow you to make some adjustments easily in the CAD software of your choice and everything is open source. 

We tried to keep our design as light as possible, so it can be printed quickly and efficiently without using too much filament. You should be able to print one spool adapter in 40 mins, using 30g of filament and it should be able to be reused on many Polymaker spools. To lengthen the life of your spool adapter we suggest popping the location pin out first before removing the edge clips to reduce the stress on the adapter when changing spools. The design was intended to be printed in PLA however a much tougher material choice will result in a longer life for your spool adapter. Try PolyLite™ PETG, PolyLite™ ASA or PolyMax™ PLA for a spool adapter that can roll through the kilos. 

Kindly find below link to fast download files and hope you enjoy the printing! 

Printables:  Polymaker Cardboard Spool Adapter by Polymaker | Download free STL model | Printables.com 

Thingiverse: Polymaker Cardboard Spool Adapter by Polymaker_3D - Thingiverse  

Cults3D: Free STL file Polymaker Cardboard Spool Adapter・Object to download and to 3D print・Cults (cults3d.com) 

Location / Team / Booth Set-up

RAPID 2023 was held in Chicago, Illinois, known as the Windy City and famously known for its architecture, vibrant music scene, and amazing food, — including deep-dish pizza! RAPID, North America’s largest and most influential Additive Manufacturing, was a three-day event, from May 2nd to May 4th. RAPID showcased 400 exhibiting companies to attendees from 34 countries and 48 states.

Polymaker’s team at RAPID 2023 included the Americas team and members of the Europe team to welcome and interact with visitors. Our booth set-up consisted of different sections displaying our selection of materials. A section for our consumer level materials, engineering materials, along with a section for our PolyCore pellets. In the sections, we displayed our partners/collaborators parts printed with our filaments. Printed parts include products or creations of our innovative end users. A ring toss game was prepared for visitors to play and win prizes! Polymaker’s booth also displayed a giant spool that caught the attention of many visitors. The back of the giant PLA Pro spool was used as a scoreboard for the Ring Toss game. Overall, Polymaker’s booth was the most fun and interactive floor at RAPID.

Business Opportunities / Leads

RAPID 2023 is not only a great opportunity to have customer engagement, but to discuss business opportunities with visitors. The Polymaker’s Americas team received a good amount of leads from RAPID, some of which have already placed multiple orders (end users/resellers). A few of our existing end users and resellers stopped by the booth and were able to reengage with the team and have conversations about the current market and about our exciting and upcoming filaments. RAPID was also a great opportunity to sense the current market and capture any trends. Polymaker took advantage of the event to present our brand and our filaments in a fun and creative way that captured the attention of many attendees.

New Products

During RAPID 2023, Polymaker debuted several new products such as PolyTerra PLA Pastel Rainbow, PolyTerra PLA Dual Colors, and PolyLite PLA Starlight. As guests walked by our PLA display, their eyes were drawn to the iridescent sheen of PolyLite PLA Starlight. They would stop to pick up the pirate figures and admire how Starlight changes colors with different viewing angles. You could already tell they were formulating how to incorporate PolyLite PLA Starlight into their next product.

PolyTerra PLA Pastel Rainbow was another star of the show. Guests admired the matte finish and quick changing color cycle of the Pastel Rainbow filament at the PolyScientist display.

Ring Toss

Polymaker had the most colorful and interactive booth at RAPID 2023 thanks to our Ring Toss game. The Ring Toss game consisted of three sections of vases printed in our PolyLite and PolyTerra PLA lineup. Each guest had ten chances to land three hits on the vases with our 3D printed PolyFlex TPU95 rings. One hit landed you a keychain, two hits got you a bag, and three hits was a Polymaker iPhone case. For the competitive types, each section of vases was also broken down into points. The closest section was 1 point, the middle section was 5 points, and the farthest section was 10 points. The top ten players won a voucher for 5 free spools of filament. The top scorer of RAPID won a voucher for a 3D printer of their choosing, up to $1,000! Overall, the Ring Toss game kept customer interaction at an all time high, with repeat customers visiting our booth multiple times during the course of RAPID 2023.

Conclusion

Polymaker’s mission is to simplify creation by empowering 3D printing and material technologies for industries and consumers. Polymaker keeps to their mission by providing the industry with unique and reliable filament options. Polymaker continues to stay on top of an industry where only the best of the best can survive.

Looking back on RAPID 2023, the Polymaker team had a great time interacting with each other and the customers. They look forward to gathering again at RAPID 2024.

Quick word on RMRRF 2023! 

(Loveland, Colorado, April 22-23, 2023) 

After the success of ERRF 2022, Polymaker has decided to continue joining the different RepRap Festivals. RMRRF is a new RepRap Festival on the west coast to attract more people interested in 3D Printing. 

The Result: An Absolute Success! RMRRF was the most successful RRF to date with over 3,500 attendees.  

More about RMRRF: https://rockymountainreprapfestival.com/ 

This article summarizes a few activities and pictures of the event. 

This year, Polymaker Scientist Game won lots of attention! 

With the help of Polymaker’s community based on Discord, over 300 Polymaker Scientists (1 for each Polymaker product) are printed and displayed during the festival on a beautiful stands which are also designed and printed by brand’s community. This masterpiece was born as an idea during a livestream 10 days before the show and the community was really hard at work to design, print and ship everything on time for RMRRF! Which is the reason the main message of this activity is a huge thank you to the community. 

The actual morning of the show Polymaker came out with a game idea of finding the correct product in all these Scientists. In no time, using Excel, our team quickly designed a macro which would generate a random product from Polymaker’s portfolio and activate a 30sec timer after clicking the button. The game attracted a lot of attention from the audience and rightfully in the spotlight. 

Another amazing activity at the event was the Death Racers battle! Last year, this activity turned out pretty well. This year, the thrilling and exciting DEATH RACER is still an essential part, and everyone has brought their DIY go-karts to the outdoors. It is worth mentioning that many of the race cars are sponsored and printed by Polymaker, with multiple Polymaker logos overlapping on the car. The brand spared no effort and seized the opportunity to support many creators from the announcement of the festival, just to live up to everyone's expectations and love. 

 

As always, the exciting part is Polymaker’s new product announcement! This year we announced: 

PolyLite PLA Starlight Series 

PolyLite PLA Pro Cold White 

PolyLite PLA Pro Metallic Magenta 

PolyLite ABS Neon Series 

PolyTerra Dual PLA 

PolyTerra Gradient PLA 

PolyTerra PLA Lime 

(ABS/ASA Galaxy line are also showed off.) 

RMRRF was a great opportunity to reconnect with partners and consumers. This year, many 3D printing filament brands and over 3,500 attendees participated in this festival. Polymaker materials had a presence in almost all of the exhibiting booths! In the future, Polymaker will keep being open-minded and innovative. We welcome voices and insights from the community and are committed to delivering our material solution to Simplify Creation

To better serve the fast-moving filament market in Europe, Polymaker have opened their new distribution centre promising faster shipping, a more comprehensive stock and a wider range of materials available to European customers. 

Located in a quaint industrial park in Houten, Netherlands, their around 1020m2 warehouse can hold the ever-growing repertoire of Polymaker products.  

Visit “Global Locations" in "Why Polymaker” Page to view the detailed address of our new European Distribution Centre.

While it seems that customers can’t shake their relationship with Black PLA, Polymaker prides itself in offering the largest colour range of any filament manufacturer with over 140 colour variants in PLA alone. The list of filament options for engineering and aesthetic applications are seemingly endless and Polymaker's large research and development team are continuing to explore new technologies for extrusion-based 3D printing.  

Polymaker have expanded their European team with a logistics manager, warehouse manager and team of handlers to expedite the picking & shipping of filaments to European customers. All handled in-house the ordering process has been optimized to promise quicker shipping times for customers across the region.  

Aside from the new warehouse Polymaker has invested in an expertise centre and quadrupled the size of their print lab to continue material testing and better serve application partners across Europe.  

As Polymaker continues to lead the market in quality and variety of 3D printing filaments, the new European distribution centre has the ability to best serve the imaginations of engineers, tinkerers and enthusiasts across the continent.  

Recently, Luo Xiaofan, co-founder and president of Polymaker, was jointly interviewed by the industry's well-known media Science Valley and 3D Printing Industry to discuss the trends and challenges in the industry in 2023.  

Here's what he said. 

TRENDS

With the liberalization of epidemic control in China, the year of 2023 is very likely to be the first year when the 3D printing industry truly enters the “post-epidemic era”. I am looking forward to the recover of technical exchanges and market activities that were interrupted due to the epidemic. The high-speed and healthy development of 3D printing is inseparable from global exchanges and cooperation, so we (Polymaker) have also accelerated our global landscape: in 2023, we will establish the first overseas production base and technology center to accelerate 3D printing and to better serving our clients’ innovations around the world. 

The second trend I see in 2023 is the further segmentation and specialization of additive manufacturing technology. In the past few years, most companies in the market can be divided into three categories: equipment, materials and services. However, this simple classification seems is unable to describe the current industry ecology. In many subdivided fields, such as core components, various design, simulation and process optimization software, and specific application solutions, more and more specific solutions have emerged. The specialization of technology is also a sign of the maturity of the additive manufacturing industry. I believe this trend will become more and more obvious in 2023, which will also bring more and more companies a new round of innovation and development opportunities. 

In 2023, we will see 3D printing enter more application scenarios for the production of parts and end products. This is an irreversible trend; the epidemic in the past few years has also accelerated this trend in a sense. This can also be seen from the customers we serve: last year, the production purpose applications we served our customers have experienced several times of growth, and many of them will increase their investment this year (2023). In the process of serving the innovation of our clients, we have also gained a lot of sense of value creation, hence our vision of “Simplify Creation” is also unfolding step by step. 

Generally speaking, I believe that after experiencing the ups and downs of the epidemic for three years, the 3D printing industry will usher in a more positive and optimistic situation in 2023: the specialization of 3d printing technology and the deepening application for final parts production will also bring more opportunities for innovation and development. 

CHALLENGES

For most additive manufacturing technologies, I thinks process complexity is still the biggest technical challenge. Unlike most traditional manufacturing technologies, 3D printing has many process variables, and there is a highly coupled relationship between process, material and geometric structure; the traditional process development and optimization paradigm can no longer adapt to the highly complex process characteristics of 3D printing. This has also led to a series of challenges that the 3D printing industry is still facing: process development and optimization take a long time, printing process control is difficult, quality consistency is low, performance is unpredictable, and so on. 

To solve this problem, this requires the coordination of many technologies. First of all, we need to improve the construction of the physical model of the printing process. Academia has done a lot of work in the past few years, and it should be said that a good foundation has been laid. What is needed next is to develop simulation software based on these accurate and verified physical models as the main tool for studying the 3D printing process, and at the same time establish a matching, standardized database of equipment, materials and processes. With this foundation, the application of process development, optimization and control can be built based on specific technologies and application requirements; the technical possibilities here are relatively rich, and it can be combined with artificial intelligence and data science to achieve efficient process optimization , It can also be combined with online monitoring of hardware to realize closed-loop control of the printing process, and can also be connected with design software to form a complete closed-loop from design to production. 

The realization of the above technologies requires a lot of investment and multi-disciplinary efforts, but this is also the technical threshold that must be solved for additive manufacturing to further realize its potential and truly become a mainstream manufacturing technology. We (Polymaker) have also made a lot of investment and made a lot of progress with many partners in the past few years. In 2023, we will have more profound solutions to face to the market, and here you can also look forward to it. 

To round off another successful year, Polymaker was awarded the Material Company of the Year at the 3D Printing Industry Awards. This broad category is open to all additive manufacturing technologies: resin, metal powder, polymer powder, bio-printing as well as filaments. This marks the second time in five years that Polymaker has won the award, justifying that portfolio diversity and focus on research and development can drive 3D printing forward with Polymaker at the helm.

Heading into the new year, Polymaker will continue to take steps forward to enhance the experience for 3D printing users. Polymaker is already underway with the construction of a world-class R&D Center and Intelligent Factory, which will be equipped with a higher degree of automation and digitalization initiatives. This will enable more product launches of breakthrough materials with a higher standard of quality and repeatability. In 2023 Polymaker’s product launches will target four sectors: Firstly, as high-speed printing has become an emerging solution to bring 3D printing production mainstream, Polymaker plans to develop a brand-new product family focused purely on high speed 3D printing. Furthermore, a brand-new family of composite materials with high performance is on the schedule to deliver engineering plastics to desktop users. In the world of color, Polymaker will expand its current range introducing new colors not only in PLA but also in other trending materials, with more focus on unique colors / filler combinations. Finally, Polymaker will actively reach more end-users and iterate existing materials according to their needs, to continually improve the product offering and user experience.

Since its establishment, Polymaker strived to develop and manufacture diverse 3D printing materials and has maintained its position as the pinnacle of the extrusion-based 3D printing materials industry. While investing in R&D, the company has also done some eco-friendly work by changing the spool and outer package of all its products from plastic to recyclable cardboard in 2022 and cooperating with ONE-TREE-PLANTED to offset the carbon emissions generated by the manufacturing process of materials by planting trees. To date, more than 340,000 trees have been planted in 15 different regions spanning 6 continents and this cooperation has offset 6,800,000 Kg of Co2 in under 2 years with the trees set to continually offset Co2 for decades to come.

When it comes to product innovation in 2022, Polymaker introduced a number of breakthrough materials such as PolyMax™ PETG-ESD which is a perfect choice for applications in electronics industry by offering electrostatic dissipation through carbon nanotubes paired with tough PETG, a nylon material named PolyMide™ PA612-CF with excellent mechanical and thermal properties as well as good size stability for industrial and engineering tooling, automotive, and end-use industry, and PolySupport™ for PA12, an easy-to-use breakaway support material for long chain nylons, which have filled a gap in the market. At present, Polymaker products, including 3D printing filaments, 3D printing pellets and related hardware, can effectively cover all three-major application needs of consumer, professional & industrial and production.

This award is recognition of Polymaker’s continuous innovation and dedication to the 3D printing industry. Polymaker will stay focused on high-performance 3D printing materials and will keep delivering material solutions to help realize widespread end-use production of 3D printed parts. At the end of the day, it was Polymaker customers that participated in the 155,000 votes received by 3DPI. In a popularity contest against leading consumer brands such as: Prusament, Filamentum, and eSun, and in the race against chemical giants such as GE Additive and BASF, it was Polymaker who triumphed to claim Material Company of the Year.

Polymaker has participated Formnext Exhibition 2022 at the Frankfurt Messe during November 15th -18th. With Formnext 2022 back to 2019 levels of visitors it seemed like the show had more exhibitors than ever with tighter aisles. And this year marks the first time that more industrial companies has joint this exhibition.

Polymaker was very happy to be close to so many industry insiders and customers, and drew visitors into our booth with a number of exciting eye-catchers, including the vast array of colors displaying, the giant spool and so on. Let’s have a quick recap.

A world of color!

To display the vast array of new and existing colors available in the Polymaker range an Ice Cream table was set up at the front of the booth. Displaying 114 different color combinations ranging across the PolyLite™, PolyTerra™ and PolySmooth™ families. Passers-by couldn't help but stop and take a picture or pose with an ice cream in front of the Polymaker booth. All the cones for the ice creams were customised showing the type of filament that they held. The color, PolyTerra™ Wood Brown was the natural choice to print all the cones, bearing a striking resemblance to something edible!

Giant Spool!

Another main attraction to this year's booth was the GIANT 750kg PolyMax™ PLA spool. As people gazed across the hanging signs dangling from the Frankfurt Messe, one booth stood out from the rest, breaking the mold of monotonous branding with a creative model telling our visitors exactly what Polymaker were all about. The giant spool made it quite obvious that Polymaker is serious about 3D printing materials and what better filament to represent the brand other than PolyMax™ PLA, a best-seller in the European market. 

A great conversation starter for all visitors to the Polymaker booth, users who were already familiar with the brand and also new users. Josef Prusa, Joel Telling, Stefan Hermann and Sam Prentice all stopped by and were amazed by the giant spool. 

Other Eye Catchings

Other eye catching elements of the Polymaker booth featured a life sized Protoceratops skull printed in PolyLite™ Silk Bronze, and Planken Technik's electric Wakeboard printed in PolyMide™ PA6-CF on Polymaker's Application table at the front of the booth. Visitors could order a drink at the Polymaker bar underneath the 3D printed lamps in the new PETG Translucent colors to get a good view of the booth.

It was also worth mentioning that exhibitors in pellet printing and extrusion systems increased into a new level.  It seemed like more than ever the show floor was filled with robot arms, Additive/Subtractive systems, and large industrial printers. It is believed that the 3D industry will see a big increase in pellet business in 2023 and PolyCore™ is prepared to meet the needs of these industrial customers.

Polymaker will keep being committed to delivering our material solutions. See you next year in 2023 Formnext.

Thanks to your support, Polymaker has been nominated for Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing and Material Company of the Year by 3D Printing Industry Awards 2022.

3D Printing Industry Awards 2022 - Vote Now! - 3D Printing Industry

Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing

Since the launch of PolyTerra™ at the beginning of last year, our customers have planted over 340,000 trees by choosing to print with PolyTerra™ PLA over other materials. Polymaker pledged to create the most environmentally friendly 3D printing material which is materialized by offsetting Co2 in partnership with One-Tree-Planted. With trees planted in 15 different regions spanning 6 continents, PolyTerra™ customers provide benefit to their local region and One-Tree-Planted ensures the diversity of forest is populated with local species. To date, the PolyTerra™ program has offset 6,800,000 Kg of Co2 in under 2 years with the trees set to continually offset Co2 for decades to come.  It’s important to remember that the true benefits of trees and healthy forests go far beyond carbon storage. Their value for biodiversity, social impact, wellbeing and the stability of the global climate is well documented.

As for the material itself, PolyTerra™ PLA is a compound of PLA bio-plastic and bio-composite, containing less plastic to degrade and making the material more environmental friendly without affecting the printability. Now available in over 30 matte colors its clear to see why this 3D printing material is so popular and with its 100% recycled cardboard spool it’s hard to disagree.

Material Company of the Year

Polymaker strives to develop and manufacture diverse 3D printing materials providing our customers with the tools to push the boundaries on what’s conceivable. This year, Polymaker launched a number of new products, further diversifying the repertoire of the extrusion-based market. PolyMax™ PETG-ESD offers electrostatic dissipation through carbon nanotubes paired with tough PETG, making it perfect for applications in electronics industry. PolyMide™ PA612-CF, a nylon with excellent mechanical and thermal properties as well as good size stability, contribute to industrial and engineering tooling, automotive, and end-use industry. PolySupport™ for PA12 a breakaway support material for long chain nylons, 9 times out of 10 the quickest and easiest support removal choice is breakaway and Polymaker have filled a gap in the market with this easy to use product.

Diverse material families, a spectacular choice of colors, quick product iteration whilst maintaining the highest quality standards are just some of the reasons why customers choose Polymaker.

We would be honored with the recognition, so we ask for your vote!

3D Printing Industry Awards 2022 - Vote Now! - 3D Printing Industry

Polymaker has always been keen on participating in consumer-oriented 3D printing activities. Beyond all of the recent marketing projects and community development, Polymaker wanted to join a special event that would help connect with the 3D printing community: The East Coast RepRap Festival (#ERRF2022) was a perfect venue. 

 

During the two-day event (Oct 8-9), this year's ERRF gathered over 1800 community members to Bel Air Maryland to exchange new technologies and celebrate the diversity in the community. 

This year marks the first time since the pandemic breakout that EERF has resumed on-site exhibition. The organizer warmly invited companies and individuals to bring their 3D printers and projects, big or small, to share with the rest of the communities. One of the many activities of ERRF2022 was the DEATH RACER competition. The DEATH RACER is a small and powerful racing vehicle with a stick at the back, and the goal of this activity is to decapitate the opponent's racing vehicle, which will switch it off. The last survivor wins the game. It is worth mentioning that many racing cars are sponsored by Polymaker and printed with Polymaker materials.

The most exciting aspect is that the festival is less of a trade show but more of a community-empowered 3D printing networking event. We took this opportunity to showcase models with our new filaments and gathered industry enthusiasts' feedback. In addition, Polymaker was featured in a few Youtuber's ERRF recap video.

YouTube video

This year, over fifteen 3D printing filament brands participated in this festival, and Polymaker materials have a presence in almost all of the exhibiting booths! Polymaker will keep being open-minded and innovative. We welcome voices and insights from the community and are committed to delivering our material solution to Simply Creation.

Our long-term strategic partner and friend LulzBot has released the latest addition to their TAZ line of desktop 3D printers, the TAZ SideKick. This printer is available in two sizes and is designed to be highly configurable, so that customers can match their machine to their needs.

The LulzBot TAZ SideKick is now available in two build volumes and is the most affordable LulzBot to date. This highly configurable machine allows customers to build a personal desktop 3D printer comprised of all the features they want and need in their very own 3D printer.

The TAZ SideKick is faster, simpler, and ready to print out of the box with free software. This new printer allows users to select machine color and build volume along with adding other options now or later like build surface, electronics, and any of the LulzBot Universal Mount System Tool Heads.

One of the greatest features of this 3D printer is the self-replicating story which brought us back to the very first RepRap project: over 50% of the 3D printer is 3D printed with PolyLite™ PETG, in the constantly expanding LulzBot printer farm located in Fargo, North Dakota.

LulzBot is dedicated to open source, meaning users can easily and affordably replace any worn components by downloading the files from the LulzBot GitLab. In addition, all LulzBot 3D printers are built to last with quality components in Fargo, North Dakota, USA.

 

Learn more today at LulzBot.com

TAZ SideKick Ordering Information
The LulzBot TAZ SideKick is available for order immediately. To view the TAZ SideKick configurator, go to LulzBot.com/SideKick.

PolyLite™ PETG is an affordable PETG filament with balanced mechanical properties and ease of printing. PolyLite™ PETG is just as easy to print as our regular PLA (PolyLite™ PLA) while offering an additional 20˚C heat resistance and more durability. This lends PolyLite™ PETG to more functional applications where PLA would lack the durability or heat resistance such as lighting fixtures, vibrational parts or more functional product design prototypes which makes it a perfect choice to print TAZ SideKick functional parts.

PolyLite™ PETG is available for customers in 12 colors in 1kg spool, and 2 diameters (1.75 mm & 2.85 mm). PolyLite™ PETG can be purchased from

Our website: www.polymaker.com
Amazon: Polymaker PETG Filament
Resellers: Find your nearest reseller here

Polymaker rises to the top to take home the Creative Application Award at this year's TCT360 exhibition in Birmingham, UK. The LEGO Go-Kart created by Matt Denton in partnership with Polymaker impressed this year's judges and was a crowd favourite at the award ceremony, gaining lots of cheers even before the winner was announced. The Creative Application Finalist selection was filled with some fierce competition such as: Stratasys, BMW, Shapeways, Ricoh 3D and Gravity Industries among many other impressive projects.

Polymaker win 2022 Creative Application Award

The first fully-electric ridable giant LEGO Go-Kart from Matt Denton. Scaled up 3D printed LEGO blocks printed on desktop FFF printers assembled into a fully working electric Go- Kart.

While the aesthetics of the Go-Kart are inspired by the LEGO Technics kits #1972 released in 1985. It was the electrification that created a challenge that required an original solution to a design that was not intended for human transportation. The use of desktop 3D printing enabled Matt to print all the bricks needed to assemble the Go-Kart with only a few non-3D printed parts, such as motors, brakes, and electronics. The end result is something that looks like it shouldn't drive, but when it does it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Matt Denton and the LEGO Go-Kart

The realisation that a fully functional Go-Kart can be 3D printed on your desktop and assembled with parts you can buy online will inspire people to think inside the blocks. Creativity can be applied to old concepts the same as new.

Absolutely everyone loves it, Matt has brought a childhood toy to life like something out of a pixar movie. Even the folks at LEGO spoke to Matt saying they love what he's doing. Matt displayed the Go-Kart on the Polymaker booth at FormNext 2021, the crowd response has been overwhelmingly positive with many people stopping to take pictures and ask Matt questions. Matt's YouTube videos have gained over 1.8 million views related to the Go-Kart project.

Sjoerd & Gisela collect the Creative Application Award at the TCT award ceremony

All materials for the Go-Kart were supplied by Polymaker. Matt choose a wide range of filaments as the material needs differed from brick to brick. The chassis bricks were printed in PolyMax™ Tough PLA, the gears in PolyMax™ Tough PETG, the axles in PolyMax™ Tough PC, the tyres in PolyFlex™ TPU95. Finally, PolyLite™ PLA was used for some cosmetics parts. The combination of materials allowed Matt to take advantage of the mechanical properties of a wide range of filaments which were all compatible with his desktop printing setup.

Matt with all the 3D printed LEGO bricks

3D printing is the only way to create this Go-Kart. Even if you paid the ludicrous amount of money for the tooling of these giant blocks, a solid injection moulded brick would be too heavy. 3D printing allowed Matt to have a number of slight variations to the bricks so that they could hide bearings or route cables without spoiling the aesthetic. With a desktop 3D printer over 95% of all the parts were printed at home by Matt on a 300mm x 300mm x 300mm print bed.

Electric vehicles are the way forward as we reduce our carbon emissions. Showing people that they can print their own vehicles at home reduces heavy emitting big industry and localizes manufacturing. This, in turn, eliminates the need to ship products around the globe further reducing emissions. 3D printing gives the ability to manufacture locally and this project is a great example of what can be achieved with inexpensive desktop 3D printers at home in your bedroom.

The classic design touches a special place in our younger hearts, reminding us of a simpler time when our creativity could run free. Everyone who played with LEGO when they were a child is instantly reminded of the familiarity of this project. A large scale model on its own would still invoke this feeling, but the fact that this isn't just a model, its a rideable electric vehicle which adds even more charm to the project.

Just as the original technics kit from 1985 inspired Matt to take up engineering. He now hopes that this new generation armed with 3D printers can realize their potential by following in Matt's footsteps. The ability to design and customize parts enabled Matt to create the Go-Kart without spoiling the LEGO aesthetic. Matt's videos break down the individual parts and he explains the design choices he made. With over 20 years working in the special effects industry for TV & Film, Matt's experience paired with a fun project provides an engaging educational and problem-solving demonstration.

Matt has already posted his next video which involves some PolyMax™ PC drifting sleeves. The 3D printed sleeves will fit over the rear tyres greatly reducing the grip that the PolyFlex™ TPU95 provides, instead, the rear wheels can spin with less friction allowing Matt to drift the Go-Kart around.

Matt will reprint the PolyMax™ PETG gears to give a higher speed ratio necessary for drifting.

Wear Damage on the PolyMax™ PC drifting sleeves after intense usePoly

Rapid TCT, the largest and most influential Additive Manufacturing event in North America held in Detroit, MI, from May 17-19, 2022. During the exhibition, cutting-edge 3D technologies, hands-on exhibits, and real-world additive manufacturing solutions are showcased by thousands of advanced industry manufacturers, Polymaker is one of them.

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printing materials committed to innovation, quality, and sustainability. Its award-winning product portfolio has enabled numerous individuals and companies to better create and make. Headquartered in Changshu, China, Polymaker has multiple office locations in Shanghai, Utrecht, and Houston ready to serve customers across the globe.

The renowned exhibition sites

Detroit, MI, famously known as Motor City and the hub for automotive research & development with the 'big three' US car manufacturers headquartered there. Symbolizes the manufacturing trend, this city is the landmark of old and new industry progressions.

For Polymaker it was the flagship show in the North America regions with a 10ft x 20ft booth displaying the latest advancements in extrusion-based technology for the 3D printing industry.

Take a tour of the booth

What meet the eye first was the exhibition background wall that displayed perfect winding filament products with fully recycled cardboard spools. At the left part of the wall, the image of four regional offices unfolded Polymaker’s marketing road. Shanghai, Suzhou, Utrecht, and Houston, this 3D printing material provider has established footprint in three continents and offer international services to meet demands from all corners of the world.

The spool wall at the back of the booth displayed the full range of Polymaker filaments all perfectly wound on recycled cardboard spools.

At the front of the booth sat four 3D-printed violins created by the talented designer and musician David Perry from OpenFab PDX. The four brightly colored violins attracted many budding musicians who took turns picking, tuning, and playing the printed instruments throughout the show.

As a showpiece model front and center in the booth, the violin itself is the collection of Polymaker’s full range of PLA products with PolyTerra™ PLA, PolyTerra™ PLA+, PolyLite™ PLA, PolyLite™ PLA Pro & PolyMax™ PLA all being featured in the different parts of the instrument.

A PolyCore™ ASA-3012 printed chair showed off the pellet opportunities that Polymaker offers in the PolyCore™ Range.

Visitors are enjoying a game of Penguin Peril on the interactive PolyTerra™ PLA table at the front of the booth.

The show offers a delightful time for visitors to get into deeper touch with Polymaker product portfolios, through those distinctive and practical utility shown cases, Polymaker has grown to be one of the most reliable material options for 3D printing market newcomers.

In recent years, Polymaker continues to lead the way in the material sector as the only dedicated, non-chemical giant supplier, still representing regularly at trade shows. This positioning further cements the core values at the heart of Polymaker, which have driven the company to its current status as a market leader in additive materials.

Thanks for the support from all our partners and visitors.

The annual grand feast of the additive manufacturing industry is approaching. Come and meet us at RAPID+TCT 2022 on May 17th – 19th!

RAPID+TCT, the predominant additive manufacturing event in North America, has always been seen as a sign of promoting advancing industrial manufacturing solutions and empowering innovative manufacturing enterprises in a better place to stand firm. Polymaker is going to meet everyone and present latest outcomes here.

During these post-pandemic times, Polymaker has immersed itself in the development of high-performance 3D printing materials to ignite diversified printing ideas and enrich numerous product application channels.

What to expect?

 

PRODUCTS

Polymaker is happy to announce that the popular PolyLite™ and PolyTerra™ family has ushered in their new members --- PolyTerra™ PLA+, PolyLite™ LW-PLA, Polylite™ PETG-ESD.

The comparison among five PLA products including PolyLite™ PLA, PolyLite™ PLA Pro, PolyMax™ PLA, PolyTerra™ PLA, PolyTerra™ PLA + will be introduced on-site through 3D printed violins and technical documents for public in-depth understanding.

Polymaker has collaborated with one skillful mechanical designer, David Perry, in printing 3D-printed violins that are applicable for artistic appreciation and actual usage. David combines his lifelong love of the violin with advanced engineering tools and techniques to make 3D-printed violins. Those finely crafted violins are waiting for their admirers.

In the industrial product lines, the popular PolyCast™ will be exhibited to show how this special material contributes to metal casting and cuts down the cost and lead time by eliminating the tooling process. What’s more, the pellet product, PolyCore™, which is designed specifically for large-scale additive manufacture will be introduced to all through actual research and applications.

Moreover, the entire product portfolio will be presented on this site, and various kinds of products featuring sustainability, performance, and aesthetic pursuits are free to choose from.

INTERACTIVE AREA

In Polymaker’s booth offers Penguin perils to knock down, Tippi tree to build up, and some puzzle games to match with. It is wonderful to enjoy some lighthearted times through those games and lay down burdens in daily work. Polymaker’s members are there for any inquiries.

Come to Booth 3320 and get acquainted with Polymaker’s team members. Polymaker welcomes you to join and share suggestions with us!

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

JOIN POLYMAKER PRINT-IN-PLACE CONTEST

Polymaker challenges your printing skills with the Print-in-Place 3D print contest 

Win MANY AMAZING FILAMENTS by sharing with us your prints!  #polymakerprintinplace 

The 20 submissions with the most likes on the Polymaker Instagram page (as of March 31st) will be the winners 

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE 

Step 1: Print an articulated model (Known also as Print-in-Place 3D models with moving parts). It can be your own design or your favorite one from the 3D printing community. Print it using any Polymaker material from our portfolio.  

 

Step 2: Take some original, creative, fun pictures of your model. 

 

Step 3: Share your favorite pictures of the print-in-place print on this form: https://forms.gle/Vzq6BmLY6HsK53dz8  

PRINT DETAILS  

Print-in-Place 3D models must be printed in any Polymaker material  

Print must be articulated meaning it should be more than one-piece and movable pieces (See examples on the banner above) 

Can be printed in one single print or assembled  

More than one material in the same print is allowed 

Details can be hand painted 

 

JUDGING 

Polymaker will receive all the entries through the linked google form:  

https://forms.gle/Vzq6BmLY6HsK53dz8  

The entry period will last 14 days and goes from   

Monday 14th of March 2022 until Sunday 27th of March 2022 11:59pm EST.  

 

All entries will be published and collecting likes on Polymaker Public Instagram @polymaker_3d. Publications will start with the first entry and last publication will be made on the 28th of March 2022 

 

The 20 submissions with the most likes on the Polymaker Instagram page (as of March 31st) will be the winners.  

The ranking of the winner will be set by the most likes to the least. 

Every entry can contain from 1 to 3 pictures.  

PRIZES
Grand prize: 5 spools of your choice
2nd place: 4 spools of your choice
3rd place: 3 spools of your choice
4th to 10th: 2 spools of your choice
11th to 20th: 1 spool of your choice

The competition will close at Midnight (EST) on the 31st of March, and we will be announcing the winner the following day!
Follow @polymaker_3d to follow the contest and check out all the entries!

NOTE
For any questions or issues creating your entry, you can contact [email protected]

All participants of this contest are eligible for a 10% coupon at us.polymaker.com

A coupon code will be sent out via email when winners are announced on March 31st, 2022

OFFICIAL RULES

  1. Eligibility: Polymaker Print-in-Place contest is open to the legal residents worldwide and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of Polymaker (the "Sponsor") are not eligible to participate in the contest.
  2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, you agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein. In addition, you agree to accept the decisions of Polymaker, as final and binding as it relates to the content.
  3. Polymaker Print-in-Place contest period: Entries will be accepted online starting on 03/14/2022 at 12:00 am and ending 03/27/2022 at 11:59 pm. All online entries must be received by 03/27/2022 at 11:59 pm. All times are EST. All entries will be published by 03/28/2022. Entries will be collecting likes until 03/31/2022 at 11:59 pm.
  4. How to Enter: The Polymaker print-in-place contest must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided on this site. The entry must fulfill all contest requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Polymaker. You may enter only once, and you must fill in the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple e-mail addresses, identities, or devices to circumvent the rules.
  5. Prizes: The approximate retail value of all prizes is 1000USD. The prizes are: 36 spools of Polymaker materials. You are not guaranteed to win a prize and your chance of winning is dependent on the total number of eligible entries received. Actual/appraised value may differ at the time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor. No cash or other prize substitution permitted except at Sponsor's discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and local taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by winners is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Polymaker to use the winner's name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
  6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of likes your picture receive in Polymaker Instagram account.
  7. Winner selection and notification: Winners of the Polymaker print-in-place contest will be selected by the Sponsor according to the number of likes of the entries published on Polymaker Instagram account. Winners will be notified via e-mail to the e-mail address they entered the contest with within five (5) days following the winner selection. Polymaker shall have no liability for a winner's failure to receive notices due to winners' spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winners' provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 15 days (about 2 weeks) from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prize may be forfeited, and an alternate winner selected. The receipt by the winner of the prize offered in this contest is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY ANY WINNER (AT SPONSOR'S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH WINNER'S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE CONTEST AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.
  8. Rights Granted by you: By entering this content you understand that Polymaker, anyone acting on behalf of Polymaker, or its respective licensees, successors and assigns will have the right, where permitted by law, without any further notice, review or consent to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter in perpetuity and throughout the World, your entry, including, without limitation, the entry and winner's name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or statements about the contest, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without any further compensation.
  9. Terms: Polymaker reserves the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. In such case, Polymaker may select the recipients from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Polymaker. Polymaker reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the contest or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.
  10. Polymaker has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the contest, to void votes for any reason, including, but not limited to; multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer more than that allowed by Polymaker rules; or the use of bots, macros or scripts or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Polymaker reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  11. Limitation of Liability: By entering you agree to release and hold harmless Polymaker and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) such entrant's participation in the contest and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.
  12. www.polymaker.comPrivacy Policy: Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on the Polymaker Website. Read the Privacy Policy here:
  13. Winners List: For the names of the winners, please contact us at [email protected] and in the body of the email type 'Please e-mail me the winners list for the Polymaker print-in-place contest '.
  14. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this contest and not to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google.

Polymaker does not oblige participants to purchase any products. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER

In recent decades, the rising trend of the green economy has swirled through the global market.

Polymaker, as one of the leading 3D printing companies, has put its efforts into upgrading materials and sustainable development.

Polymaker is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printing materials committed to innovation, quality, and sustainability. Its award-winning product portfolio has enabled numerous individuals and companies to better create and make. Headquartered in Changshu, China, Polymaker has multiple office locations in Shanghai, Utrecht, and Houston ready to serve customers across the globe.

Global plastic waste status in the last three years

In September 2021, global plastic waste has risen up to 75.9% of the entire plastic consumption. In 2019, the global plastic production amount was 368 million metric tons and after one year, this amount has increased by 3.5 percent in terms of the compound annual growth rate. The sum is approximately equal to the total weight of the earth's population. Among this, up to 50% of plastic is for single use and is disposed of immediately after use.

Approximately 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic were discarded as waste, of which around 79% has accumulated in landfills, 12% was incinerated, and 9% recycled. Only 1% of all plastic has ever been recycled more than once.

Now let’s take a look at how Polymaker has contributed to the eco-friendlier road in the past year. Polymaker has led several steps in reducing carbon footprint following four key developments.

 Curbing plastic contamination, Polymaker launched bioplastic filament PolyTerra™ PLA

Detached from the traditional petroleum-based raw materials, Polymaker has developed the bio compound 3D printing filament PolyTerra™ PLA and launched in February 2021. PolyTerra™ PLA, extracted from plant photosynthesis, combines PLA bioplastic and biocomposite into one 3D printing filament. Compared with its petroleum-based counterparts, this filament is bio-based. The petroleum-based filament used to be the ideal choice for common 3D printing users due to its wide applicability. However, the old petroleum-based system is facing a turning point now, people no longer seek after unsustainable and limited resources, on the contrary, more environmentally adaptable bio-based ones are more attractive to them. PolyTerra™ PLA produces less carbon footprint than ordinary petroleum-based counterparts in the manufacturing process. PolyTerra™ PLA is also well-known for its biodegradability to which extensive independent reports have been created. Petroleum-based material needs a much longer time than bio-based filament in terms of decomposing. Unnecessary prints could be thrown away and normally end up in the landfill which takes thousands of years in natural degradation. PolyTerra™ PLA decomposing takes a much shorter time than that.

PolyTerra™ PLA is not only fashioned for its bio-compound nature but also the adoption of 100% cardboard spool has accelerated its circulation. The similarity between PolyTerra™ PLA and its outer packaging can be assorted into their decomposability. Under the right conditions, microorganisms and other substances decompose paper fibers from the cardboard packaging and return all organic elements to earth.

 Altering plastic mainstream position, Polymaker transitions all plastic spools to 100% recycled cardboard spools

As the initial bio-product of Polymaker, PolyTerra™ PLA is the inspiration of another movement. The success of PolyTerra™ PLA led to the transformation of cardboard spools. Polymaker decided to enlarge the scale of cardboard spool manufacturing. Now the company is gradually replacing all plastic spools with 100% recycled cardboard spools.

Cardboard spool combines many meaningful elements in its design process. Apart from the new cardboard spool’s recycled nature, the entire part of which is available for generic paper recycling. For example, the empty spool can easily be ripped apart into two cardboard faces and a cardboard tube. Then, the old paper information sheet has been replaced by the product QR code. Via scanning it, customers can easily get all product info such as printing profiles, TDS, SDS…. By doing so, a large amount of paper consumption has been saved.  In the meantime, the simplification of outer packaging reduces the carbon footprint emission in manufacturing.

 Reducing carbon footprint, the initiation of PolyTerra™ PLA One Tree Planted program maintains ecological balance

With the launch of PolyTerra™ PLA, Polymaker announced a partnership with One Tree Planted in conducting the reforestation plan. For every spool of PolyTerra™ PLA sold, One Tree Planted, a non-profit planting organization will plant a tree local to where one spool sold. Up to now, over 140 thousand various types of trees have taken deep roots in several continents including Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and other regions. According to data shown on One Tree Planted, a sapling will need 5-10 years to reach its maturity and one mature tree can absorb an average of 22lbs of carbon dioxide per year. Therefore, within one year, Polymaker and its PolyTerra™ PLA customers will effectively remove over 2.2 million lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The growing plantation of trees will suck in greenhouse gases and cool the earth's temperature in the long run. As natural friends of mankind, trees work as the perfect purifier of air and water and provide habitat for more than 80% of terrestrial animals.

 Cutting plastic waste, Polymaker develops 3D printing filament Polymaker™ PC-r through recycled waste plastics.

Moreover, Polymaker combines ecosystem protection with the recycling of plastic products.

Based on the conception of recycling discarded plastic, Polymaker collaborated with Covestro, a globally leading material supplier, in developing a polycarbonate filament for 3D printing. This material is named Polymaker™ PC-r, which selected raw materials on 19-liter bottles from Chinese water supplier Nongfu Spring. These discarded water bottles contain polycarbonate in a fairly pure form. Covestro blends the plastic waste with virgin material to yield a polycarbonate base that can extrude into filaments for use in electronics automotive and other industries. Compared to virgin material, filaments using recycled material have more advantages. Firstly, it produces a lower carbon footprint. The single-sourced material also eliminates the need for prior plastic sorting and identification that save manual labor hours. Secondly, the abundant source of raw materials comes from mineral water buckets that have high purity can be recycled cost-effectively. The above elements demonstrate the economic value of this technology upgrading, while at the same time, the development of Polymaker™ PC-r also stands up to the test of marketing requirements. By combining 3D printing technology in industrial production, Polymaker™ PC-r can provide strong support for brands looking to build sustainable supply chains. Endured with relevant professional tests such as blue Angel and EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), this filament’s durability has met up to the production requirements of specific industries. Thus, it applies to various demands.

Polymaker is working on

more substantial solutions on ecosystem preservation and sustainable development and will move forward on optimizing production lines and developing sustainable products, that is the multi-year plan for all.

Ethentic and Polymaker are proud to announce their partnership today.

Ethentic will exclusively use Polymaker’s PolyTerra filament for the premiering run of its 3D-printed collectibles. Generative artpieces will be created with an algorithm inspired by the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO site in Northern Ireland, and printed in beautiful pastel colors.

NFTs, Physicals and Climate Impact

Over the last year or so NFTs have exploded in popularity, with celebrities and prominent collectors of all stripes purchasing over $2.5 billion of these tokens in the first half of 2021 alone.

The popular adoption of this new technology has prompted some to discuss the ethics of this trend, specifically with regard to its impact on climate change through carbon emissions indirectly emitted through blockchain mining.

Given Ethentic’s goal to distribute free 3D prints of every generative art piece on their platform, it is doubly important for the project to monitor its environmental impact. That is why, among other carbon offsetting goals, Ethentic chose to partner with Polymaker and exclusively use their PolyTerra bioplastic filament.

PolyTerra is leading the pack in terms of compostability of PLA filaments, meaning Ethentic prints will inherit this environmentally friendly quality as they are created. Furthermore, Polymaker’s partnership with OneTreePlanted results in one new tree being planted per spool of filament, with over 130,000 trees planted to date. The breakdown of this carbon negativity is detailed here.

The Genesis Collection

The genesis collection on Ethentic - The Causeways - consists of 2500 pieces. Each owner of an Ethentic art piece gets membership benefits as the community grows, including but not limited to: exclusive minting opportunities, automatic whitelisting, and insider access to future products developed by the team.

Check out the Ethentic Twitter and Discord chat for information on how to participate in the upcoming sale, and join us as a founding member of the Web3D initiative.

AMESOS and Polymaker announced today a strategic partnership to co-develop high-speed fused filament fabrication (FFF) based 3D printing solutions.

Polymaker is a well-known name in the 3D printing industry – the Shanghai-based company develops and manufactures a large variety of materials for material-extrusion based 3D printing. Their products have won multiple awards and are widely used by a large spectrum of professional and industrial users. AMESOS, on the other hand, was formed recently as a spin-off of Akribis Systems, a Singapore-based, global leader in direct drive motors and motion control technologies founded in 2004. Despite being a new entrant, the teams at AMESOS and Akribis have been working on 3D printing for the last 5 years. The deep technical capabilities in motor design and motion control from Akribis allowed the team to design 3D printing systems in ways that are very different from the status-quo.

It is widely known that speed is a key bottle neck for FFF based 3D printing. It is a major barrier to the wider adoption of the technology, particularly in series production applications. Despite this industry consensus, progress in improving the printing speed of FFF has been rather limited over the years. The key reason for the lack of progress, is that the problem is intrinsically hard. It requires multiple domains of technical expertise working in a concerted effort.

“We started by trying to solve the problem alone,” says Tommy Huang, the Co-Founder of AMESOS, “but very soon we realized we are only part of the solution and desperately need many other areas of expertise.”

“The process complexity of FFF 3D printing is orders of magnitude higher than traditional polymer processing technologies,” says Dr. Xiaofan Luo, President of Polymaker, “therefore to really tackle this problem we need some major paradigm shift in the R&D process.”

The goal of this partnership between AMESOS and Polymaker is to co-develop a high-speed FFF based 3D printing solution, which they call “FFF 2.0”. “We will take a process-centric and bottom-up approach,” Xiaofan explains, “we will start with studying and defining the process, which then guides the printer design and material development, not the other way around. And this is very different from how R&D is done today in many printer and material companies.”

To tackle the process complexity, Polymaker will also bring in Helio Additive, a new startup company which Polymaker helped co-found. Helio Additive is developing a unique software solution that combines physics-based simulation and data science to guide the development and optimization of printing processes. Helio’s software tool will be a vital part to the success of this partnership.

“We have already seen some promising preliminary results that have proved the viability and effectiveness of our partnership model.” Says Tommy, referring to the Blade 1 system, the first-generation 3D printing system AMESOS will introduce to the market later this quarter. Initial results show a consistent, over 60% reduction in printing times over existing FFF printers. This is achieved with no compromise in the overall printing quality. Furthermore, with the custom developed material by Polymaker, the mechanical properties are on par or even higher under high-speed printing.

“What we want is to achieve consistent high-speed printing without sacrificing part quality or properties,” says Tommy, “this is very different from some false claims you see in the industry – yes you can print faster but this comes with other, unspoken compromises. What we want is true speed improvement.”

“AMESOS and Polymaker have a shared vision about the future of FFF in series production,” says Xiaofan, “we are still in the beginning and there is huge, untapped potential to be explored.”

AMESOS and Polymaker are currently working on a multi-year technical roadmap. Their ultimate goal is to make FFF based 3D printing a competitive, widely adopted production technology.

About AMESOS

The Amesos team encompasses strong knowledge and experience in precision equipment design, hardware, software, processing parameter and industrial applications. Core knowhow in motion control and direct drive enable Blade Series to manifest both speed and precision at the same time. With global offices in Singapore, China, USA, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, synergy with strategic partners, Amesos can offer a “FFF 2.0” turn-key solution in series production applications, focus on semiconductor, robot, auto, defense, aerospace, health care, energy and other industries.

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printing materials committed to innovation, quality and sustainability. Its award-winning product portfolio has enabled numerous individuals and companies to better create and make. Headquartered in Changshu, China, Polymaker has multiple office locations in Shanghai, Utrecht and Houston ready to serve customers across the globe.

Polymaker recently worked with 3DQue Systems, a company that retrofits existing 3D printers for hands-free part removal and high-volume production. They are the first company who use PolyCast™ as support to print metal parts and automate this process with the Ultimaker S5.

Quinly automation system

3DQue’s automation system, Quinly, is a virtual printer operator, that can be installed on Raspberry PI and connected to 3D printers. When installed, Quinly can queue preloaded Gcodes, auto-level, execute part removal after a print job is completed, and start the next print job. 3DQue designed its VAAPRTM print bed that provides 500x adhesion when heated and allows easy release when cooled, without additional adhesives. Automated part removal is achieved using a gravity-assisted mechanism: Quinly incorporates a mechanical motion of the printer head/bed, to sweep off printed part, before starting the next print job. Quinly also provides real-time data, failure notification, and Livestream access to the print. By eliminating a significant portion of the manual tasks in a print job (filament still needs to be changed manually), Quinly reduces per part cost by 80%.

Fig (1) Quinly equipped Ultimaker

PolyCast™: Easily Removable

In this specific case, 3DQue automated metal 3D printing in a new and innovative way: Metal and PolyCast™ filament are extruded into build and support structures using a dual-head printer. PolyCast™ filament served as an effective raft material and was fully compatible with Quinly’s VAAPR™ surface. The printed rafts had excellent bed adhesion at 60°C and were fully released at 35°C. This allowed all parts to be autonomously removed from the printer via the wiper arm mechanism included in the Quinly for Ultimaker S5 automation system. The printer required only 10 minutes to cool and clear the print bed between print jobs.

Among a few other support materials 3DQue evaluated, PolyCast™ stood out for its performance in clean removal.

Fig (2) Flow chart for using Polycast™ as a support for metal prints before sintering

PolyCast™: Ash-Free

And then, printed parts were sintered with the rafts and supports in place. The PolyCast™ filament was burned away, leaving only 0.003% residue. Sintering without a raft was tested as well: the PolyCast™ rafts did not fuse with the metal filament and were easily removed by hand.

PolyCast™ is a PVB-based material designed for metal investment casting. It shares a similar formulation with the well-known PolySmooth™ and comes with ash-free technology that enables clean removal. PolyCast™ is also safe and easy to post-process. It is smoothable with IPA in Polysher™, or similar tools.

Fig (3) Ash content comparison between with Ash-Free and without Ash-Free

PolyCast™ rafts make Quinly fitted Ultimaker printers compatible with many metal filaments on the market. The raft easily slides off the bed once cooled, making metal filament bed adhesion issues a thing of the past.

Fig (4) Part with PolyCast™ support before removing Polycast™

Demonstrated by 3Qque, PolyCast opens a potential avenue to mainstream manufacturing processes of metal parts. Beyond investment casting, in which PolyCast has gained significant attention, this case study brings an inspiring application of PolyCast. Due to the clean burnout nature of PolyCast, complex geometry in metal part fabrication is made possible by printing the PolyCast filament as support to the metal filament.

What’s more? Automation of the printing and part harvesting, enabled by systems such as Quinly, could make high-volume complex metal part production feasible and economically competitive.

Polymaker recently announced the official completion to a round of funding that garnered them over 100 million CNY in investments led by IDG Capital, a leading global VC firm, followed by Sharelink Capital, Skytrace Capital, and Suzhou TechWisdom Capital.

Polymaker is a 3D printing company committed to developing new material technologies to drive in-depth applications of 3D printing in various industries. They are widely recognized as a top innovator and supplier of material extrusion-based 3D printing materials, with their products being used all over the world in a large variety of fields including automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, medical devices, and consumer products.

Since its founding, Polymaker has constantly been making technical innovations with its R&D processes. In 2017, Polymaker was awarded the Material Technology Innovation Award by TCT, a world’s leading authority in additive manufacturing, as well as the Material Company of The Year Award by 3D Printing Industry, a top online media company and long-time industry observer in 3D printing. In the same year, the company launched a new product family, Polymaker Industrial, to further refine its positioning in the industrial market. In 2019, Polymaker successively launched a series of high-performance 3D printing filaments covering a wide variety of engineering materials including Nylon, polycarbonate, and fiber-reinforced composites. At the same time that pellets were gaining popularity with large-scale construction and manufacturing industries, PolyCore™, a new family of pellet-based 3D printing materials developed by Polymaker, was successfully used for the construction of three 3D printed landscape bridges in Shanghai, Quanzhou, and Chengdu. In 2020, Polymaker received the highly prestigious Ernst & Young-Fudan China’s Most Promising Enterprise Award.

Polymaker actively participates in top exhibitions for additive manufacturing in China and abroad, including TCT, Rapid Show, and Formnext, for promoting cooperation with other industries while improving its brand awareness.

Figure 1:The world's first 3D printed production car by XEV using Polymaker materials

Figure 2:3D-Printed Pavillion by JZ3D using Polymaker materials

Figure 3:Polymaker exhibit - 3D Printed Jewelry (Designer: Laura Jonas)

Figure 4:Polymaker exhibit - 3D Printed Vase

Polymaker is about to enter its tenth year in the 3D printing industry, and this new round of funding will be used to expand the team, product R&D, and production capacity. By creating a comprehensive and innovative R&D methodology, they aim to meet the growing market demand for diverse, high-performance materials through material innovation, production optimization, and product standardization.

Figure 1:One of the 3D printed Landscape Bridges by Polymaker in cooperation with Shanghai Construction Group and Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd

Figure 2:Metal parts produced with Polymaker's PolyCast material (credit: LulzBot)

Figure 3:Full electric superbike by Sarolea using multiple 3D printed parts, such as the battery housing, and air ducts made by Polymaker materials

Dr. Luo Xiaofan, the CEO of Polymaker, said “IDG is a great company that has helped reshape many industries, and we are excited to enter this partnership with IDG. I look forward to further driving the development of 3D printing to penetrate more industries.”

Wang Xin, partner of IDG capital, said “As an emerging industry, 3D printing is developing rapidly and constantly realizing breakthrough applications for traditional industries. Polymaker is currently focused not only on the production of 3D printing materials, but also the application of 3D printing materials in various industrial fields. IDG capital is confident and excited about Polymaker’s future with its core technologies and R&D capabilities, rapidly expanding market shares, and exploration of applications for various 3D printing technologies in the industrial sector. We look forward to seeing Polymaker’s innovations reshaping traditional manufacturing in the near future.”

Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation (WPCC) is one of the leading investment casting companies that are using Ultimaker printers in combination with Polymaker filaments. WPCC has been using 3D printing for over 30 plus years. The use of printed patterns for prototype investment castings has become recognized by the industry but is yet used for massive production.PolyCast™, due to its dimension stability, print consistency, ability to polish, and low-ash feature, allowed them to streamline the investment casting process and significantly cut cost. Prior to usingPolyCast™, WPCC used several different methods including other forms of 3D printing, and wax injection to create customized patterns. They turned to Polycast in 2019 along with collaborating with Ultimaker printers.

PolyCast™ is a PVB-based material designed for metal investment casting. It shares a similar formulation with the well-known PolySmooth™ and comes with ash-free technology that enables clean burnout. PolyCast™ leaves an ash residue less than 0.003% after the burnout process operated at 600°C. PolyCast™  is also safe and easy to post-process. It is smoothable with IPA in PolySher™ or similar tools.

Figure(1) Comparison of ash content between with and without Ash-Free™

PolyCast™  is formulated to maintain excellent printability. By simply replacing the wax molding with PolyCast™ 3D printing, one could perform the rest of the investment casting process seamlessly. The nature of 3D printing, however, enables customization and iteration and significantly cuts down both the cost and lead time by eliminating the tooling process. The overall process of investment casting enabled by PolyCast™  is similar to the original process.

Figure(2) Flow chart of PolyCast™ in industrial investment casting

For example, WPCC found that it cost only $0.696 per cubic inch if PolyCast™  is used. It is less than one-third of the cost of the other pattern fabrication methods. During the testing process, they found that PolyCast™ -enabled process,

Figure(3) printing and casting parts from WPCC

Wisconsin Precision has used printed patterns for many years to create a prototype and low volume production castings. It is a key element of WPCC’s business strategy to provide rapid prototype investment castings for R&D projects and to acquire new customers.

Visit Polymaker at the Formnext 2021!

Hall 12.1, booth E119

Polymaker™ will be attending Formnext 2021 from 16th - 19th of November at the Messe Frankfurt.

Time:

Tuesday November 16 09:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday November 17 09:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday November 18 09:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday November 19 09:00 am – 4:00 pm

 

What to expect?

Polymaker has been attending Formnext since 2016. As the leading industry platform for additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing, Formnext is the international meeting point for the next generation of intelligent industrial production. Check out our newest developments and come see our improved cardboard spool and new packaging for 2022!

Polymaker will showcase various models printed with our different filaments covering a wide range of additive manufacturing case studies: from artwork to real production of functional parts.

Come and meet Matt Denton, the creator of Star Wars droid and the XXL lego kart. Matt Denton is a British Animatronics Engineer who has made robots for "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," and "Jurassic World." His models printed with Polymaker materials and showcased at the Polymaker booth during the Formnext Exhibition include LEGO Bulldozer, LEGO Tractor, LEGO Go-Kart and Star Wars D-O Droid.

You can directly connect with our team members on-site. You will hear stories of how hobbyists and professionals are using Polymaker products. We will also discover future plans for 2022!

We are looking forward to seeing you in Hall 12.1 stand number: E119!

The TJU Racing Team(Tongji University Racing Team) successfully announced their new racing car model, the TR21, at the 2021 New Car Model Public Announcement on October 12, 2021, in the 101 Lecture Hall of Jiren Building, Jiading Campus.

Polymaker participated in the event as one of the sponsors, and Cui Yue, a professional racer in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, was invited to drive the TR21.

Picture 1 | Polymaker Attended the 2021 New Car Model Public Announcement of TJU Racing Team

The TR21 is the 14th racing car independently designed and manufactured by the TJU Racing Team. The new model achieves significant innovations over previous models, oftentimes by using Polymaker’s 3D printing materials.

Picture 2 | Picture Stripes of TR21 Public Announcement

Strong Power Core

With the Triumph 675 3-cylinder engine as its power core, the TR21 uses a dry lubrication system, dual-cycle cooling system, and a more stable fuel supply system. The model is also equipped with a pure titanium exhaust muffler and hollow titanium alloy half-axles to reduce weight more efficiently. Having the power core and newly developed variable intake system work together heightens the performance of each part even further.

New Body Structure

The TR21 adopts the body structure of a full monocoque, replacing the former structure of a mono-frame. The carbon fiber layer, aluminum honeycomb panels, and PMI foam are used to provide higher strength and torsional stiffness while also keeping the body lightweight to ensure ideal weight distribution. Key parts of the body, like monocoque inserts and aerodynamic wing ribs, use PolyMide™ CoPA from Polymaker as the base material to give the parts structural stiffness.

Picture 3 | 3D-printed Front Wing Rib using PolyMide™ CoPA

The PolyMide™ product series are 3D printing filaments developed from Nylon. By adopting Polymaker’s patented Warp-Free™ technology, PolyMide™ products not only have the same engineering performance as typical Nylon materials but are also easy to print with a minimum size limit. PolyMide™ CoPA was developed from a copolymer of Nylon-6 and Nylon-6,6, a material with balanced mechanical strength and toughness. Along with the good printability, this material gives dimensional stability with its temperature resistance up to 180˚C, making PolyMide™ CoPA an ideal material for parts like gears, engine mounts, pipe connectors, and high-speed airflow pipes that are used in harsh environments.

Picture 4 | Main Characteristics and Material Properties of PolyMide™ CoPA

Innovative Aerodynamic Devices Design

The upgraded body and aerodynamic devices of the TR21 are some of its biggest highlights. Aerodynamics, which dominates the car’s design, has always been the ultimate goal for the TJU Racing Team. After observing systematic design processes and multiphysics simulations, the new aerodynamic devices is able to reach a down force of up to 1075N at the speed of 20m/s, improving the car’s external flow and aerodynamic sensitivity while significantly enhancing its curve speed. The flow deflector in the aerodynamic devices was 3D printed using Polymaker’s PolyMax™ PC material. Not only did the 3D printing material increase the car’s aerodynamic performance, but it also greatly reduced the cost and hours required to produce the flow deflector, with the only sacrifice being structural weight.

Picture 5 | 3D-printed Tail Deflector Using Polymaker PolyMax™ PC

The PolyMax™ product series are advanced 3D printing filaments produced by Polymaker’s patented Nano-Reinforcement technology, all of which have excellent mechanical properties and printing quality. PolyMax™ PC is a high-performance, polycarbonate-based filament boasting strength, toughness, heat resistance, and printing quality, lending itself to engineering applications, specifically when higher resistance for impact and vibration is needed, like in fixtures and fixing tools, furniture, small motor mounts, UAV, 3D printer parts, etc.

Picture 6 | Main Characteristics and Material Properties of PolyMax™ PC

Polymaker’s Polysmooth™ has also been used to print the front flap variable section, wing, and suspension lug cover for the TR21. Using alcohol-polishing in the materials’ post-processing allows the external flow of the whole vehicle to be optimized.

Picture 7 | 3D-printed Front Flap Using Polymaker’s PolySmooth™

PolySmooth™ is a unique and easy-to-print filament, specially designed for "freeing both hands" in post-processing. After printing with this material, Polysher™ is then applied to create a smooth surface. PolySmooth™ helps models that are difficult to polish be post-processed into a smooth surface, like statuettes or role-playing props, making PolySmooth™ optimal for product design and prototype creation as it produces a result similar to injection molding.

Picture 8 | Main Characteristics and Material Properties of PolySmooth ™

Brand New Chassis System

After a detailed analysis of tire characteristics, the original tires were replaced with Hoosier 16” high-performance racing slick tires. To match this tire, a new chassis system was designed for the TR21, equipped with a brake-by-wire stabilizing system to improve the vehicle’s dynamic performance.

Upgraded Electronic Control System

The TR21 continues to develop its electronic control system, using professional MoTeC ECU to have accurate control of the electronic throttle, pneumatic shift, and variable intake manifold while supporting wireless data acquisition. Also, the new steering wheel controller integrates radio communication, clutch-by-wire, brake-by-wire stability, ejection start control, traction control, and adjustment functions for various strategies, allowing drivers to enjoy its unlimited potential.

Picture 9 | TR21 Public Announcement Picture Groups

At this event, the TJU Racing Team announced their driverless vehicle plan for the first time, and they hope to see driverless technologies used in the next generation of TJU racing cars when they compete in the University Formula Race.

Polymaker has been actively involved in developing applications of 3D printing technology in the automotive and racing industry. Applying 3D printing materials allows for reduced costs, shortened production cycles, personalized customization, and lightweight parts to a certain extent. The diversity of Polymaker’s filaments also makes crafting different racing car parts more feasible, pushing the application of industrial-grade filament to be even more common. Polymaker's industrial-grade products include reinforced materials based on nylon mixed with carbon fibers and glass fibers, which improves their thermal properties and stiffness for interlayer bonding strength. There are also PC high fire-retardant materials and polymer alloy materials, both of which have high heat resistance and toughness.

We hope that 3D printing technology will be used widely when manufacturing and producing cars and racing cars in the near future.

Complete your carnival with your own 3d printing ideas! Be the lucky winner of your most desired spools! Our giveaway starts right now!

 

Here we invite you to join us in this year’s festival! During this spooky season, unleash your creativity in 3d printing to print your own Halloween decorations! Whether you are a great fan of gothic movies or a normal guy with lots of inspiring ideas in your mind, now is the time for you to transform your ideas into reality! Let’s give it a try!

 

The setting rules are as follows:  

The entire festival time range: from this moment to 31st October 2021 11:59 pm

Festival themes: Print anything related to Halloween, whether you choose to print a pumpkin, a creepy figurine, your fantasy costume decorations, masks, home decorations, anything that popped out of your mind will be served as your printing ideas!

 

Giveaway rules: Please print anything you want with our spools and share with us your print images, videos, interesting stories, or memorable moment in your printing process. You may print one or more kinds of stuff in your spools but please keep in mind that each social media user will only be able to upload your print items once only! Please share our official post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and don’t forget to @polymaker (@Polymaker.3D on Facebook, @Polymaker_3D on Twitter, @polymaker_3d on Instagram). Hashtag won’t be counted!! We will select only one user to be the top winner and give him/ her a free chance to choose the most desired two spools and one of our trendiest products --- PolyLite™ PLA Glow in the dark blue.

 

Warm tips: We are looking forward to getting inspired by your original designs on Halloween so please don’t take it casually and upload other users’ works to us! (It won’t be counted!) All content shall not be involved with violence, pornography, political conflict, religion, and gender discrimination issues. Foul languages are prohibited.

 

Selection rules and winner contact details: The top winner will be selected from print’s innovativeness and aesthetic senses, usefulness. We will notify this winner via our official post on 10th November and @this lucky one. This winner shall provide us his/her email address in 3 days. If this user submits his/her information overdue, that will be considered as surrendering top prize automatically.

 

We wish you all the luck in this spooky season and we are looking forward to witnessing your creative prints from now!

Best Regard

Polymaker

Rapid + TCT Chicago has successfully ended a three-day exhibition from September 13th through September 15th in McCormick Place. After over a year of exclusively virtual events, slowly in-person 3D printing conferences are coming back and the most recent one was Rapid + TCT. It was a great honor to meet you and reconnect, so let’s recap some highlights of the Polymaker booth.

Rapid in Chicago was a remarkable success and had over 200+ hands-on exhibits. Polymaker, as a frequent exhibitor of this showcase, displayed over 50 individual exhibits from our various 25 filaments which can cover a wide range of usages for all industries utilizing 3D printing.

A phone case printed with PolyFlex™ TPU90 in Polymaker Teal attracted lots of visitors. They first stopped by our booth and notified us that we had left our phones on the stand. Humorously, only to be informed that it was part of the display and then visitors were attracted by its high flexibility. PolyFlex™ TPU90 is a thermoplastic polyurethane and can resist ultra-violet light or sunlight.

Figure (1). A phone case printed with PolyFlex™ TPU90

In addition, Polymaker’s PolyWood™ 3D printed model was another great attraction. Groot, a famous Marvel character and a phone stand printed with PolyWood™ provided a straightforward visual perception of wood-mimic to the visitors. PolyWood™ is a great filament to represent these models thanks to its special foaming technology that exhibits the same density and appearance as wood with a unique matte finish. Most importantly our PolyWood™ contains no actual wood powder, which removes all risks of nozzle clogs.

Figure (2). Groot and a phone stand printed with PolyWood™

Polymaker also displayed a few models that combined high technology with design. A colorful vase printed with PolyLite™ PLA drew attention of many visitors. The beautiful vase was printed with 7 different colored layers and these colors really embellished the modern geometric design of the vase and expressed our PolyLite ™ PLA’s excellent printability and rigidity.

Figure (3). A colorful vase printed with PolyLite™ PLA

PolyTerra™ PLA was highly praised as usual, as it is more than a product, it is a new concept. Leaving a smaller carbon fiber footprint is investing in a sustainable future. PolyTerra ™ PLA itself is cost-effective and delivers easy support removal, matte finish, and recycled cardboard and spool. Besides, one tree is planted with every spool sold, thanks to our association with One Tree Planted. NatureWorks, one of our partners, also visited the booth and had a great conversation on the innovative approach of PolyTerra ™ with sustainable spool and packaging offering.

Figure (4). NatureWorks members and Polymaker members

PolyTerra ™ PLA was featured with a full set of interactive games at Rapid + TCT with a Tippi Tree, Tic Tac Toe, puzzles, and NT Toy creatures printed in our present colors. Visitors and especially students got to enjoy the 3D printed games and activities presented while presented a better understanding of our Eco-Friendly product line. Dan Sawyer from NatureWorks commented that PolyTerra™ has become a key driver for implementing 3D printing technology in the educational sector.

Figure (4). Students playing PolyTerra ™ PLA NT Toy creatures

Polymaker was also excited to highlight new PolyTerra ™ colors that have recently been released. These colors include a Marble White and Marble Slate Grey in our new Marble color line. Also, the release included Army Light Green, Army Dark Green, Army Blue, Army Red, Army Beige and Army Brown in our new Army color line.

Another great display was our castle printed with PolySmooth™ which became a sightseeing spot in Rapid + TCT. PolySmooth™ is the perfect filament to construct this print and with our Polysher™ which gave it that extra touch with Polymaker’s Layer-Free™ technology. Many visitors stopped to take photos, enjoying the intricate design and detail. The castle displayed many levels with constructed rooms, hallways, and décor.

Polymaker also had some case studies with our partners during this exhibition. PolyLite™ PETG is a great filament choice used in the new TAZ sidekick printer made by Lulzbot. Polycast™ has been using to help streamline investment casting process of Wisconsin Precision Casting Corportation. Also, part of the case studies is a Moai Statue printed with PolyMax™ PC by Re:3D.

Figure (5). Lulzbot Staff with Prints at the Polymaker Booth

Figure (6). WPCC, Aaron Meyer showcasing WPCC parts casted using Polymaker’s PolyCast™ filament

Figure (7). RE:3D, Matthew Fiedler showcasing Moai Statue printed with PolyMax™ PC.

In addition, Joel Telling with 3D Printing Nerd stopped by the Polymaker booth interested in our new Polyterra™ product. Chelsea Jacks (Polymaker member) provided key information about our new Eco-Friendly lineup, while playing tippy tree. Joel Telling and Chelsea Jacks were able to have fun while demonstrating the final print quality. The video can be found on 3D printing nerd’s YouTube Channel and has received positive feedback from the 3D printing community.

Figure (9). Joel Telling with 3D Printing Nerd and Chelsea Jacks

We appreciate your attention to our following detailed articles of these case studies. Thanks for the support from all our partners and visitors.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nexeo Plastics, a leading global thermoplastics resin distributor, has announced it will begin carrying and distributing Polymaker’s high performance 3D printing filaments in North America, including carbon reinforced nylons and a fire-retardant polycarbonate.

Polymaker offers a diverse portfolio of materials from high performing plastics to unique aesthetic solutions. Each family of products has unique properties and can be used in a wide range of applications from everyday needs to industrial applications.

“We are very excited about the partnership with Nexeo Plastics, as both our teams share the same passion for 3D printing. Nexeo Plastics’ unique strength in supply chain and customer service will greatly amplify the impact of our engineering materials in key industries,” said Dr. Xiaofan Luo, Founder, Polymaker.

Polymaker materials are formulated and fine-tuned in their research and development laboratory, and they undergo rigorous quality control checks to ensure their roundness and diameter are consistent.

“We are excited to join efforts with Polymaker,” said Paul Tayler, president and chief executive officer of Nexeo Plastics. “Their quest to continue to add cutting edge materials to their portfolio is a great fit with our goal to provide our customers and potential customers with quality materials and solutions to fit their needs.”

Nexeo Plastics’ 3D supplier expansion is part of a continued strategy to provide a wide range of product choices, supply chain expertise, and exceptional sales and customer service to meet the demands of its 3D customers.

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a manufacturer of advanced 3D printing materials specifically engineered for a wide range of applications across many industries. At the heart of Polymaker is a large research and development laboratory which drives the company forward through constant innovation and testing. All Polymaker materials are formulated and optimized for 3D printing while maintaining the unique properties inherent to the respective base polymer. Polymaker has served customers in over 100 countries from its global locations in China, USA and the Netherlands. Polymaker’s continuous dedication to innovation and quality has been recognized by several major awards, including The Material Company of The Year award from 3D Printing Industry (2017), Technology Innovation Award from TCT (2017), and Most Promising Enterprises Award from Ernst & Young (2020).

Find more information at www.polymaker.com.

About Nexeo Plastics and 3D at Nexeo Plastics

3D at Nexeo Plastics is part of Nexeo Plastics, a leading global thermoplastic resins distributor, representing quality products from world-class suppliers, and serving a diverse customer base across North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. In the 3D Printing market, we provide expert local application, technical support, shortened lead times, smaller order quantities and customer service through our sales team and eCommerce site, Nexeo 3D. Learn more at www.nexeoplastics.com and www.nexeo3d.com/nexeo3d.

The 2021 "Polymaker Cup" China (International) 3D Printing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, sponsored by Polymaker and hosted by the 3D Printing Service Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University Student Innovation Center, was successfully held, on October 13, 2021. 45 teams showed creative ideas and exquisite design works. After two rounds of preliminary selection and on-site rematch, there are 32 teams made it to the finals.

Polymaker is a well-known name in the 3D printing industry – the company based in Shanghai, develops and manufactures a large variety of materials for material-extrusion based 3D printing. Their products have won multiple awards and are widely used by a large spectrum of professional and industrial users.

Polymaker’s global sites

Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a major public research university in China. It is one of China's oldest universities and is a member of the C9 League, standing for top national universities of China. It is also designated a leading institution in the Double First Class University Plan, Project 985, and Project 211.3D Printing Service Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University Student Innovation Center (SIC), integrates diverse disciplines to form an innovative platform driven by industry-leading applications, enabling students to expand their mindset from multiple perspectives through seminars, practice, competitions, etc., to increase practical opportunities and to fully stimulate their creativity.

Applying 3D printing in education has a wide variety of important uses in universities.

3D printing has changed the manufacturing world for the better. Many manufacturers use 3D printing or additive manufacturing technologies to produce airplane parts, prosthetic limbs, and even 3D-printed medications.

In education, 3D printing technologies facilitate improved learning and skills development. 3D printing itself sparks greater creativity and collaboration in solving problems.

“Polymaker has sponsored many university projects around the globe as we always believe that today’s students are the future of additive manufacturing. We were super excited to have sponsored the Competition, and the innovation and creativeness of the student participants are a lasting inspiration to our team. ”—Dr.Xiaofan Luo, CEO of Polymaker

Polymaker shoulders the mission of "Simplify Creation" and takes an active part in promoting the application of 3D printing technology in STEM education. This competition aims to develop students’ interest in 3D printing technology and guide them to combines theory with practice then help them to better use 3D printing technology. The ability to design and physically create small models can be invaluable to students.

There were many outstanding and impressive designs and printed models in the competition, with different sources of inspiration, using various types of 3D printing materials and technologies. From the optimization and upgrading of transportation tools, to the innovation of robot design; from the medical applications to the design of household goods and stationery, the creativity emerges from different aspects, including technology, art, health, and other fields.

Students combine their own inspiration and creativity with 3D printing technology, use 3D printing technology to solve practical problems, and convert creativity into reality, so the concept of future diversity and advanced technology will be integrated and developed together.

The competition has successfully finished and inspired many students about using 3D printing in their learning and research career. Polymaker looks forward to seeing more and more students combine what they have learned with cutting-edge technology to implement the creations.

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printing materials committed to innovation, quality and sustainability. Its award-winning product portfolio has enabled numerous individuals and companies to better create and make. Headquartered in Changshu, China, Polymaker has multiple office locations in Shanghai, Utrecht and Houston ready to serve customers across the globe.​​​​​​​

After releasing PolyTerra™ PLA ​​​​​​​on cardboard packaging earlier this year, we received many compliments from our customers praising our efforts to be eco-friendlier. Many customers loved our new cardboard spool both for its usability and disposability.

Fig.1 New Cardboard Spool

To further our efforts and establish a consistent brand image that contributes more on environmental protection, we decided to upgrade the whole Polymaker range from plastic spools onto cardboard spools!

Not only will this remove tonnes of plastic waste from the environment, it also provides a practical cardboard spool that is easy to rip apart after use and can be recycled in your regular paper recycling.

We are phasing in the new packaging while using up our plastic spools to save resources and avoid waste. This notification aims to avoid any confusion for our customers and we cannot guarantee which packaging you will receive during our transition stage. What we can guarantee is that you will receive the same high-quality filament that you expect from Polymaker.

Features of the New Spool

The new cardboard spool features a thick 4mm pressed and die-cut recycled cardboard spool face, glued onto a strip-rolled section of cardboard tube. The thickness of the cardboard ensures your filament is well protected and the spool can roll very efficiently on all designs of spool holder both internally or externally mounted.

Fig.2 Thick Cardboard Spool Face

On the front of the spool, you’ll find a QR code which will take you to the product information sheet on www.polymaker.com Here you can also find printing profiles, TDS, SDS, and all other documentation relevant to the filament.

Fig.3 QR Code for Product Information

The cardboard used to make the spool and box comes from 100% recycled sources.

Fig.4 Smaller Box, Larger Labels

On the box, we have created a new label with larger text making it easier to identify the material, diameter, and color of the filament. On the spool, we feature some basic printing information and the rough filament weight guide, a feature pioneered by Polymaker and followed by many filament manufacturers.​​​​​​​

Fig.5 Weight Gauge

One of the biggest challenges for us was sourcing a glue that can withstand the high temperatures necessary to dry some of our filaments. Our nylon range, for example, needs to be dried at 100°C and the naturally sourced glue that holds our cardboard spools together has the ability to withstand those temperatures without melting.

Fig.6 Improved Winding

Our new product portfolio brand structure and visual identity set the tone for the future of our business – an organization that is customer-oriented, pioneering, creative, and responsible. We hope to create a diverse and innovative experience for our customers to help shape the world around them with 3D printing.

Thank you once again for your support and trust!

Polymaker

Firstly, we want to thank all the participants who printed hooks and entered the Polymaker hook tournament. The participants will compete for amazing prizes.

By the closing date, we received 180 3D printed hooks, which are currently en-route to our headquarters ready for battle! Once all the hooks have been received we will audit them to see if they comply with all the rules and announce all participants who qualify.

We have been amazed by the creativity and engineering skills of our contestants, we believe it's going to be a very fierce battle. The design styles can be categorized into more than 6 design categories. Which will be the strongest? Let’s wait and see….

On the 15th October, we will perform a random draw to select who will compete against who and announce the disqualifications. This information will be shared through a video on our YouTube channel.

We will also post the Battle Brackets (all hook that will participate and who they will go against) on Polymaker Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

All hook battles will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel where participants can watch their hooks progress. We will present from the qualifiers, the 64th, all the way to the final.

All dates and content will be updated on our social media, stay tuned!

There will be more events link to the hook tournament so don’t forget to follow us on our social media so you don’t miss out.

Polymaker unveiled the "Liuyun Bridge", a 3D printed polymer bridge built jointly by Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd., Polymaker, and Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd., in Yimahe Park, Longquanyi District, Chengdu in 2021. Inspired by the free-flowing shape of the stagecoach and dancing silk, “Liuyun Bridge” achieves bold innovations in landscape design using new technology and materials unlike ever before while managing to overcome many obstacles in the 3D printing process. Polymaker was largely responsible for the conception and completion of this project, providing the materials and spearheading the exploration of landscape bridge design.

The printing process of "Liuyun Bridge"

Innovating on the printing process, the “Liuyun Bridge” takes advantage of Polymaker’s materials and creatively employs new technology to complete its construction not only quicker, but also with higher quality. The bridge manages to shorten its construction period using the Kuying Tech’s 5-Axis Milling and Additive Manufacturing Integrated Machine (BGAM), which allows for uninterrupted 3D printing to continuously occur at all hours of the day without any manual interaction, finishing the printing of “Liuyun Bridge’s” main components in only thirty-five days.

Polymaker guarantees the bridge’s stability and safety for years to come with their polymer pellets PolyCore™ ASA-3012, a material with excellent anti-aging. Another new method used to improve the printing process, closed-loop printing ensures there are minimal deformations by monitoring the temperature of the material during the printing process. The “Liuyun Bridge” consumes several tons of materials to finally complete its construction by printing segmented components to be assembled on site. Heavily dependent on Polymaker and their materials, “Liuyun Bridge” is a one-of-a-kind landscape bridge that only found its success through Polymaker.

A tremendous feat for 3D printing like the “Liuyun Bridge” never could have been accomplished without the collaboration between Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd., Polymaker, and Shanghai Kuying Co., Ltd. The actual design for the bridge was a product from both Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd. and Polymaker while Shanghai Kuying Co., Ltd. was responsible for the technology that let the material reach its fullest potential, crafting the bridge’s components with few errors and in an extremely short amount of time. However, Polymaker’s PolyCore™ ASA-3012 laid the foundation for this incredible achievement in 3D printing as the material made the design feasible in reality and continues to support its everyday use.

Materials used for “Liuyun Bridge”

The “Liuyun Bridge” used many new methods specific to Polymaker’s material to expand on the bridge’s performance. As the optimal material for the bridge, PolyCore™ ASA-3012 has mechanical properties suited for outdoor use and works specifically for large 3D prints, enhancing their dimensional stability and interlayer adhesion. Currently, most additive manufacturing technologies result in residual stress and warpage when using the fused deposition molding process. However, “Liuyun Bridge” incorporates a multi-factor analysis method, controlling ambient temperature and the three-stage melting of materials with different parameters like temperature, glass transition temperature, and single-layer printing time, to prevent any warping or deformations caused by rapid cooling.

During the printing process, heating the workspace before and after printing strengthens the layer-by-layer adhesion of the 3D printed materials, further reducing any possible problems with the printed components. Allowing the design of “Liuyun Bridge” to be fully realized, the high-precision five-axis CNC processing system of Kuying’s BGAM removes the typical margin of error reserved for printing deformations and heightens the accuracy of segmented printing components. With Polymaker’s PolyCore™ ASA-3012 being so advantageous, it solves many previous printing issues while still bolstering “Liuyun Bridge’s” stability and structure.

“Liuyun Bridge” is not the first bridge to use 3D printing technology though. Polymaker has worked in the construction of a few other 3D printed bridges, both at home and abroad, to realize new breakthroughs and accomplishments on each of their projects.

Polymaker’s 3D printed bridges in China

Shanghai Taopu Central Park Bridge

In 2019, China’s first composite landscape bridge was constructed in Shanghai Taopu Central Park by Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd., Polymaker, and Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd. As the first composite landscape bridge with one-time molding and a multi-dimensional curved surface, the Taopu Central Park Bridge breaks through the shackles of traditional bridge design and frees the landscape bridge to be more flexible and diverse in space. Like with “Liuyun Bridge”, the Taopu Central Park Bridge owes its conception and dynamic shape to Polymaker and their materials.

The printing process of this 3D printed landscape bridge went through nearly one hundred printing tests to be continuously optimized. The super-large gantry 3D printer, jointly developed by Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd. and Kuying Technology Co., Ltd., allows for more diverse printing of larger sizes while still improving the printing’s accuracy. The Taopu Central Park Bridge is also composed of Polymaker's PolyCore™ ASA-3012 material, so the bridge can withstand long-term exposure to the sun and rain.

Quanzhou Bridge

Polymaker installed China’s second 3D printed bridge in the ecological belt of Baiqi Lake in Quanzhou, Fujian in 2019 as the second collaboration between Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd., Polymaker, and Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd. Spanning 17.5 meters, the Quanzhou Bridge also uses Polymaker’s PolyCore™ ASA-3012 material for its body and drastically improves on the manufacturing time of traditional concrete grouting, completing its construction in only five weeks.

With the bridge’s manufacturing saving a considerable amount of time, it continues to compete with traditional grouting by providing strength that can withstand a pressure of two kilonewtons for each square meter, guaranteeing its ability to carry any amount of traffic. The Quanzhou Bridge utilizes a segmented design, unlike the Taopu Central Park Bridge, allowing its segments to be connected through a unique link mechanism to meet necessary mechanical requirements. Together, Polymaker's PolyCore™ ASA-3012 and the BGAM print the different components of the bridge to be assembled and painted for the finished construction, like with the printing process of the “Liuyun Bridge”.

The future of 3D printed bridges

Polymaker plays a role throughout the entire process of their 3D printed landscape bridges, covering many different facets from modeling, construction, and conception to data design. 3D printing technology truly emphasizes the "link of artistic inspiration with the power of science and technology" by pushing both sides to reach a product that stands above expectations. Polymaker’s application of 3D printing technology in landscape design greatly expands opportunities for technological innovation and exploration in the industry.

With 3D printing technology only continuing to grow, it has become an important consideration in constructing footbridges and large-sized printing quicker, with more cost effectiveness, and in a sustainable manner. Large-sized printing solutions are becoming more and more popular in different fields too, and Polymaker wants to fuel their growth by actively developing and producing materials that can bring ambitious projects to reality.

Without the material Polymaker has been creating, 3D printed bridges would never be as developed as they are now because Polymaker’s material not only provides the flexibility to meet any design’s needs, but also the strength to sustain the bridge for many years. Polymaker advances the world of 3D printing in more ways than only with their materials though. Their passion to push the industry and venture into unexplored territory has given 3D printing new capabilities and unimaginable possibilities.

Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd.:

Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd. is a leading enterprise in China's construction industry, ranking among the world's top 500 companies. Over the past sixty years, Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd. has repeatedly set records in the history of engineering construction in China and even in the world. It has contributed to many excellent projects in more than 100 cities across the country and in more than 30 countries and regions around the world. In recent years, Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd. has made every effort to promote national development, strengthen the synergy of the entire industry chain, and continue to form new commanding heights in business areas such as urban renewal, water conservancy, environmental governance, digital industrial construction, and construction services. They are now accelerating construction to become a widely acclaimed service provider for the whole life cycle of construction.

Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd.:

Shanghai Kuying Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and development of super-large 3D printing solutions. The company adheres to the concept of "exploring future manufacturing methods" and is based on the innovative model of "integration of addition and reduction of materials, research and development of new materials, and intelligent control" in order to help manufacturing companies reduce costs and improve efficiency. The company’s existing intelligent equipment products include the Tech’s 5-Axis Milling and Additive Manufacturing Intergrated (BGAM), the high-speed pellet printer (SGAM), and the robotic additive manufacturing system (BRAM). These main products are widely used in architectural landscape, aerospace, shipbuilding, rail transit, energy, automobiles, medical products, and many other industries.

Formnext + PM South China has successfully ended a three-day exhibition from 9.9-9.11 in Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center.

9,330 professional visitors have been visited the exhibition, and the total number of visitors reached 16,742 for the three days based on official statistics. The 15,000 square meter exhibition area attracted nearly 200 outstanding exhibitors, with companies from home and aboard displaying cutting-edge technologies and products at the show.

As frequent exhibitors of Formnext in Frankfurt, Polymaker also participated in this year's Formnext Shenzhen exhibition, and showed a wider range of materials and more exquisite printing products than previous exhibitions.

The Polymaker booth was divided into three exhibition areas: PolyTerra™ game area, product, model display area and PolySmooth™ castle area for increasing more interaction with our visitors. Let’s review the various impressive moments of this year’s exhibition.

 

PolyTerra™ gaming area

PolyTerra™ PLA area is highly praised as usual. We brought puzzles, building blocks, making and stacking games all printed with PolyTerra™ PLA. In the process of interaction and games, we showed the audience the material properties of PolyTerra™ and share our environmental protection activity relating to PolyTerra™ PLA: one tree planted with every spool sold. Since launching in February, our customers have planted tens of thousands of trees on our beautiful planet!

 

 

Polymaker display area of products and models

Polymaker brought 25 types of filaments coving a wide range of usages for all industries utilizing 3D printing.

For each filament, there are corresponding sample models next to them on the exhibition board to highlight their specific properties and applications.

 

 

PolySmooth™ castle

Printing the entire castle took nearly 400 hours with PolySmooth™, the filament that can be easily vapor polished by alcohol. During the exhibition, the castle has also become a sightseeing spot attracting many visitors to delve into the miniature world and take pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are excited to be exhibiting at the Rapid + TCT 2021 show from Sep 13th-15th. We are looking forward to meeting you there! Stop by our booth E7446 to learn more about the full range of our ever-growing product portfolio.

Booth Number: E7446

Location:

McCormick Place, Chicago IL

 Time:

Monday September 13 10:00 am - 6:00 pm registration 8:00 am
Tuesday September 14 10:00 am - 5:00 pm registration 8:00 am
Wednesday September 15 10:00 am - 3:00 pm registration 8:00 am

 

What to expect?

RAPID + TCT is the most preeminent event in North America's for discovery, innovation, and networking in 3D manufacturing. It is the first live event after Covid so we are excited to see everyone IN PERSON again! PolyTerra™ will also officially meet everyone at the exhibition.

Polymaker portfolio

Polymaker will present the full range of our ever-growing product portfolio. We have a variety of products featuring sustainability, performance, and aesthetic pursuits to choose from.

In addition, we will showcase collaborations with our partners including NatureWorks, LulzBot, Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation, JZ3D and Re:3D. These case studies cover a wide range of additive manufacturing scenarios: from artwork to real production of functional parts.

You can directly connect with our team members on-site, to hear about stories of how different Polymaker products are used in hands of hobbyists and professionals, and to brainstorm together the next breakthrough in additive manufacturing.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Formnext+PM South China

Polymaker will join Formnext+PM South China, the new show which will bring a brand new experience to China’s manufacturing industry, covering an array of advanced technology, equipment and products under the categories of additive manufacturing, materials, powder metallurgy, design, software and processing technologies.

1.PolyTerra™ Gaming Area

Polymaker will bring this year’s new environmentally friendly material, PolyTerra™ PLA, and invite our visitors to interact in various games in this area. The 3D printed games include tic tac toe, jigsaw puzzles, color guessing, and 3D printed Tippi Tree!

2.Polymaker product display area

Polymaker will also bring 24 materials and 2 hardware products in display area. The repertoire of filaments will be presented on the wall, and a model of each material will be placed next to it on a display board to give you a feel of the material surface and properties.

3.Mystery Castle

A 3D printed castle will be shown as well, which is printed in PolySmooth™, and can be safely polished with alcohol.

 

About Us:

Polymaker is a high-tech enterprise specializing in 3D printing materials. Empowered by leading-edge technology, high-standard products, and meticulous professional service, 3D printing technology has presented its irreplaceability and applicability in multiple industries. Nowadays, Polymaker has grown to be one of the top-ranking innovators and suppliers of extruded 3D printing materials. With the well-deserved reputation on hand, our products have served for myriads of domains including automobiles, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, medical services, daily necessities.

 

Polymaker transitions all filaments onto 100% recycled cardboard spools

Reducing plastic waste in 3D printing

Polymaker, a leading producer of 3D printing materials announced today that filament production has ceased on all plastic spools. Moving forward, Polymaker will produce all filaments on a 100% recycled cardboard spools. This move aims to reduce plastic waste in 3D printing to create a more environmentally friendly product with packaging which can be easily recycled after use.

“Sustainability is a top priority for Polymaker, and I am glad to see our team taking this important initiative. We will continue the innovation to make all our products more sustainable.” – Dr. Xiaofan Luo – Founder of Polymaker

"Polymaker’s adoption of cardboard spools is in agreement with circular economy principles such as decoupling from petrochemical-based plastics and creating an after-use economy for recycled materials with their use of recycled fiber. Polymaker has long demonstrated these circular economy values, most recently with the launch of their PolyTerra™ filament, made from renewable biobased Ingeo™ biopolymer, with which they piloted the use of these cardboard spools. We are proud of our partnership with Polymaker and their progress towards environmentally friendly and sustainable practices in 3D printing." - Dan Sawyer - Natureworks

The new spool features a QR code which takes customers to the product information sheet on www.polymaker.com alongside: printing profiles, TDS, SDS and all other documentation relevant to the filament. The paper product information sheet will no longer be shipped inside the packaging further reducing waste.

As one of the 20 art installations in ‘Design Shanghai 2021’, "Digital Circular Pavilion" is another innovative work of digital artist, Zihan Zhao, founder of the Spazio Z design studio. The sculpture is standing in front of the old Shikumen building in Xintiandi, Shanghai, with branches growing upward, and gradually forming an organic space to escape from the urban style of downtown Shanghai. The white surface finish of the installation contrasts strongly with the dark gray background color of Shikumen, attracting passers-by to explore and connect within.

Primarily focusing on the creation of digital art, 3D printing has become the go-to medium, transitioning digital artwork created in Spazio Z into the physical space. To achieve this, the studio has created several custom built large format 3D printers using FFF technology to create modular parts which can be assembled into a larger structure.

YouTube video

The Digital Circular Pavilion is the latest work to emerge from the studio. Printed in 800kg of Polymaker’s L3003, an industrial PLA filament designed for high volume printing in production, print farms and large projects. The individual sections of the pavilion are bolted together onto an aluminum armature which allows for easy assembly on site. The pavilion sections have been post-processed into one homogenous organic form by coating the printed surfaces in polyester filler and sanding smooth. This coating process helps to strengthen and protect the PLA from UV and heat radiation and provides a clean smooth surface which translates the form of the design, avoiding any textures or layer lines.

During the inspiration for the design, Zhao Zihan had one question in mind: How do we connect the independent and unrelated people in the city? People are invariably disordered and unpredictable. As a designer, all pre-planning is hypothetical. As a space device, how to realize people's exploration in the city block, social and self-satisfaction is generally accidental every time. Therefore, such a device is more of a medium, carrying a variety of space possibilities in order to bring people together.

"Digital Circular Pavilion" is a relatively transparent structure, but it still has the function of isolation. The circular form is a natural separation figure, the outer circle is open for visitors to sit and rest. While the inner circle is semi closed, which provides the possibility for a relatively private conversation. At the beginning of the concept, Zihan drew lines of different thickness, depth and density, reflecting the randomness and disorder of human activities, and then simulated them into topological forms through digital technology.

For this work, Zihan Zhao is more inclined to call it "an artistic landscape product", because the artistic expression of its form is far more than its function.

From sketch to parametric model, Zhao Zihan and his team members made a detailed and in-depth analysis on the physical force, overall load-bearing, structural curvature and other factors of a single module. After detailed analysis it was determined that PLA could be a suitable material when backed with an aluminum armature and coated in polyester filler. While there are materials with better mechanical properties available, the reliability and printability of PLA made this project possible. Spazio Z takes advantage of their own 3D printing factory, which can fully demonstrate the printing efficiency, assembly process, cost control and other aspects of production. This allowed more than three square meters of walls to be produced for load testing prior to final construction. Finally, Spazio Z completed the work at a lower cost than the same type of building using traditional methods.

Through the joint operation of 100 large-scale 3D printers, each module is printed separately in one month, and then assembled into five large module groups, which are transported to the site to complete the final assembly and fixation through aluminum alloy components. At the end of the exhibition, it can also be disassembled and recycled.

Zhao Zihan implanted his expectation in "Digital Circular Pavilion": to create a future in which devices or buildings can be reconstructed by digital technology

“Maybe it's just a starting point. When one day it's so common that it is not rare and fancy any more, it shows that it has become very popular." – Zihan

At that time, Zhao Zihan will also explore a new starting point, and the experiment to verify the interaction between architecture and human will never end.

Perfectly clear 3D printed parts are possible with PolySmooth™ and here is the story of one of our customers. Mattias has shared with us his process creating a pair of lenses for the kitchen fan lights.

From: Mattias Lundberg
July 22nd 2021

I made a thing! well, two actually. I needed to fix something in my home and like so many times before I resorted to 3d printing and my favourite filament Polysmooth. Hi, My name is Mattias Lundberg and I love 3D printing. I´ve been doing this as a hobbyist for 6 years now and love to make the impossible possible and to push the limits just to be able to hold the printed part in my hand or see it functioning the
way it was intended.

My task at hand this time was the light covers on my kitchen fan. Originally the lamps were very hot so my first attempt three years ago was with a super clear heat resistant material that...melted. But I realised that after all these years the original lights had been phased out to LEDs. THEY dont produce heat! Bingo! Lets try Polysmooth transparent!

 

The object this time is a simple yet complex shape that had to be separated into the lens as one part and the frame with clips as the other. The frame with flexible clips had to be printed separately with a 0.4 nozzle while the lens must be printed with a thicker nozzle and only as a single perimeter wall.

This products really is made for resin printing but when you are hell bent to make it with an FDM printer that's what you gotta do right.

 

 

Something really important in order to reach success is to know not only your personal limitations but also the slicers, printers and the filaments limitations and roll with it and use them to your advantage. In short, trick the printer and filament in doing what you want it to.
I tried many different orientations and techniques and had a lot of failed prints and semi good results until I found the way!

This is a round bulgy object, it needs to stand on its edge, have low layer height and around 190 degrees nozzle temp. And printed in vase mode or spiralized as its called in Cura.

 

 

Therefore I made a single perimeter box with the lenses bulging out on the longer sides and printed it really thick (2 mm) to make it look like the original piece. This way the nozzle could go round and round printing both lenses without any disturbances.

Next step was to simply cut it out of the box walls and treat it with 100% Isopropanol, let it dry and sand it before final IPA treatment and done! I was holding two perfectly shaped, very clear and sturdy lens shaped covers in my hand. The frame was glued on and the whole piece was snapped into place and I know its gonna last a long long time. Thank you Polymaker.

Check out Mattias post and video of the prints on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/polymaker/posts/2728308607433197/

 

Full size fender plug (1346mm x 660mm) 3D printed on MAKEiT2x4 Large Format 3D printer using PolyMide™ PA6-GF material made by Polymaker.

MAKEiT2x4 is a large format 3D printer able to print an entire quarter panel in one piece with industrial quality filament PolyMide™ PA6- GF from Polymaker. MAKEiT2x4 is designed and made by MAKEiT, Inc. in California.

The printer is equipped with a massive rectangular printing area of 1400x605x800mm and a powerful printhead, this makes it the premier choice for printing large automotive parts, like rectangular-shaped body models. In fact, it is recognized by the automotive aftermarket authority SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The SEMA Show 2020 awarded our MAKEiT2x4 large format 3D printer the 2nd Best New Tool and Equipment Product.

With the printer MAKEiT 2x4 car designers and fabricators can print the original fender design, in full instead of different pieces welded together saving the time and energy spent to complete a puzzling process. It counts with an application where you can see the part being 3D printed in real time.

After days of continuous printing, when the model is finally printed and cleaned, you can test fit it right away onto the vehicle. The well tested piece can be used as a plug to make the production mold. Plus, by using the MAKEiT2x4 machine, you can keep all your original designs in house.

Due to the complex nature of making a perfectly smooth body plug, the material used to make the plug needs to be stiff and strong and able to withstand intense heat. After many trials of different kinds of filaments, we have narrowed it down to a couple filaments. Polymaker™ PA6-GF meets all the material requirements for 3D printing a good plug.

With the help of 3D scanning, computer-aided design, 3D printing and the right material, our clients are no longer sculpting clay plugs by hand. They especially love the 3D printing digital mirroring process. With a single click, a mirrored model can be printed automatically. In comparison, making opposite-side plugs perfectly symmetrical by hand is virtually impossible.

We’d like to share the following case study from one of with you from our amazing customers.

Ivan Tampi, owner of Ivan Tampi Customs, is an award-winning designer and fabricator specializing in widebody Corvette customization. He used to spend weeks making plugs by hand. With the help of MAKEiT2x4's large-format 3D printing technology, he is able to get 3D printed prototypes from the CAD design, without the need for additional tooling. He is now able to do more design work, build more exotic wide body kits faster, all at a lower cost.

A full-size passenger side rear fender cap is 3D printed on a heated carbon fiber print bed. This bed provides a massive 1400x605x800mm print envelope. The 0.6mm tungsten carbide nozzle on the powerful printer works wonders with the PA6-GF, producing 5 days of non-stop work, (except for the automatic pausing of the printer when the filament runs out). An innovative filament motion sensor detects filament exhaustion and other problems. Once a new roll of PA6-GF is installed, the printer will continue. By nature, PA6-GF is an abrasive and stiff filament. It needs a printing temperature in the range of 285C to 300C and an abrasion resistant nozzle to extrude well. Often, 3D printer bed leveling and calibration can be complicated and time consuming. But this is not the case with the MAKEiT2x4 printer. It has 100% automatic print bed leveling and calibration. The user only has to press a few buttons on the computer screen. The rest is done by the printer itself.

(3D Printed passenger side rear fender plug fitment test by Ivan Tampi Customs)

By using the digital mirroring process, the driver side rear fender is obtainable. This simple process creates a symmetrical model, and it can be 3D printed right away. The finished print is shown here.

Once the printing starts, we want it to be finished as planned, right? No one wants to see an incomplete

job. However, a random layer shift during printing poses serious risk. It can ruin the entire print. Many 3D printer users have encountered similar issues. It is very costly when printing a large size part. To prevent the "lay-shift", we have implemented the LSP (Lay Shift Prevention) in each 2x4 printer as a standard feature, ensuring reliable printing, job after job. A video clip about LSP can be found here ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FW9CdxKvBCXWwAC22lJqaLcFv5UnEByM/view )

A driver-side front fender plug is completed after 7 days of printing. As noted, there is support material and debris attached to the fender print. These can be easily removed before the fitment test.

After an initial fitting, the fender plug will be power sanded to make it as smooth as possible. During sanding, the nylon glass fiber print remains stable, unlike PLA. It doesn’t gum or melt at all! This is huge. The old headache of “how do I sand it” has become “I love it. I can sand it easily, as many times as I want.” Often, regular post processing filler materials like Bondo are applied onto the plug before next sanding.

While the printer is running on its own, a MAKEiT2x4 user can monitor the printing process, and control the printer remotely using a smartphone. When you visit your customer, you can show their part being 3D printed in real time!

According to Ivan, MAKEiT 3D printing technology has saved his company 75% of time and labor compared with their traditional plug-making process. 3D printing also ensures every part is symmetrical and keeps the harmonious proportion all the way through. Compared with other filaments earlier, PolyMide™ PA6-GF has become Ivan’s only go-to material. Nowadays Ivan Tampi Customs is able to turn their unique digital designs into real functional parts in days and weeks, and no extra tooling is involved.

Ivan’s beautiful widebody exotic cars can be found at:

Instagram: @custom_car_builder; @ivantampicustoms

Website: www.ivantampicustoms.com

MAKEiT2x4 Large Format 3D Printer is designed and built in California USA by MAKEiT, Inc.

Website: www.makeit-3d.com

Instagram: @largeformat3dprinter

Email: [email protected] for purchase and resale opportunity

26th – 28th May, in Shanghai, Polymaker attended TCT Asia 2021, exhibiting a full portfolio of products and various new applications.

 

Polymaker booth was divided into 5 parts: PolyTerra™ PLA gaming zone, product portfolio presentation table, new applications area, PolyCore™ introduction, and 28mm game set display.

 

PolyTerra PLA Gaming Zone

PolyTerra™ PLA gaming zone was very popular. Visitors loved to play and interact with the Cube Puzzles (designed by brandonforty2), Pentomino, Tippi Tree  (designed by Devin Montes), and NT Toys (designed by Nicolas Tokotuu), which were all printed with Polymaker PolyTerra™ PLA.

Visitors were able to better see and feel the unique matte surface finish of PolyTerra™ PLA and learn more about how the product recycled cardboard packaging helps avoid plastic waste and helps the planet by having a negative carbon footprint.

Polymaker has already planted 17,817 trees for our planet in the 1st quarter of 2021 and is planning to double this number in the second quarter.

 

Product portfolio presentation table

Polymaker exhibits a full portfolio of products including 25 different types of filaments and 2 hardware (Polysher™ & PolyBox™). PolyTerra™ PLA, PolyMide™ PA12-CF, Polymaker™ PC-r as well as the new PolyLite™ ASA colors are newly launched products in 2021.

 

Polymaker new applications area

Polymaker exhibited 4 applications in this area including automotive grille, motorcycle wheel, art lamp, and orthotics.

The automotive grille was printed by our partner HUARONG PRINTING with PolyLite™ ABS.

 

The art lamp was designed by the artist Zihan Zhao with Polymaker PLA product.

 

The motorcycle wheel was printed by IEMAI with Polymaker™ PC-ABS.

 

The orthotics was designed and printed by BLACK FLAME MEDICAL with Polymaker TPU material.

 

 

PolyCore area

Polymaker has developed new PolyCore™ pellet products designed for large-scale 3D printing used in different industries such as construction and home furniture.

 

28mm game set display

We exhibited a new set of gaming buildings which is designed by  Infinite Dimensions.

It took around 400 hours to print the whole set with PolySmooth™.

 

Thanks for the support from all our partners and visitors. We also appreciate your attention to our social media posts and YouTube live-stream.

Covestro and Polymaker collaborate on a polycarbonate filament made from recycled plastic

 

Polymaker™ PC-r polycarbonate filament for 3D printing is made from a Covestro plastic recyclate produced from used water bottles from Chinese water bottle manufacturer Nongfu Spring. © Covestro

 

Polymaker, a leading manufacturer of 3D printing materials, uses a recycled polycarbonate developed by Covestro, a globally leading materials supplier, to produce Polymaker™ PC-r, the polycarbonate filament for 3D printing made from recycled plastic. The material comes from 19-liter bottles from Chinese water supplier Nongfu Spring, which contain polycarbonate in a fairly pure form. Covestro blends the plastic waste with virgin material to yield a polycarbonate base that can be extruded into filaments for use in electronics automotive and other industries.

The filament is particularly suitable for brands wanting to make their supply chain more sustainable, especially in combination with 3D printing technology for production on an industrial scale. Compared to virgin material, the filament using recycled material has a lower carbon footprint. The product is also more durable and meets industry-specific requirements such as the Blue Angel and EPEAT seal.

The fact that the waste comes from one single source is an advantage. This means that no prior sorting and identification of the plastics is necessary. The plastic waste is quite pure and can be recycled in a cost-effective manner. In addition, it is available in sufficient quantities. In China, large-volume water bottles are widespread in private households and public places. These are collected and refilled again and again before finally discarded and sent for recycling. This is another example of how Covestro is helping to build a circular economy in collaboration with partners along the value chains.

The high temperature post-consumer product has outstanding thermal stability and strength. Because of its properties, a constant temperature chamber is required to print successfully.

 

Machine manufacturer INTAMSYS conducted print tests with Polymaker™ PC-r on its FUNMAT PRO 410 printer. The printer can achieve a dual jet temperature of up to 500°C and a platform temperature of up to 160°C. The chamber temperature can be up to 90°C, which prevents warping of printed parts and allows larger and more complex models to be printed more successfully.

Tests have demonstrated that the Polymaker™ PC-r material is extremely easy to process. The test scores show good values for tensile strength, Young's modulus, flexural strength and flexural modulus, which were slightly higher than standard polycarbonate.

Extensive range of products at the TCT Asia trade show

Polymaker will be presenting a wide range of materials for 3D printing, ranging from high-performance plastics to unique aesthetic solutions, at booth number F44 at TCT Asia, the 3D printing trade show in Shanghai, China, from May 26-28, 2021.

At the trade show, Covestro and its additive manufacturing business, including the newly acquired business from DSM, will be exhibitingon two booths as both had registered separately prior to the transaction. Visitors to the trade show are invited to visit Covestro at booth number E46 and the former DSM AM at a at booth number C48 to learn more about the company's broadend product portfolio.

 

About Covestro:

With 2020 sales of EUR 10.7 billion, Covestro is among the world’s leading polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. In doing so, Covestro is fully committed to the circular economy. The main industries served are the automotive and transportation industries, construction, furniture and wood processing, as well as electrical, electronics, and household appliances industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. At the end of 2020, Covestro has 33 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).

About Polymaker:

Polymaker is a company that produces advanced 3D printing materials specifically engineered for a wide range of applications across many industries. At the heart of Polymaker is a large research and development laboratory which drives the company forward through constant innovation and testing. All Polymaker materials are formulated and optimized for 3D printing while maintaining the unique properties inherent to the respective base polymer. Find more information at www.polymaker.com.

About INTAMSYS:

INTAMSYS is a world-leading high-tech company providing 3D printing and industrial direct additive manufacturing solutions for high-performance materials. Focusing on aerospace, aviation, automotive, electronic manufacturing, consumer goods, healthcare, scientific research and other industries, the company provides comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions from functional test prototyping, tooling and fixture manufacturing to direct mass production of final products, covering equipment, software, high-performance materials and printing services. For further information, please visit www.intamsys.com.

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

We'd like to present you with a Polymaker customer story. Check how AlemhReview uses PolyLite™ PETG to create his own Logo Lamp


Hello everyone,

Thank you for the opportunity to share and support my work!

For about 2 years I have been in the world of 3D printing and since 6 months I have opened my Instagram page and my YouTube channel (AlemhReview) in which I show my projects and my works. Over time the page has grown and I felt the need to have a physical space, a place dedicated to my social channels that had a distinctive sign. For this reason I decided to create and 3D print my logo and turn it into a lamp. I have to say thanks to Samuel Mazuy (@3dprint_design3d on Instagram) that helped me to model my logo aligning perfectly with my idea. He is very skilled and deserved so much!

In these pictures you can watch to the first renderings of the model.

As you can see in the image below, the model was designed to contain lights inside that would have been chosen later:

Once the model was ready I had to choose the material to use and thought the best choice was PolyLite™  PETG because I would have had to insert lights inside that would have generated heat and for this reason PLA would not have been suitable while materials such as ABS would have been excessive as well as being more difficult to print .The next step was to print all the about 18 parts so I divided file on Cura slicer based on color and size and start printing.

After I printed everything the difficult part began: the best option was to use single small led bulbs, but the difficulty for me was to find a way to fix them to the print and create an electrical system to turn them on, which I never did before. I like challenges and so I decided to go all the way and understand how to create the electrical system until I was able to create it. Beacuse of that I pierced the various pieces to be able to insert the bulbs.

At this point I drew and cut a shape of my logo in pressed cardboard, which would have been useful both to give a background to the model and to hide the cables.

Then I glued the LEDs to the 3D printing with hot glue, maintaining an order of positive and negative poles in order to create a parallel lighting system. I recovered some copper wires and started to tie all the lights together and testing it:

Next step, once the lighting system was finished, that remained was to paint the logo shape and fix the various prints to it through hot glue:

When the job was complete I plugged all the cables together and plugged in a socket of the correct voltage and an on / off button and finally I was able to fix it to the wall:

With these latest images here is a huge spoiler of my new little "studio", which is not yet complete, but finally has its distinctive feature in the center, the channel logo. I hope you enjoyed the project and that there will be new ones soon!

Keep printing and always believe in yourself!

PolyMide™ PA12-CF: High stability nylon filament for 3D printing

PolyMide™ PA12-CF is a brand-new engineering filament offering high stability in both printing and application, delivering predictable mechanical properties regardless of the operating environment. PolyMide™ PA12-CF achieves this through its base polymer, nylon 12, which displays greater moisture stability when compared to common nylon 6 filaments. This means that PolyMide™ PA12-CF printed parts display minimal change in mechanical properties from the dry state to the wet state, therefore, more predictable mechanical properties in final printed parts. PA12-CF features 10% chopped carbon fibers which add strength and stiffness while also lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion, these characteristics, paired with Polymaker’s Warp-Free™ and Fiber Adhesion™ technologies provide an easy to print filament with extremely desirable properties.

Fig.1 Steering Wheel Core and Mould

The main difference between PA12 and PA6 is moisture stability. The longer PA12 polymer chain is much more resistant to moisture absorption and will reach moisture equilibrium at a lower % than PA6 filaments. Less moisture absorption means that there is less change in mechanical properties from the dry state to the wet state.

Water molecules are attracted from the surrounding air to the polyamide matrix, forming a polar bond onto the polymer chain. This water molecule acts as a plasticizer inside the nylon and while it decreases tensile strength and stiffness, it increases toughness and impact resistance. Unless your 3D printed parts operate in particularly dry environments or are post processed with a moisture barrier, its generally assumed that all nylon printed parts will end up in their wet state properties in every-day use. In many applications the wet state characteristics are more desirable and its common on many nylon injection moulding lines to eject moulded parts straight into a bath of water to condition them to wet state properties before leaving the factory.

In 3D printing filaments must be dry, otherwise, any moisture which is inside the filament will boil inside the hot end and rupture out of the side of the extruded plastic, this greatly decreases the mechanical properties, surface finish, layer bonding and produces some other undesirable printing characteristics such as stringing and oozing. Once the part is printed however, the nylon will absorb moisture from the air naturally and reach an equilibrium inside the part. For PA12-CF, the moisture equilibrium is roughly 1.5% by weight with other brand nylon filaments absorbing up to 5% and over, this has a more drastic effect on the final properties of the part and a noticeable difference in the performance from dry to wet states.

Fig. 3 Moisture Absorption Curve

As PolyMide™ PA12-CF displays a smaller shift in characteristics from dry to wet states it therefore delivers more predictable results in real-world applications. This allows you to design more accurately according to stress models and design loads, allowing you to further optimize your 3D printed parts.

Furthermore, the printability of the filament is also increased as the handling, storing, and printing of the material benefit from less moisture absorption. The filament is still hygroscopic, and we advise storing and printing PolyMide™ PA12-CF from inside the PolyBox™.

Fig. 4 Pipe Assembly Tool

Our material scientists have employed two Polymaker technologies into PolyMide™ PA12-CF. Warp-Free™ Technology, ensures no warping during printing, which is achieved by controlling the crystallisation behaviour of the polymer chains. Fiber-Adhesion™ Technology optimises the surface chemistry of the carbon fibers so they bond homogenously within the polymer matrix. This provides a greater strength on the z-axis when compared to competitor filaments whilst also offering easier printing on a multitude of 3D printers, desktop and industrial.

PolyMide™ PA12-CF features a heat deflection temperature of 131°C lending itself to operate in demanding environments where heat and stress are critical design factors. Paired with superior tensile strength and stiffness compared to other extrusion-based filaments, PolyMide™ PA12-CF is an engineering plastic that can outperform many other extrusion-based materials where strength to weight ratios are critical.

PolyTerra™ PLA is a bioplastic 3D printing filament designed from the ground up to create the next generation of environmentally friendly filaments. Polymaker has combined organic minerals with PLA which significantly reduces the plastic content producing a more environmentally friendly 3D printing material.

PolyTerra™ PLA prints exactly like PLA so you won’t have to change any print settings and the overhang and bridging capabilities can even surpass PLA. Featuring a wide printing temperature range of 190-230°C, PolyTerra™ PLA can plug and play on any extrusion-based 3D printers. The surface finish of 3D printed parts is uniquely matte which hides the layer lines, even when printing with large layer heights.

Polymaker has introduced four pastel colours alongside the ten regular colors which are all inspired by nature, offering a large choice of unique colors with a beautiful surface finish that’s bespoke to PolyTerra™ PLA.

The mechanical properties of PolyTerra™ PLA offer a wide range of potential applications as the material is tougher than regular PLA whilst still maintaining good stiffness similar to PolyMax™ PLA. This allows you to print anything from figurines to fixtures as the extra toughness that’s built into PolyTerra™ PLA does not affect the effortless printing capabilities.

PolyTerra™ PLA features easy support removal and 9 times out of 10 the support can be removed easily by hand without the use of tools. The support performs very well directly printing onto the build platform and also building from model. This allows users to push the boundaries of their machines and create ever more complex parts that are functional, tough and matte.

Post processing PolyTerra™ PLA is easy and the surface can be sanded without the plastic rolling over into long beads or chewing up. Printed parts can be sanded quickly and thanks to the softer surface power sanders can be used to quickly clean up and smooth large prints. The open pores on the surface allow paints to hold a strong bond onto the surface and due to the inert nature of the compound a wide range of paints can be applied.

PolyTerra™ PLA is wound on a fully recycled cardboard spool with recycled labels and outer packaging. The product information sheet has moved online, and any unnecessary paper has been removed from the packaging to cut down on waste.

To offset the carbon created to make and ship a spool of PolyTerra™ PLA, Polymaker will plant one tree for every spool sold, local to the place of purchase in partnership with OneTreePlanted.org. Once the tree hits maturity it has the ability to suck in 22kg of carbon dioxide each year massively offsetting the 4kg required to create a spool of PolyTerra™ PLA.

Teton’s Smart Slice is an integrated finite element analysis (FEA) simulation which allows users to verify the strength and stiffness of their 3D printed parts from inside the slicer. With this data the cloud-based engine can optimise the way the model is sliced to achieve the desired characteristics for the application. This technology has the ability to decrease printing time and material use creating lightweight printed parts that aren’t over engineered, saving time and money.

To validate their simulation system Teton must compare their FEA data against real 3D printed parts to demonstrate that yield loads, safety factors, and deflections are accurately simulated. (Read full white paper here)

The convenience of having FEA simulation integrated into the slicer is a vital step for 3D printing functional parts and integrating FFF technology into product manufacturing. When reliable data is paired with an engineering filament such as PolyMide™ CoPA the technology becomes extremely powerful for proving concepts and design iterations with minimal investment. This is further paving the way for integration of FFF parts in a variety of different manufacturing sectors.

In this demonstration Teton created a roof rack fixture printed in PolyMide™ CoPA. The simulation results can be compared to real data from their testing rig to accurately predict the trends in stiffness and strength in a part sliced and printed in three different ways. The technology requires inputs from the user such as directional forces and load points which are then sent to the cloud for g-code optimisation. With several variables available to the user the part can be tweaked to create the most efficient workflow. The result is a g-code which has all the necessary strength and stiffness with built in safety factors.

A load case was defined in Smart Slice that was based on the experimental test fixture and load application. The flat surfaces on the bottom of part and the 4 bottom holes were set as anchor surfaces (fixed in space) and a load of 2,500 N (Newtons) was applied to the top surface. Using the Validate feature in Smart Slice, the part stiffness and yield load values were computed and are shown in Table 1.

 

Table 1. Part stiffness and yield loads computed by Smart Slice for 20% infill and solid parts.

 

 

These results are compared to the real data from the printed parts. Smart Slice was also used to evaluate the performance of a generic ABS material in order to compare it to the performance of PolyMide™ CoPA. It is clear that PolyMide™ CoPA outperforms ABS in both stiffness and strength. For example, in order to get the same performance as the optimized part printed with PolyMide™ CoPA, a solid ABS part is required. This is important since the optimized part will print in less time and be lighter compared to the solid part. This demonstrates how Smart Slice can be used to evaluate different materials prior to printing so that the material itself can be optimized prior to printing any parts.

The Optimize feature in Smart Slice was used to automatically optimize the print settings based on user-defined performance requirements. These requirements effectively define the strength and stiffness targets for the part. The optimization algorithm explores the full design space of the major print settings and finds solutions that meet or exceed the performance. The algorithm realizes the areas of the part which require higher stress and creates modifier meshes which change the settings in these specific areas. This provides a higher infill and greater number of perimeters to strengthen only in the necessary areas of the 3D printed part.

This case study demonstrates the usefulness of Smart Slice in a 3D printing workflow. The Optimize feature was shown to automatically find a print configuration that minimizes print time and part mass while meeting stiffness and strength requirements. It was also shown how the Validate feature can be used to find the best material for a given application. In this study a high-performance material, Polymaker PolyMide™ CoPA, was shown to provide superior stiffness and strength compared to an ABS material.

Laboratory Technologies Inc. (LTI) is a leading manufacturer of laboratory radiation instruments. It has been a supplier of laboratory radiation instruments since 1983, both in the U.S. and overseas. LTI caters to a smaller, specialized market comprised mainly of nuclear labs all over the globe.

 

 

Metal Machining Had A High Cost and its Design was Restricted

LTI’s leading products include the Genesys 1000 series Gamma counters, Genesys Gamma 1 Single Well Gamma Counters, and Wiper Wipe Test Counters. The design of these products was limited by the machining process needed to make them. The original design was manufactured out of cold-rolled steel (CRS) in a single piece. The detector tower was a piece of steel pipe with a plate welded on one end. The plate was then ground down to make a closed pipe with a hole drilled into it. The other end was then threaded to allow a spacer to be screwed internally. Due to not being a simple structure, these two parts were especially expensive to make due to the machining involved.

3D Printing Allowed Smooth Product Development

LTI decided to find a suitable solution that could replace this costly process by using 3D printing in-house. After a few comparisons and trials, LTI purchased a Raise3D Pro2 Plus large-format 3D printer. LTI could experiment with a wide range of thermoplastics and brands thanks to the Pro2 Plus' high-temperature heating capacity. After some experimentation, LTI decided Polymaker polycarbonate (PC) was the right 3D printing material, also known as a filament, for manufacturing.

After choosing the best filament, LTI researched further and took advantage of 3D printing’s ability to accomplish complex angles and shapes that are too difficult to be fabricated in steel. For example, each corner is printed as a fillet instead of at the traditional sharp angle. The upper face is formed in a curved and modern outline. When LTI compared the 3D-printed parts with the equivalent machine-produced parts, the company realized that the new geometry improves appearance and safety. For these types of geometric features, traditional machining requires excessive tool head operating knowledge and a far more advanced solution.

The structure of the old model (left) is simpler than the new model (right)

Due to 3D printing’s ability to form any shape, LTI had a smoother process for their product development. Almost any outline and structure design were possible with 3D printing without additional tool changing. The appearance, as well as functional features such as assembly slots and air vents, were created precisely using CAD design software.

3D printed parts keep all designed features and are as accurate as machining

The iteration of parts development was quick because a Raise3D printer can produce many types of shapes while remaining user-friendly. The Raise3D Pro2 Plus is a smaller-sized large-format 3D printer, with a fully enclosed structure, and a 100-240V AC power supply. Therefore, the printer can be easily deployed anywhere using less space and power. LTI deployed Pro2 Plus directly next to its production line so the engineers could review any modification instantly.

Raise3D printers can be easily deployed and operated in an office environment

With Raise3D’s slicing software, ideaMaker, LTI refined numerous details in the 3D printing process for a few months, focused on achieving the best surface quality and dimensional precision. From ideaMaker’s template library, LTI selected the option with 0.1mm layer height which produces a final printing result with very high resolution and a smooth surface. When maintaining dimensional precision, LTI made the most of ideaMaker’s comprehensive toolset portfolio to mitigate filament shrink ratio. The shrink ratio determines the amount the extruded plastic will shrink when cooling. This results in an offset between the setting value and the actual value of the plastic flow width. ideaMaker allows users to define the extrusion process from multiple perspectives such as differentiating extrusion-related value for different segments, as well as applying a particular value to compensate for shrink ratio.

The Right 3D Printing Material is Essential for A 3D Printed Product

After testing different 3D printing materials, LTI found that polycarbonate (PC) was the best option. But not all PC filaments are the same. Polymaker’s PolyMax™ PC proved to be the best for LTI in the end. PC is the top choice for mechanical performance due to its excellent impact resistance and high stiffness among existing engineering-grade 3D printing filaments. As a result, a PC printed part can absorb impact and prevent deformation or cracks. In addition to these properties, PolyMax™ PC also has good printability. LTI found that a printed PC part was sufficient to protect the equipment. However, PC has a far lower density than CRS.

The success of LTI’s material application also relied on specific material science from Polymaker. For Gamma Counters and Wipers, UL fire rating is important. Flame retardancy prevents materials from burning and helps slow the spread of fire.

LTI immediately jumped at the chance to use Polymaker’s PolyMax™ PC-FR after its launch. PolyMax™ PC-FR’s has sufficient stiffness and impact resistance. Its ingredients are from world-leading polymer supplier, Covestro, which ensures both V0 performance in the UL94 flame retardancy test along with excellent toughness, strength, and heat resistance. PolyMax™ PC-FR also has the advantages of reliability and ease of use. LTI finally chose this material for its production.

A functional car jack printed by PolyMax PC

Finalizing 3D Printed Parts With Simple Post-Processing

LTI executed post-processing on printed PC parts as a last step of production. Once printing finished, parts were lightly sanded for 5-10 seconds to remove burrs and imperfections. All exterior parts were painted internally with a conductive nickel RF shielding paint, while external surfaces were primed to fill in the minor nooks and crannies resulting from printer extrusion. Once dried, they were again lightly sanded for 30-60 seconds and wiped clean. Then, a layer of hammered finish paint is used to give the parts a metal look.

The surface became nicely textured after simple post-processing

3D Printing Enables Better and Cheaper Products

After months of development, LTI achieved remarkable product optimization by means of 3D printing. By redesigning structures, new exterior plate by Polymaker’s PC was strong as previous design by CRS but 10 pounds (9.5kg) lighter. The reason is that PC density is only 1.2 gram/cm3 while CRS weighs six times more as 7.8 gram/cm3. In terms of cost, the total cost of a product from 3D printing process was only 25% of the original process. This was mainly resulted in 94% cheaper parts from 3D printing compared to machined parts.

Polymaker introduces two new flexible filaments to the PolyFlex™ family offering faster printing and more flexibility. With the surge of 3D printed personal protective equipment (PPE) last year, flexibles proved themselves as a vital tool in the additive repertoire. 3D printing as a production tool demonstrated its potential by manufacturing locally when existing supply chains were constrained.  Flexible filaments were a key player in this space and the 3D printed flexible face mask extender was invented to help medical stuff relieve strain on their ears. However, the printability and printing speed for flexibles remains limited, a factor which is determined by the melt index of the filament. Polymaker has developed these two new materials in partnership with Covestro to help boost the productivity of flexibles in the additive workflow.

PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF

PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF, is a High Flow (HF) TPU created from Covestro’s Addigy®️ family. The flow rate of flexible materials has always lagged far behind rigid materials which has been the limiting factor effecting the printing speed. TPU95-HF has a melt index of 9.3 (g/10min at 185°C) which is even higher than regular PLA. This allows for double the printing speed compared to other flexible filaments. TPU95-HF is designed specifically for high speed printing, combined with excellent UV resistance, PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF unlocks new applications for flexible materials in manufacturing.

The increased melt index allows the material to print faster. Contrarily to other TPUs on the market, TPU95-HF does not require a high temperature for high speed printing which results in better cooling, improved surface quality, steeper overhangs and finer details. PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF is available in black and white.

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a damaging factor for plastics and long exposure changes the properties of the material often leading to brittle, weak, and discolored parts. All plastics which operate outdoors are therefore at risk which is usually mitigated by post processing parts with a protective coating. The color difference of PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF is imperceptible after being exposed to fluorescent UV after 72 hours under ISO 4892-2 weathering test standard.

YouTube video

PolyFlex™ TPU90

PolyFlex™ TPU90, created from Covestro’s Addigy®️ family, is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based filament designed to provide a high degree of flexibility without compromising on printing ability. Displaying a high resistance to ultra-violet (UV) light, this filament is perfectly suited to demanding applications in a variety of environments.

The shore hardness of this new TPU is 90A and the elongation of break of it is 638.8%  ± 15.5. This delivers printed parts with incredible toughness that can stretch over 6 times before breaking. Displaying more ductility than PolyFlex™ TPU95 (shore hardness 95A) while maintaining the same printability thanks to an improved melt index. Its UV resistance opens the door to exterior applications where flexibility and durability are required. PolyFlex™ TPU90 is available in black, white, grey, and teal.

The 2 new TPU products are now available from Polymaker resellers, Polymaker website, and on Amazon (US).

Tips for using Polymaker TPU products:

Bed surface:

The PolyFlex™ family can be printed on glass, buildtak or similar products, PEI sheet or painters tape. Using Magigoo Pro Flex can improve the adhesion of PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF on the printing surface.

Direct and indirect drive extruders

Usually it is recommended to use direct drive printers to print TPU, however the high flow properties of PolyFlex™ TPU95-HF allows the material to achieve high printing speed even on indirect drive printer.

Dry box system

TPU is susceptible to absorbing moisture from the air which can subsequently affect the quality and mechanical properties of the final prints. We recommend using PolyBox™ to prevent moisture absorption. If the filament has absorbed moisture it can be dried at 70˚C for 12 hours in a convection oven.

Polymaker has partnered up with Thomas “The 3D Printing Guru” on TikTok to bring printing tips and tricks to a wider audience. Thomas Komar, a graduate of Bentley University is applying his passion for 3D printing in combination with his digital marketing and video production skills. The 3D Printing Guru has fast become one of the most popular creators on the platform promoting Thomas’s belief that additive manufacturing is the future to sustainable manufacturing in short easily digestible videos.

 

 

The short to-the-point nature of TikTok videos allows Thomas to quickly share his 3D printing techniques, ideas, and methodologies with his community. Thomas believes that the community built around his TikTok page is the most valuable benefit from his latest endeavour, hoping to inspire more young makers to start printing and join the AM revolution. Thomas personally joined the additive manufacturing community in 2014 and since then has been printing every day honing his skill set. Now with a large following on the social media platform Thomas hopes to leverage his position and share his passion for 3D printing with a wider audience.

 

“additive manufacturing is the way of the future and its ability to be sustainable and operate on a reduced waste framework thanks to the industry’s only use what you need methodology is the driving factor.” – Thomas Komar – The3DPrintingGuru

 

The 3D Printing Guru is currently running a Christmas Special focusing on the Polysher™ and PolySmooth™ removing the layer lines from Christmas decorations and giving present ideas to his viewers. The ability to completely smooth 3D prints and create a glossy surface is creating a lot of buzz on the social media platform and Thomas is full of new ideas of how to apply Layer-Free™ technology.

 

Polymaker is constantly looking to support content creators in the community who share our passion for 3D printing and also our vision that 3D printing will shape the future of sustainable demand-driven manufacturing. Keep an eye out on The 3D Printing Guru’s page for more Polymaker content.

We invited the 3D printing community to show off their engineering skills and design the strongest 3D printed hook to compete in a head to head tensile strength battle.

During this single-elimination tournament, two hooks will be linked together and pulled apart until one of them breaks or let go. From the qualifiers to the final, only one will survive! However, the top 3 hooks will all be rewarded with prizes.

We have received entries from 27 countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

 

How to watch the battles:

You can follow the battles on Polymaker YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Polymaker/videos

 

Dates of releasing new battles:

The 1st video was released on 10th Nov. Now, every Tuesday and Thursday we will release a new video until the final battle held on the 8th December.

 

If you missed the chance to enter a hook into the competition you can still win spools as a tournament spectator!

 

Here is how it works:

Click the gleam.io link and complete the 4 actions to submit your guess on the Polymaker Hook Tournament winner. The earlier you submit your guess the more spools you can try to win!

After the release of the final video on 8/12/20 we will draw the winner from the people who guessed the right hook:

 

Submit your guess before 11/17/20 9pm (GMT+8)

You will win 50 spools of your choice!*

 

Submit your guess before 11/24/20 9pm (GMT+8)

You will win 30 spools of your choice!*

 

Submit your guess before 12/1/20 9pm (GMT+8)

You will win 10 spools of your choice!*

 

Submit your guess before 12/8/20 9pm (GMT+8)

You will win 5 spools of your choice!*

 

*within Polymaker portfolio (only spools £1kg)

**Shipping included only for US, EU, China, Australia, Japan, Canada and Mexico.

 

Here is the link to enter and have fun:

https://gleam.io/zN1dv/polymaker-hook-tournament

 

we also recommend you to read this blog from 3DWithUs, and you can also follow the battles from there.

(click the picture above to read the article)

Alexander Senger from the Polymaker community created an awesome battle bracket with the pictures of each participant. You can also refer to this link for the updated brackets: http://latesthookcontest.s3-website.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/

 

 

Backstage pictures leaking:

 

What is a TDS?

a Technical Data Sheet (TDS) summarizes the performance and technical properties of a 3D printing material delivered through a series of standardized tests. This allows users to choose certain characteristics specific to their application when choosing the right 3D printing material. With the advancement of Polymaker’s industrial range, the TDS plays an integral role in highlighting each product’s varying characteristics and additionally, supplies the end-user with the basic print settings and tips to begin developing print profiles.

All TDS tests are conducted with 3D printed specimens in the X-Y and Z axis and depending on the characteristics of the material, specific tests and environments are used. This provides our end-users with the most accurate and appropriate information for their 3D printing application.

Why does Polymaker introduce a new version TDS?

Polymaker's products are increasingly being used in professional and demanding applications. Knowing what to expect from a material is critical to a parts performance and can aid in the behavioral analysis and curation of 3D printed parts in end use applications. We want to build on the information already found in our TDS and provide more in-depth technical parameters for our customers.

What’s new?

  1. Moisture Absorption Curve

The moisture absorption curve is determined by the nature of the material itself with some materials more susceptible to moisture ingress than others. The problem of moisture absorption will not only affect the 3D printing process, but also is affecting the properties of a 3D printed part after printing.

If a filament has absorbed moisture, when reaching a heated nozzle, the moisture heats up and rapidly expands rupturing the filament, causing bubbles and inconsistent extrusion. This can significantly reduce mechanical properties and layer adhesion causing print defects such as oozing, stringing and poor surface quality.

In order to solve this problem, Polymaker completely dries all products before vacuum sealing them in an aluminum foil bag with a desiccant. Polymaker also offers the PolyBox™ as a storage solution for all filaments during storage and printing.

To help users to understand how filaments absorb moisture, Polymaker has added the Moisture Absorption Curve into the new version TDS.

In the Moisture Absorption Cure, you can learn how a filament absorbs moisture under the standardized testing condition of 70% relative humidity at 23℃。

  1. Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) Curve

There are different ways to illustrate the concept of “Heat Resistance”. Polymaker used to provide glass transition temperature, melting temperature, crystallization temperature, decomposition temperature, and Vicat softening temperature in the TDS. Now Polymaker has added heat deflection temperature (HDT) to further the understanding of heat resistance in a 3D printed part.

The heat deflection temperature is the measure of the temperature at which a polymer undergoes a certain amount of deformation under a constant load. The test is conducted by placing a 3D printed specimen under a constant load, while steadily increasing the temperature by 2 °C/min. The displacement is measured over a range of 10mm and plotted to create the HDT curve.

The heat deflection temperature is determined by the following test procedure outlined in ISO 75. The test specimen is loaded in three-point bending rig in the edgewise direction. The outer fiber stress used for testing is either 0.455 MPa or 1.82 MPa, and the temperature is increased at 2 °C/min until the specimen deflects 0.34 mm. This is similar to the test procedure defined in the ISO 75 standard.

Whilst comparable to HDT, the Vicat softening temperature differs by providing a testing method that simulates the point at which temperature softens the material’s physical properties enough for an external object under a set pressure to penetrate the outside surface of the specimen by 1mm.

What else?

Aside from Moisture Absorption Curve and Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) Curve, Polymaker will also add light transmission, flame retardancy, chemical resistance, thermal conductivity, and heat shrinkage rage into future versions of the TDS.

Where to find the new version TDS?

You can find the new version TDS from the DOWNLOAD section of Polymaker website.

Anisoprint, developer of continuous fiber 3D printing technology for the manufacturing of optimal composites, has presented two new 3D printing materials developed by Polymaker — Smooth PA & CFC PA.

These new materials have been developed to work in tandem with the Composite Fiber Co-extrusion (CFC) technology at the heart of Anisoprint. This can deliver continuous fiber reinforcement within 3D printed parts which greatly improves tensile strength and stiffness allowing further refinement and practicality of end-use 3D printed parts.

The success of CFC 3D printed parts is dependant on the mating of material and fiber inlay to create a homogenous plastic part. The CFC PA provides the perfect interface surface with Anisoprint's composite fibers, while the Smooth PA delivers a higher quality surface finish for exterior perimeters and details. This combination delivers incredibly tangible 3D printed parts with a lustrous surface finish while benefitting from the added strength and stiffness of the continuous composite fiber.

"We see huge potential in CFC 3D printing, the ability to enhance 3D printed parts in this fashion allows an even greater degree of part optimization. When you hold one of these parts in your hands you really understand the benefits that the Anisoprint technology offers." - Luke Taylor - Marketing Manager, Polymaker

Besides the 3D printers, reinforcing materials and software, Desktop Anisoprinting includes:

In combination with Anisoprint’s science-intensive technology of continuous fiber 3D printing, Desktop Anisoprinting allows manufacturers to obtain optimal composite parts with the minimum risk of failure, wasting no time and money. 

Printing profiles

Anisoprint’s engineers have developed and verified printing profiles for a wide range of plastics, that include ideal temperature, speed, layer thickness, cooling, and other settings. There is no more need to waste material for tuning, you can print perfect composite parts right away. 

Composites basics online training course

Anisoprint technology was developed by engineers and scientists with decades of experience in composite materials manufacturing. Now you can use their knowledge to take special training courses. This way implementation of continuous fiber 3D printing technologies to your manufacturing process will be as if you’re working together with the composite materials experts.

‘Adopting new technologies is always a challenge, but it's the only way to compete and survive in the modern economy. We want to support our customers in this journey and help them to make it smooth. That's why we are launching Desktop Anisoprinting - there is everything you need to start 3D printing with composites and introduce yourself to the future of manufacturing’ — says Fedor Antonov, CEO of Anisoprint. 

Desktop anisoprinting solution will be available for sale from the end of November. You can get a quotation at the company’s website: www.anisoprint.com

To learn more, join the webinar on the 15th of October where Fedor Antonov, Anisoprint CEO, will tell more about Desktop Anisoprinting. Register for free here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odOitrD8tGNVowx6X19f9LeaFHP0vNBFE

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.

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2020 – 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.

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 aim 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.

Polymaker is hosting a 3D Printed Hook Tournament.

We invite the 3D printing community to show off their engineering skills and design the strongest hook!

During this single-elimination tournament, hooks will face each other in a tensile strength contest until one of them breaks or let go. From the qualifiers to the final, only one will survive! However, the top 3 hooks will be rewarded with the below prizes.

We will start accepting entries from August 25th to September 25th.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to follow the tournament

https://www.youtube.com/c/Polymaker

There are several factors that could influence the overall strength of the 3D printed hooks. The obvious one is the material choice however in this tournament we want to focus on your design and printing skills so the material will be fixed for everyone. Other factors are:

Design:
As the hook has to be an open geometry, the design choices are crucial to prevent unnecessary deformation and take full advantage of the 50g of material you are allowed to use. The size and shape of the hook are free as long as it follows the other specifications and the hook has to be only one piece!
Slicing:
Although the STL file will give you the shape of your hook, the slicing part is also important to take advantage of certain printing settings which will enhance your hook strength.
Printing:
Finally, the printing process is the final step, properly maintained hardware and proper printing environment will ensure that the hook is printed as intended!
Several post-processing ways could improve the hook strength however no post-processing is allowed in this tournament.

What are the characteristics of the hook?
- Printed in PolyMax™ PLA (any color)
- Printed with a 0.4mm nozzle
- The weight should not exceed 50g
- The hook must allow two quick links to attach on both sides for the test (if not intuitive please attach a quick drawing of where to attach the quick links with the hooks)
- The hook must be open, it cannot contain any complete “holes”
- No post-processing (Coating, polishing, painting, annealing...)
- No internal reinforcement (steel bars, carbon fibers, ...)

*EDIT: 09/15/20 Due to the receiving of a few inquiries we would like to highlight that support removal IS indeed a post-processing step. Please note that if you have any doubts about the rules we would recommend to check with us prior to start designing the hooks.

*EDIT: 09/18/20 After receiving 2 entries a little bit on the edge of the rules which we have not predicted, we would like to highlight that the spirit of the tournament was mainly around a tensile strength battle. Although we admire the creativity and effort, we will not accept "hooks" which will make the two metal S-hook hooked on themselves since this way there will be no tensile strength applied to the PLA hook

How are we going to test the hooks?
- The two hooks will be hooked to each other as well as to the tensile test machine by metallic “s” hooks (the metallic “s” hooks are described in the following image).
- A tensile force will slowly increase until one of the hook let go or breaks.

Check this demo video for the hook battle setup

YouTube video

Who can participate?
- All individuals interested in participating in the tournament are welcome
- Companies can also send an official hook to represent them (only one design per company, the hook will be named after the company but it must be sent under the name of a person and this person will receive the prize in case of reaching the final)

How many hooks to send?
3 exactly same hooks have to be printed:
- The first hook will be used for the 64th, 32nd, 16th, 8th and quarter-final
- The second hook will be used for the semi-final
- The third hook will be used for the final or the secondary final.

How to send the hook?
- Here are the 5 addresses you can send the 3 hooks to:

US:
Contact: Cody McKenzie / Number: +1 8437079015
Address: Polymaker LLC, 29 Plantation park DR STE 503 Bluffton, SC 29910 - 9005

EU:
Contact: Luke Taylor / Number: +31 302819683
Address: Polymaker B.V, Vondellaan 106, 3521 GH Utrecht, The Netherlands

China:
Contact: Oriana Serra / Number: +86 2155970153
Address: Polymaker, 1018 Miyun Road, building 701, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200092

Japan:
Contact: Wada San / Number: +81 08010926514
Address: Higashiikebukuro 5-73 Bldg Nagashima 6F Toshima-Ku, Tokyo 170 0013

Australia:
Contact: Michael Tyson / Number: +618 8464 0554
Address: 1 / 1265 Main North Road, Para Hills West, SA 5096

- Put the hooks in a bag with the participant name.
- Before sending the 3 hooks please fill in the following form to record your entry:
- We accept all hooks and the packages sent before September 25.

The first 128 hooks will join the formal contest. But we have to weigh them and check if the hooks meet all the requirements.
If we have another 128 hooks that meet the requirements, we will do a bigger contest and include them all.
If any of the first 128 hooks are disqualified, we will choose the hooks from the rest based on its entry recording form submission time.

Check the latest update of this tournament from this article:

3D Printed Hooks – Polymaker Hook Tournament

Watch the video to learn how to participate in the Hook Tournament.

YouTube video

Don't worry if you don't know how to design a hook. You can quickly master the designing skill on polymaker.ptt.live

YouTube video

Check out how you can make your hook stronger

YouTube video

CNC Kitchen will quickly tell you about the contest, how you can enter and what we can learn for rock climbing equipment to create the strongest hook in this video above.

YouTube video

Check the video from The 3D Print General

Who has the strongest 3D printed Hook? Join the Game!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (Polymaker) to follow the videos of the tournament, will broadcast the battles from the 64th to the final. You can also check the status of the tournament on Facebook (Polymaker.3D), Twitter (Polymaker_3D), and Instagram (polymaker_3D).

Polymaker is now offering PolyMax™ PLA GREY on a 3kg spool. You can find it from Polymaker’s resellers, Polymaker website, and also Amazon.

PolyMax™ PLA is produced with Polymaker’s patented Nano-reinforcement technology creating a filament that is much tougher than regular PLA while still keeping all the inherent printing qualities. Paired with Jam-Free™ technology, this material offers high strength parts that print perfectly on desktop printers. Engineers worldwide are already producing functional prototypes and working parts with PolyMax™ PLA.

The 3kg net weight enables continuous 3D printing without the need to change filament on large projects.

Grey now joins Black and White in the 3kg spool offering for PolyMax™ PLA.

July 8, 2020- On the first day of the TCT Asia exhibition in Shanghai, Polymaker and Covestro are jointly promoting their latest application - 3D printed fabric.

Covestro and Polymaker have been in partnership for years to promote high-performance 3D printing materials and to develop new 3D printing applications. This time, Covestro and Polymaker have jointly developed a new processing technology with the industry's top 3D printer manufacturers INTAMSYS and Raise3D to improve mass production and efficiency of 3D printed fabrics. The INTAMSYS FLEX 510 printer and Raise3D E2 printer are highly adapted for printing flexible materials which match the characteristics required for 3D printed fabric.

As 3D printing technology has been widely integrated into manufacturing, sport & leisure, medical and other fields. 3D printing is now offering new applications to the textile industry which offer both mass production alongside mass customization. 3D printing fabric may not only provide a more environmentally friendly solution, but also offers a new manufacturing method to the centuries old weaving process.

The 3D printed fabric jointly developed by Covestro and Polymaker takes a new approach to fabric manufacture by utilizing 3D printing to create a 2D fabric. This has more practical value other than waste reduction and can create patterns and style with use of computer algorithms. The 2D fabrics are then integrated into the existing workflow to create a customized 3D object such as: hats, shoes, bags, scarves, gloves and other clothing accessories.

Compared with traditional fabrics, 3D printing fabrics have many advantages, such as:

  1. Flexible production process with both mass production and customized production

Taking the production of 3D printed shoe uppers as an example, a complete upper could be printed in 30 minutes. A single 3D printer could produce 48 uppers 24 hours a day. And due to the characteristics of 3D printing technology, the design of each shoe upper produced in theory can be completely different. So, 30 devices could produce more than 10,000 fully customized uppers in a week.

Customization and mass production of 3D printed fabrics could go hand in hand for the first time.

  1. Unique textures and patterns

Relying on 3D printing technology, it is possible to make textures and patterns that are difficult to produce with traditional production methods, such as moiré, shape changes, and density gradient effects.

For this unique advantage, Polymaker has developed a software for the designing and slicing of 3D printing fabric.

  1. Digital design and automated production

The design of the 3D printed fabric can be fully digitized. Using the software developed by Polymaker, design styles such as shape change, density gradient, and random lines can be achieved through algorithms. While the design freedom is greatly improved, 3D printing technology can also be able to produce these complex styles.

The production process of 3D printing fabrics can all be handed over to 3D printers to achieve 24-hour automated production, without human intervention in the printing production process.

  1. Programmable property

In order to meet different elasticity, strength, and hardness requirements, in addition to the performance of the material itself, the texture design and printing method of the fabric also have a critical impact. Polymaker and Covestro have explored and developed valuable methods and experience in this regard using algorithms to generate organic texture where strength is needed while allowing more breathability in areas of less stress. This allows designers to optimize their fabric and create tailored 2D patterns in the most lightweight and efficient way, in high-stress applications such as the printing of running shoe patterns this advantage becomes obvious, where lower stress fabrics can make use of the aesthetic advantages.

In the selection of materials for the development of 3D printing fabrics, Polymaker cooperated with Covestro to select from the many varieties of TPU for 3D printing development. TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethanes) is a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, which has a wide range of hardness, wear resistance, oil resistance, transparency, and good elasticity. It is widely used in daily necessities, sports goods, toys, decorative materials and other fields in traditional manufacture.

Covestro TPU materials are rich in variety and performance. In response to different elasticity, strength and hardness requirements, Polymaker selected the corresponding TPU raw materials, formulated the 3D printing technology modulation formula, and developed 3D printing materials. The 3D printing fabrics released this time include 90A and 95A, two hardness materials.

  1. Integrated design and production to reduce waste in the production process

Facing the important global issue of environmental protection, 3D printing may better reflect its advantages. The integrated design of 3D printing could reduce the waste in the production process,  and even target zero waste. In addition, in the production process of 3D printing, no water is used, no water is wasted, and water is not polluted. Compared with traditional production methods, the advantages of environmental protection could be significant.

Polymaker and Covestro have joined forces to vigorously promote the application of 3D printing in the textile industry and help the transformation and upgrading of 3D printed fabrics from artwork to industrialization.

Covestro Business Development & Partnering APAC Yvonne Wang (left) and Polymaker VP Hang Qu (right)

 

CEO of INTAMSYS Charles Han (middle), Polymaker VP Hang Qu (right) and Polymaker Strategic Business Development department senior manager Raymond Huang (left)

 

CEO of Raise3D Edward Feng (left) and Polymaker VP Hang Qu (right)

 

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a high-tech company specializing in 3D printing materials. It is committed to promoting 3D printing technology in various industries with leading technology, high-quality products and meticulous service. Polymaker products are widely used in automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, medical, consumer and other fields by customers around the world.

 

About Covestro

With 2019 sales of EUR 12.4 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 17,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2019.

We would love to invite you to join Polymaker Easter Contest to win Polysher & PolySmooth! Plus you will receive a 20% discount on our website for participating in the contest.

 

2 Prizes: each consists of 1 Polysher & 2 PolySmooth

Bonus: any participant can get a 20% OFF coupon for Polymaker website

 

 

Follow the 4-step to join Polymaker Easter Contest:

Step 1:
Print an egg (or any objects related to the Easter), post the picture on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and tell us the story behind it. Use the hashtag #polymakereaster and tag us before 12th April.

Step 2:
Take a screenshot of this post and send it to us by private message along with: Complete Name, Email, City and Country.

Step 3:
Every person who does this will receive a 20% OFF coupon for any of Polymaker product on our website and will enter the contest for the Polysher™ and PolySmooth™.

Step 4:
We will pick 2 winners.


The whole world is facing an unprecedented challenge. Medical staff are fighting against the COVID-19 by devoting themselves to the frontline. We common people are fighting against it by being in quarantine to prevent spreading it. We understand that it is boring to be unable to meet with family, friends, classmates, and colleagues during the quarantine. We hope 3D printing can accompany you through this difficult time and do something special for the Easter holiday.

Polymaker has recovered to full production capacity and has shipped products around the world already. We will do our best to maintain the supply of materials and provide sufficient products for all Polymaker customers.

We are looking forward to your participation in Polymaker Easter Contest!

Polymaker has launched 20 kinds of 3D printing filaments. In order to make it more convenient for customers to try out Polymaker's materials, Polymaker launched three Sample Boxes (click to see more information) last year and received good responses from customers.

 

In the 2nd half of last year, Polymaker launched three polycarbonate materials. To make it easier for users to test them, Polymaker now officially introduces Sample Box 4 to the market.

The Sample Box 4 contains 5*50g samples(in 1.75mm or 2.85mm): PolyLite™ PC, PolyMax™ PC, PolyMax™ PC-FR, Polymaker™ PC-ABS, and Polymaker™ PC-PBT. It also includes a Magigoo PC sample. These samples require a 3D printer with enclosure for better part performance.

 

PolyLite™ PC

PolyLite™ PC is produced using a polycarbonate resin specifically engineered for 3D printing. It delivers good stiffness and heat resistance with light-diffusing properties.

 

PolyMax™ PC

PolyMax™ PC is an engineered PC filament combining excellent strength, toughness, heat resistance and printing quality. It is the ideal choice for a wide range of engineering applications.

 

PolyMax™ PC-FR

PolyMax™ PC-FR is a flame-retardant PC filament (UL94V-0/1.5 mm) displaying excellent toughness, strength, and heat resistance. This filament opens new applications in the automotive, railway and aerospace industries.

 

Polymaker™ PC-ABS

Polymaker™ PC-ABS is a PC/ABS polymer blend which offers excellent toughness and heat resistance while displaying good surface finish and good compatibility with metal plating.

 

Polymaker™ PC-PBT

Polymaker™ PC-PBT is a PC/PBT polymer blend which offers good heat resistance and toughness at low temperature (-20˚C/-30˚C). Polymaker™ PC-PBT also features good chemical resistance.

 

Magigoo PC

Magigoo is an easy to use 3D printing adhesive designed to reduce warping in FDM/FFF 3D printers. This is MagigooPC, the adhesive specifically designed for 3D printing in polycarbonate plastics. It offers a strong adhesion platform for polycarbonate-based filaments.

 

Sample Box 4 is now available in both 1.75mm and 2.85 on www.polymaker.com .Click the GET A SAMPLE button on the product page and Polymaker Amazon shop to try the materials.

Back in November 2013, Polymaker installed its first dedicated production line and developed a flexible 3D printing filament as the few flexible filaments available at the time had poor compatibility with different 3D printers. Polymaker fine-tuned the plasticity of the thermoplastic to produce a filament that was easy to print while producing soft and flexible printed parts. PolyFlex™ TPU95 marked the third product to join the growing Polymaker portfolio.

 

PolyFlex™ TPU95 is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based filament specifically engineered to work on most desktop 3D printers. It has a shore hardness of 95A and can stretch more than 3 times its original length.

Recently, we have seen a rapid increase in demand for flexible 3D printing materials used for various applications. In order to respond to market demand, Polymaker decided to launch two new colors of PolyFlex™ TPU95: BLUE & RED.

 

They are now available on www.polymaker.com and Amazon with both 1.75mm & 2.85mm diameters.

Sarolea is a revived Belgian motorcycle manufacturer that took on the historic Sarolea brand after the original company ceased production in the 1960’s. The revived brand now focuses solely on electric powered motorcycles, but at the heart of the company is the same passion of motorcycles that founded the original brand back in 1850.

Sarolea develop and manufacture their motorcycles from the ground up using in house technologies originally developed for track racing bikes. After gaining popularity of their designs on the race track, Sarolea decided to design a road going version of their first race bike the Manx 7. Sarolea have been using 3D printing technology at each stage of their production process and have established close technical relationship with Polymaker.

“We use the Polymaker filaments during the design process to check components and assemblies. We also use printing as rapid tooling to create moulds for carbon fibre components and thanks to the incredible high quality of Polymaker filament and the expertise of their engineers, certain components on our racing and production bikes are accurately printed. Components that are inhibitively complex and onerous to make with traditional production processes.” – Rob Mitchell, Sarolea

3D printing technology can bring huge advantages to the automotive industry in all aspects. Sarolea has integrated 3D printing into every stage of their production cycle, utilizing many different materials and their unique properties in the design, production and ultimately for the manufacture of parts that operate on the road and race bikes.

 

Stage 1: Design & RnD

Applications: Prototyping, concept design, design iteration

Advantages: low cost, short lead time, lightweight, design freedom, quick verification of appearance and functionality.

Description:

Both PolyMax ™ PLA and PolyMax ™ PETG are used for prototyping. For the Manx 7 electric superbike, the entire bodywork was prototyped using PolyMax ™ PLA. The printability, reliability and toughness play a role in this application. On the N60 model, Sarolea used PolyMax ™ PETG for bodywork prototyping. Compared to PolyMax ™ PLA, PolyMax ™ PETG is easier to sand and polish, offering an additional 20°C heat resistance compared to PLA. This allowed Sarolea to print and test body work with a professional finish.

PolyMax ™ PLA for bodywork prototyping

 

PolyMax ™ PETG for bodywork prototyping

 

Stage 2: Production

Application: mould making, production jigs, manufacturing fixtures

Advantages: fast and low-cost manufacturing of specific tools for custom parts, effectively reduce production cycle by printing in house. Print negative moulds for direct carbon fibre lay-up.

Description:

Sarolea are 3D printing moulds in PolyMide™ CoPA which they are using to produce final parts in carbon fibre. Both the Manx 7 and N60 have a carbon fiber monocoque chasis, this requires a number of intricate moulds that help with the lay up of the carbon fibre. PolyMide™ CoPA can withstand the high heat and pressures involved in vacuum curing process while the carbon fiber is baked in the autoclave. PolyMax™ PETG is also widely used to make production tools, jigs and fixtures necessary when assembling the bikes.

PolyMide™ CoPA mould

 

 

Stage 3: Aftermarket

Application: Printing production ready parts, customization and spare parts

Advantages: Print finished parts in advanced materials, provide full customization to customers on existing parts, keep digital database of spare parts.

Description:

Sarolea features a number of 3D printed parts in final production thanks to the advanced materials that Polymaker offer. PolyMide™ PA6-CF is used widely in the high velocity air flows and Polymaker™ PC-PBT in use as a cell holder within the custom-made batteries. PolyMax™ PC-FR offers a fire rated material to print fixtures and holdings for the many high voltage circuits and wires that are necessary to run the bike.

Polymaker™ PC-PBT cell holder

 

PolyMide™ PA6-CF air duct

 

Sarolea has found that Polymaker materials are an invaluable tool not only in prototyping but also in the manufacturing and final production of parts for their motorbikes. The technical partnership between the two companies allows Sarolea to push the boundaries of vehicle electrification.

 

From 7th to 10th Jan 2020, Polymaker will attend CES 2020 in Las Vegas. Welcome to visit us at LVCC, South Hall 3, 31521.

 

In 2019, Polymaker launched 10 new products: PolySmooth™ new colors, PolyLite™ ASA, PolyMide™ PA6-CF, PolyMide™ PA6-GF, Sample Box 1, Sample Box 2, Sample Box 3, PolyMax™ PC-FR, Polymaker™ PC-ABS, and Polymaker™ PC-PBT. Polymaker will exhibit all these new products at CES 2020.

 

Up to now, Polymaker has already released 22 different kinds of products providing one of the most comprehensive 3D printing filaments portfolio in the world.

 

Welcome to visit us, talk to our team and learn more about Polymaker during CES.

Belgian based electric superbike manufacturer Sarolea has joined forces with Polymaker under a technical partnership.

Sarolea is a revived motorcycle brand that now focuses solely on electric superbikes. Their bikes are built from the ground up and they have been utilizing 3D printing in every stage of production. Sarolea is using a wide range of Polymaker materials in their production processes and sought to gain a closer relationship with Polymaker by using their application engineer's expertise in tuning and printing of parts. This has proven to be valuable for Sarolea as they explore the printing of new materials such as Polymaker PC-PBT in their battery configurations.

"We use the Polymaker filaments during the design process to check components and assemblies. We also use printing as rapid tooling to create moulds for carbon fibre components and thanks to the incredible high quality of Polymaker filament and the expertise of their engineers, certain components on our racing and production bikes are accurately printed. Components that are inhibitively complex and onerous to make with traditional production processes." - Rob Mitchell, Sarolea

Polymaker will be featuring the N60 electric superbike at the Polymaker booth during FormNext 2019 (Booth Number 1211-E111). Displaying three parts that represent stages of production in use at Sarolea. Furthermore, Rob Mitchell from Sarolea will be hosting an open talk during the show on the Polymaker booth, explaining Sarolea's relationship with 3D printing and the journey from prototyping to production.

 

Polymaker will attend Formnext 2019 exhibition from the 19th to the 22nd of November at Messe Frankfurt. You are welcome to visit us at our stand number 121-E111.

Polymaker has been participating in Formnext since 2016. Formnext is one of the leading exhibitions on additive manufacturing and the next generation of production. Polymaker always chooses to show our latest development of 3D printing materials, case studies and materials solutions for industrial applications etc, in this show to the world.

A sneak peek of what you can expect from Polymaker at Formnext 2019

New industrial range products

Polymaker introduced Industrial Range products to the market this year. So far, there are 4 products available in this range: PolyMax™ PC-FR, PolyMide™ PA6-CF, PolyMide™ PA6-GF, and Polymaker™ PC-ABS. Polymaker™ PC-PBT will be formally launched during Formnext.

 

3D printing material solution for the automotive industry

Polymaker is now offering 3D printing materials that can be used for the automotive industry from prototyping, to the production, to aftermarket applications. The Belgian motorcycle brand Sarolea will be presenting with Polymaker to show how 3D printing can be used from prototyping to production.

 

Large-scale pellet 3D printing

New applications of large-scale 3D printing emerge continuously. Coin Robotics develops large-scale 3D printing equipment and solutions with Polymaker. We will together show three most representative and up to date applications at Formnext 2019.

 

Open talk arrangement

Polymaker will have an open talk area to introduce and discuss 5 topics.

Versatile materials for 3D printing

Polymaker, market leader in advanced 3D printing materials, announced the launch of three new polycarbonate-based 3D printing materials each with unique properties commonly used in the automotive industry. Polymaker has partnered with Covestro to bring these new materials to market taking formulas that are already well known to industry professionals and optimizing them for 3D printing.

The three new materials consist of:

Polymaker™ PC-ABS uses Covestro’s Bayblend® family as its base material which is a commonly used plastic in the automotive and information technology industry today.

Polymaker™ PC-PBT is created from Covestro’s Makroblend® family which is widely used in various industries. Compared to PC resins and PC-ABS compounds, PC-PBT has better resistance to chemicals, which enables printed applications where resistance to intermittent contact with fuels, oils, lubricants, cleaners is necessary.

Polymaker has introduced its nano reinforcement technology that is featured in all PolyMax™ materials. This boosts the fracture toughness of the FR material and produces a flame-retardant filament that can still perform in demanding applications. PolyMax™ PC-FR uses Covestro’s Makrolon® showing a good balance between mechanical performance and safety, which has already been applied in electronic motorbikes, aerospace spare parts, and automotive production.

Polymaker boasts an ever-growing portfolio of cutting edge materials, with 17 unique products covering all your 3D printing needs. The Polymaker team wants to offer a convenient and cost-effective way for its customers to try and experience all of the different materials. These sample boxes allow users can find the most suitable filament for their application while also discovering new 3D printing materials.

Polymaker introduces Sample Box 1, Sample Box 2 and Sample Box 3 to the market.

Sample Box 1

Sample Box 1 contains 7 kinds of commonly used 3D printing filaments with each sample weighing 50g. All materials in Sample Box 1 are easy to use and are compatible with many 3D printers.


PolyLite™ PLA
PolyLite™ PLA is a high-quality PLA designed for reliability and ease of printing.

PolyLite™ PETG
PolyLite™ PETG is an affordable PETG filament with balanced mechanical properties and ease of printing.

PolyMax™ PLA
PolyMax™ PLA is an incredibly easy-to-print filament with improved mechanical properties, making it an excellent alternative to ABS.

PolyMax™ PETG
PolyMax™ PETG offers better mechanical properties than any other regular PETG making it a good candidate for a wide range of applications.

PolyFlex™ TPU95
PolyFlex™ TPU95 is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based filament specifically engineered to work on most desktop 3D printers. It has a shore hardness of 95A and can stretch more than 3 times its original length.

PolyWood™
PolyWood™ is a wood mimic filament without actual wood powder, which removes all risks of nozzle clogs. PolyWood™ is made entirely with PLA using a special foaming technology. It exhibits the same density and appearance as wood.

PolySmooth™
PolySmooth™ is a unique, easy-to-print filament designed for hands-free post processing. The surface can be smoothed with alcohol to achieve layer free models using the Polysher™.

 

Sample Box 2

Sample Box 2 contains 7 kinds of engineering 3D printing and supporting material, each weighing 50g. These products display better overall mechanical strength and thermal properties than the materials featured in Sample Box 1. Theses samples require a 3D printer with an enclosure or with dual extrusion capabilities.

PolyLite™ ABS
PolyLite™ ABS is made with a specialty bulk-polymerized ABS resin, which has significantly lower volatile content compared to traditional ABS resins. It delivers excellent printing quality with minimal odor during printing.

PolyLite™ ASA
PolyLite™ ASA is an alternative to ABS with improved weather resistance. Its UV resistance and excellent mechanical properties make it the perfect choice for real-life applications.

PolyLite™ PC
PolyLite™ PC is produced using a polycarbonate resin specifically engineered for 3D printing. It delivers good stiffness and heat resistance with light-diffusing properties.

PolyMax™ PC
PolyMax™ PC is an engineered PC filament combining excellent strength, toughness, heat resistance and printing quality. It is the ideal choice for a wide range of engineering applications.

PolyMide™ CoPA
PolyMide™ CoPA is based on a copolymer of Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6. The filament combines excellent strength, toughness, and heat resistance of up to 180˚C.

PolyDissolve™ S1
PolyDissolve™ S1 is a water dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and Nylon based filaments from our portfolio. It is specifically engineered to have a perfect interface with these materials while also displaying good solubility.

PolySupport™
PolySupport™ is a breakaway support for Polymaker PLA based filaments. It has a perfect interface with PLA, strong enough to support it and easily removable by hand.

Sample Box 3

Sample Box 3 contains the first two Polymaker Industrial Range products – PolyMide™ PA6-CF and PolyMide™ PA6-GF, and each of them weighs 100g. The industrial range uses cutting-edge technologies to provide reliable, high-quality materials specially engineered for 3D printing in the industrial sector. These samples require a 3D printer capable of reaching a nozzle temperature of 300˚C and equipped with an abrasion resistant nozzle.

PolyMide™ PA6-CF
PolyMide™ PA6-CF is a carbon fiber reinforced PA6 (Nylon 6) filament. The carbon fiber reinforcement provides significantly improved stiffness, strength and heat resistance with outstanding layer adhesion.

PolyMide™ PA6-GF
PolyMide™ PA6-GF is a glass fiber reinforced PA6 (Nylon 6) filament. The material exhibits excellent thermal and mechanical properties without sacrificing the layer adhesion.

Now Sample Box 1, Sample Box 2 and Sample Box 3 are available in both 1.75mm and 2.85 on www.polymaker.com click the GET A SAMPLE button on any filament product page and Polymaker Amazon shop to try the materials.

3D printing technology has become a preferred method for DIY persons, however, the model post-processing to remove layers, the bonding between different parts, painting and so on stay a challenge. A few weeks ago, we noticed an amazing Halo cosplay on social media, the costume was 3d printed using PolyLite™ PLA. This amazing work was done by Alpha to Zeta Industries, and we were very excited to contact them and ask if they would like to share their professional experience with us. We were glad to hear back from Anthony from Alpha to Zeta Industries, they kindly explained all the manufacturing process to achieve such results and were also happy to share it with our community.

If you are interested in cosplays or have challenges building your costumes, you can reach them on social media: Facebook or Instagram. If you are interested in Halo cosplay, you can also visit their group of Halo cosplayers on 405th.com. They have a lot of knowledge to share and are happy to assist new members.

Here is the reply from Anthony explaining how he post-processed his costume:

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us about working with Polylite PLA.  We are big fans of the video game franchise Halo.  And for about 3 years now we have been creating costumes from that franchise under our page, Alpha to Zeta Industries (on Instagram and Facebook).  Our primary tool to create these costumes is our 3D printer, our Lulzbot Taz 6.  Just recently we created a new version of our Spartan Recluse suit using Polylite PLA.  To create this suit, we started with files from Halo 5 Guardians.  From there we extensively reworked the models for 3D printing and added details.  Once we were ready to print, we selected Polylite PLA due to the positive results we have had with it in the past.  To describe the process, I will talk you through how we finished the chest armor.  Picture 1 (Attached) is a picture of the raw 3D print fresh off the printer and assembled.

Picture 1

The first problem that we tackled was hiding the seams.  This is accomplished by filling each seam with a mixture of baby powder and super glue (CA).  Once the seam is filled, an accelerant is added to solidify the bond.  We then sand down these seams to make the area flush.  Picture 2 (Attached) shows the seams after they have been filled.  And Picture 3 (attached) shows them after they have been sanded down.

Picture 2

Picture 3

We then cover the whole piece with a product from Smooth-On called XTC3D.  This is a two-part epoxy that fills a large amount of the layer lines while also adding a degree of strength.  Once the epoxy has cured, we begin the extensive process of sanding.  This process is three parts.  First, we apply Bondo spot putty to the piece in any areas that need filling.  Once it is dry, we sand the piece down with a high to medium grit sandpaper.  Then, lastly, we apply filler primer to the whole piece.  This process is repeated until the piece is smoothed to our satisfaction.  Picture 4 (Attached) shows the piece after one of the rounds of filler primer.

Picture 4

Once the print lines and any other imperfections are filled to our liking, we then wet sand the whole piece up to 1500 grit sandpaper.  This ensures an extremely smooth surface.  Once wet sanding is complete the fun really begins.  Time for color.  We first put down a metallic base coat on the piece.  This base coat is then covered with a clear coat.  This way when the main color is scrapped off the metal will show for a desired ‘weathered’ look.  Picture 5 (Attached) is the piece with the basecoat applied.

Picture 5

After this has dried completely, we then apply the base color and any other desired details.  The final result is the piece ready for cosplay!  Picture 6 (attached) shows the completed piece.

Picture 6

It can be a process.  But our goal is to garner the smoothest finish possible on our costumes and this process has worked great for us so far.  The base print quality afforded by Polylite PLA definitely makes it easier than it has been in the past.  To close, if anyone is interested in costuming or if there are any questions please feel free to message us on our social media channels.  Lastly, if you are interested in Halo cosplay specifically checkout the 405th.com.  The 405th is a group of Halo cosplayers who have a wealth of knowledge and are happy to be of service to new members.

Thanks again!

-Anthony

Alpha to Zeta Industries

The Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) have embraced 3D printing to a degree exceeding all other bodies of education with 3D printed models entering the curriculum in every subject taught on campus. Three years ago, ISBVI started a 3D printing Fab Lab at the school, managed by former student Jacob Ayers.

Dr. Matthew Maurer Ph.D. a professor at ISBVI instantly saw the value of 3D printing and helped Jacob to grow the 3D printing lab into a full-scale operation. With recent boosts in funding and donations, the ISBVI Fab Lab has grown from a janitor’s cupboard with Jacob operating his personal kit-built RepRap to a fully functioning print farm with over 200 3D printers in operation.

Jacob reached out to Polymaker seeking a donation of PolySmooth™ to help provide 3D printed models to the students at ISBVI. Polymaker we happy to donate five hundred pounds of PolySmooth™ 3D printing filament and 5 Polyshers to help post-process the models.

“We’ve been using PolySmooth almost exclusively for the past 2 years of the 3 years we’ve been running. We use the plastic because its: easy to print, it’s easy to post-process, it sands well, it files well compared to other plastics and its smoothable with the Polysher” – Jacob Ayers, Fab Lab Manager, ISBVI.

YouTube video

“When we started this project, the main aim was making models for the classroom, which is important because a lot of blind children see objects only in two dimensions, usually through raised lined drawings. When you put a 3D printed model in their hands, there is a eureka moment when everything falls into place and the subject makes sense for the students.” – Dr. Matthew Maurer, Ph.D. ISBVI

The ISBVI Fab Lab is now encouraging students to join workshops and learn about additive manufacturing as part of design & technology as well as in extracurricular activities. This allows students to gain knowledge of 3D printer operation, CAD software, and post-processing of materials.

“We see some game-changing employment possibilities and workforce development, we are very excited about the possibilities of training students in the additive manufacturing world. Students can learn from the materials and equipment that we have and then drive that knowledge into a career.” – Dr. Matthew Maurer, Ph.D. ISBVI

One project that the seniors are working on is a 3D printed face model of all the class members that are graduating this semester. In this project, the students are learning 3D scanning and file preparation, 3D printing and post-processing. The end result is a 3D printed object they can feel and touch to gain a deeper understanding of their classmate's appearance while also learning new skills.

“We can make the ultimate tactile friendly surface for someone who is blind or visually impaired. When we are creating a tactile object for classroom use, where the information being presented is vital. We don’t want to misconstrued print imperfections for detail. With the Polysher and PolySmooth, we can eliminate all of that with minimal work.” – Jacob Ayers, Fab Lab Manager ISBVI

YouTube video

ISBVI has also partnered with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis, who are working on digitizing their collection of over 10,000 artifacts detailing the life and times of the 23rd President. Charles Hyde, President, and CEO of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site explains how digitizing museum artifacts can help educators access and utilize the collection in a compelling and engaging way. The ISBVI Fab Lab is helping print and process the artifacts to create a touch box of five selected artifacts from the Benjamin Harrison collection to give to the students at ISBVI.

“We are literally taking the collection and putting it in the hands of their students. So, we can explain what these five objects are and how they share the wider story of an American presidency.” – Charles Hyde – President & CEO Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

The students can then visit the home of Benjamin Harrison and experience the smells and sounds of the presidential home built-in 1874.

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential website have 3D scanned over 60 items, ranging from chairs to swords to top hats. All the OBJ files are free to download through their sketchfab collection.

YouTube video

HP Star is a high-pressure research laboratory investigating environments that mimic conditions found at the core of our solar system’s largest planets. By creating enormous pressures and temperatures on a micro scale the scientists at HP Star can study the effects of the universe’s most abundant elements in the most extreme environments.

The goal of this research is to understand what happens to the basic elements when they are subjected to enormous pressure and temperature which will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of what actually goes on inside the core of a planet. Jupiter, Saturn, and our solar system’s jovian planets are made up of mostly Hydrogen and Helium. These two abundant elements are the main focus for high-pressure experiments conducted at the HP Star labs.

To achieve such high pressures within a laboratory in Shanghai, HP star scientists trap hydrogen gas within a sample chamber which is clamped in between two diamonds. A small piece of metallic foil is laser drilled to create a sample chamber ranging from 20-200 microns. The metallic foil acts as a gasket which is precisely pressed between two diamonds providing a sample chamber for the experiments.

Once the sample gas is trapped between the diamonds the scientists can slowly increase the pressure by tightening steel cells that clamp the diamonds together. This crushes the trapped gas to enormous pressures within the chamber thanks to the incredible hardness and carbon structure of the diamonds. The other benefit of using diamonds to create high-pressure chambers takes advantage of their optical clarity. This allows the scientists to fire powerful infrared lasers through the diamonds into the high-pressure chambers recreating the extreme temperatures and pressures found at planetary cores.

Dr. Dalladay-Simpson is using 3D printing to create cell holders that serve as a platform to conduct the experiments. The cell holders contain the steel cells which provide the clamping force exerted on the diamonds. The material requirements for these cell holders are very demanding as the localised pressure and temperature within the chamber can reach 400 GPa and over 3800°C. While this immense pressure and temperature is very localised within the diamond chamber and only occurs for a short period of time, the material of the cell holders still needs to be very rigid and heat resistant to produce reliable experiments.

“The Earth’s core has a pressure of 320 gigapascals (GPa), in our experiments, we can reach pressures of 400 GPa, when we increase the pressure past this point our diamonds tend to explode under pressure, when they go, it’s pretty spectacular.” – Dr. Dalladay-Simpson

PolyMide™ PA6-CF, the latest material from Polymaker has been the material of choice for the lab. “the rigidity and strength of the carbon-filled nylon produces a really solid cell holder, our focal range works in a tolerance of microns and the cells stay dead on after increasing the pressure.” – Dr. Dalladay-Simpson

With a heat deflection temperature of 215°C, PolyMide™ PA6-CF proves itself as a very good candidate for many types of custom lab equipment not just these cell holders. “Previously for custom lab equipment we expected a 2-3 week lead time from our in-house machine shop and often we would need to further modify the equipment. These new materials [PolyMide™ PA6-CF & GF] rapidly expedite that process, while also producing superior and more formative lab equipment.” – Dr. Dalladay-Simpson

At the other end of the temperature spectrum, PolyMide™ PA6-GF has been used to create cryo boxes which study elements at extremely cold temperatures. These cryo boxes are used for cryogenically cooling the diamond tips until they’re cold enough to condense samples on, either as a solid or a liquid depending on the specimen element.

This allows high-pressure research experiments on solid chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and other high-temperature superconductors. This research gives insight into the atmospheric conditions experienced by our solar system's gas giants. “We’ve been pouring liquid nitrogen straight into the 3D printed cryo boxes to rapidly cool our cells, we’ve experienced some non-fiber reinforced filaments crack under the heat shock, the PA6-GF performs very well when subject to these conditions.” – Dr. Dallday-Simpson

For Dr. Dalladay-Simpson the end goal is to produce metallic hydrogen in his lab which has been described as the holy grail of high-pressure physics. Metallic hydrogen is a phase of hydrogen in which it behaves like an electrical conductor and was first theorized in 1935 by Eugene Wigner and Hillard Bell Huntington. Researchers believe that metallic hydrogen is present in large quantities in the hot and gravitationally compressed interiors of Jupiter and Saturn. By using an in-house developed RAMAN scattering technique, Dr. Dalladay-Simpson can probe vibrations inside the sample chamber which he hopes will reveal the metallic hydrogen.

Introducing PolyMide™ PA6-CF & PolyMide™ PA6-GF

Polymaker launch two new industrial materials to the 3D printing market offering the best in class for mechanical properties achievable from extrusion-based 3D printing. The two new materials are both fiber reinforced Nylon polymers that display, incredible strength and high heat deflection temperatures. This allows these new materials to function in more demanding environments and allows 3D printing to produce more practical functional parts. Both these materials feature Polymaker's latest development - Fiber Adhesion™ technology, boosting the layer adhesion of printed parts not only on the x-y axis but also on the z-axis.

PolyMide™ PA6-CF

PolyMide™ PA6-CF is a carbon fiber reinforced nylon (PA6) 3D printing material offering the highest strength, impact resistance and heat deflection of all Polymaker 3D printing materials. The carbon fiber reinforcement provides significantly improved stiffness, strength and heat resistance without affecting z-axis layer adhesion. Featuring a heat deflection temperature of 215°C, this material lends itself perfectly to functioning automotive applications where strength and heat resistance are required from the material.

Door Handle for LSEV Electric Car

Electrostatic Safe Circuit Assembly Jig

PolyMide™ PA6-GF

PolyMide™ PA6-GF is a glass fiber reinforced Nylon (PA6) that offers outstanding mechanical properties, namely, impact strength and stiffness. The material exhibits excellent thermal and mechanical properties without sacrificing the layer adhesion. PolyMide™ PA6-GF can be used to print parts working in a wide temperature range and has been utilized to create custom lab equipment working at temperatures as low as -190°C.

HP Star scientists fill 3D printed Cryo Box with Liquid Nitrogen

PolyMide™ PA6-GF Bracket

Fiber Adhesion Technology™

Fiber Adhesion™ Technology improves the layer adhesion of fiber reinforced materials, by optimizing the surface chemistry of the fibers to achieve better dispersion and bonding to the polyamide matrix. This results in better strength along the Z-axis and reduced mechanical anisotropy when compared to a pure Nylon PA6 printed parts. This in-house technology was developed exclusively to combat the problem of adding fibers to filaments. All other brand fiber reinforced materials show a decrease in z-axis layer adhesion when compared with their non-fiber reinforced Nylons producing a part that is only stronger on the X-Y axis but detrimental to the Z axis. Polymaker's new technology not only solves this problem but actually increases Z axis tensile strength creating more isotropic parts that are strong in every direction.

Polymaker has joined forces with Cults3D for your chance to WIN a Polysher™ and PolySmooth™. The design contest will run from May 15th until August 15th, submit an organic design onto Cults3D to enter the contest.

The design brief is simple! Design an organic shape that is appealing to the eye or an organic object that serves a purpose. Be inspired by living objects in nature and create something that is beautiful, useful or both! Stay clear of hard-edged blocky designs and let your imagination flow.

Models can include, for example, objects related to every kind of elements in nature: wood, stone, crystals, plant materials. For example, you can recreate the appearance of a tree trunk or the effect of ripples that spread over the water. Our best advice: observe nature and create a beautiful and useful object from your observations.

How to Enter?

How will the Winners be Selected?

Participants will be judged on the creativity of their 3D file, on the originality of their photographic staging and on the number of Likes they will receive on their Cults page.

A jury will select the 3 winners. The jury is composed of Luke Taylor Marketing Manager at PolymakerNicolas Tokotuu Product Manager at PolymakerSean Aranda known as The 3D Print General on Youtube and Axelle from Heliox Lab on Youtube.

 

Prizes

Polymaker will be exhibiting at the Rapid + TCT 2019 show from May 21st-23rd, at Cobo Center, Detroit, MI. The Polymaker team is looking forward to meeting you there.

Welcome to visit our booth: 1821

 

What to expect?

New products:

A new weather-resistant Polymaker product will first be shown at [Rapid + TCT 2019]: PolyLite™ ASA is similar to ABS but with improved weather resistance. Its UV resistance and excellent mechanical properties make it the perfect choice for real-life applications or parts that will spend time outdoors. Meet with the Polymaker team to learn more about weather resistance and potential applications for ASA.

 

3D Printing Material Solutions for Industrial Applications:

Polymaker developed a custom grade of ASA with glass fiber reinforcement to produce the world’s first 3D printed plastic bridge project owned by Shanghai Construction Group. The material was fine-tuned to the printing process producing repeatable characteristics to meet the unique demands of this project. As 3D printing develops, Polymaker has witnessed a greater integration between material, machine and process and Polymaker are happy to develop custom material solutions for large scale printing projects like this bridge.

Polymaker will exhibit a small section of the bridge at the [Rapid + TCT 2019].

3D Printed Patterns for Metal Casting:

3D printing patterns for investment casting is increasingly becoming the go-to solution for artisans, engineers, and industrial professionals for short production runs and quicker design iteration.  With Ash-Free™ technology, PolyCast™ allows for a very clean burn out during the casting process, it is a perfect choice for small quantity casting by reducing expensive tooling and long lead times. You can learn more about what PolyCast™ can do at [Rapid + TCT 2019].

 

Polymaker portfolio

As usual, Polymaker is going to show the full range of its ever-growing product portfolio. Polymaker has all kinds of high quality and performance products for you to choose from.

 

Polymaker team look forward to seeing you there!

 

PolySmooth™ Transparent can create some of the highest transparency parts that can be printed with FFF/FDM technology. Following our tips below should help you on your way to creating highly transparent parts with glass-like clarity.

The ability to create highly transparent parts is a great tool for makers and polished parts become completely water and oil resistant. Below we showcase some creative ideas from our community!

Besides, Transparent PolySmooth™ print is watertight and oil-proof. Here are some impressive examples.

Model Credit

Printing Tips

- Make sure that PolySmooth™ is dried before printing it, this ensures there won’t be any bubbles generated during the printing process. (Drying setting: 60℃ for 12hours) PolySmooth™ is a hygroscopic material and can absorb moisture from the air, this can cause bubbles in the filament when printing and will not produce the best optical clarity of the transparent parts. [Compulsory]

- Choose vase mode (spiral mode) or print in a single shell. Printing one shell will produce the most transparent results as multiple shells will bend the light more. [Compulsory]

- Use a bigger nozzle size. The polishing process of PolySmooth™ will soften the material, this means that thin parts may buckle under their own weight when polishing. Using a larger nozzle will help add mass and strength to the single shell walls allowing more complex transparent shapes. The parts will re-harden after the polishing process. [Optional]

- Decrease the printing temperature. A higher printing temperature will cause more bubbles to form between the layers, PolySmooth™ will print at temperatures as low as 160°C however we find that 180°C produces the best results.

- Use the Polysher™ to polish the models. The Polysher™ delivers a constant stream of IPA to the PolySmooth™ models which will gently and evenly turn the surface transparent. As your walls will be very thin, its best to polish in short bursts allowing for some drying time in between cycles. 5-10 minute cycles with 5 minutes inactive drying time inside the Polysher™ delivers the best results. A single-walled print should be nicely polished in 2-3 cycles of 5 minutes each.

- Alternatively spray alcohol onto the print surface evenly, repeating this operation until the print becomes transparent. Spray IPA all over the model and completely coast all surfaces, the majority of this IPA will evaporate away so, you will need to repeat the process every 5 minutes for 4-5 coats. Don’t touch the polished surface until it has resolidified [Compulsory]

- Remember to polish both sides of the shell, internal walls can be shielded from polishing in certain geometries. In some case,IPA can be poured into enclosed vessels and shaken about to coat all surfaces. Remember to empty out any residual IPA if using this technique as the polishing process will be too aggressive with pools of IPA contained inside. [Compulsory]

- A fan can be used to accelerate the drying and solidification process. Point a fan at your model and leave for a few hours, the surface will harden and can be handled after 10 minutes, it will then take a further 24 hours to fully harden. [Optional]

Knowing these tips, you ought to be able to print your own transparent models seen in the pictures above.

Polymaker announces the worldwide launch of PolyLite™ ASA, the fifth member of the PolyLite™ family rounding up the most popular 3D printing materials available today.

 

 

What is ASA?

ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) is a thermoplastic with properties similar to ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), which you might be able to guess from their full names as they share two monomers. ASA features good mechanical strength and thermal properties, but its outstanding feature is its weather resistance, which makes it an ideal candidate for outdoor-use.  As a 3D printing material, ASA has already become a popular choice for automotive prototypes, in construction, and household applications. Now Polymaker has made it widely available for users to print parts that can withstand the elements.

 

About PolyLite™ ASA

PolyLite™ ASA is similar to ABS but with improved weather resistance. Its UV resistance and excellent mechanical properties make it the perfect choice for real-life applications or parts that will spend time outdoors. Weather resistance can be broken down into 3 factors: UV resistance, water resistance and thermal stability of which ASA outperforms many other plastics.

 

Key features:

- Good thermal and mechanical properties:

To break it down, PolyLite™ ASA performs better in both thermal and mechanical properties compared with general ABS filaments. It also features a Vicat softening temperature of 105℃ which slightly exceeds ABS.

- UV resistant

Most plastics tend to become brittle and their color turns yellow when exposed to UV radiation or sunshine. 3D prints of PolyLite™ ASA are UV resistant meaning their appearance and mechanical properties are not influenced negatively by UV light.

- Water resistant

PolyLite™ ASA  is resistant to Environmental Stress Cracking. This allows printed parts to face the outdoors, high humidity and rain over long periods of time.

 

Advantages:

Polymaker developed and produced the 3D printing material for the world largest 3D printed pedestrian footbridge project completed by Shanghai Construction Group. Polymaker was invited to join this project from the very beginning to help develop a custom ASA 3D printing material for the bridge. During the whole processes, through plenty of tests and experiments, Polymaker has mastered the properties, compounding formulas and production techniques of ASA. As a result, PolyLite™ ASA gains several advantages over other ASA filaments:

- Tougher

PolyLite™ ASA has better mechanical properties and is tougher than other brand ASA filaments. (More information on the technical data sheet below)

- Better flow

PolyLite™ ASA is engineered to have the best in class melt index, PolyLite™ ASA filament can be extruded smoothly and easily.

- Better layer adhesion

With experience gained from the 3D printed bridge, our engineers have developed an ASA filament with exceptional interlayer adhesion.  PolyLite™ ASA displays better layer-bonding performance than similar products.

 

Printing tips:

- Building platform surface

Similar to ABS, PolyLite™ ASA tends to warp during printing. To ensure the success of printing, we recommend using BuildTak® or Magigoo on the build surface.

- Turn off the cooling fan

Deactivating the cooling fan will reduce warping and delamination.

- Build an enclosure for your printer

A printing enclosure will help retain heat for large prints increasing the performance of the final parts.

 

Availability

PolyLite™ ASA is now available in both 1.75mm and 2.85mm in White and Black. You can find it on polymaker.com, Amazon, and through our Polymaker resellers.

 

PolyLite™ ASA Technical Data Sheet

Watch the video below to see the history of Polymaker from its humble beginnings to the present day. The Timeline follows all the product launches, technological advancements and key events that shaped Polymaker over the last 6 years.

YouTube video

Layer-Free™ technology, developed by Polymaker was first introduced on their breakthrough PolySmooth™ 3D printing filament which offered users the chance to remove all layer lines from their 3D printed parts via an easy post process. This development allowed PolySmooth™ parts to achieve a finish that is usually void from 3D printed parts and is something that is more commonly seen from traditional injection molding processes. The technology was later used to create an award-winning material which has revolutionized the investment casting industry.

Plastic parts have been around a long time before 3D printing technology was developed and the surface finish has largely been the same, smooth, glossy surfaces that were soft to touch and appealing to the eye. Plastic parts were made this way to aid the manufacturing process, as smooth parts would eject from injection molds much easier as the surface friction is minimized between the plastic part and the steel mold. This enabled a faster production of plastic parts with higher repeatability, and so it became the normalized process for injection molding and standardized surface finish for all plastic parts. This, in turn, shaped the public perspective of what they know as a plastic part, an object that is inherently smooth and glossy object as this was the standard finish for almost all of the plastic parts they have ever encountered.

The introduction of 3D printing changed the way in which plastic parts could be manufactured allowing plastic parts with new geometries that could not be achieved by injection molding. The process of printing vs injection molding is also widely different in the process. 3D printing split computer-aided designs into individual layers and printed each layer on a 2D plane which together formed a 3D object. This naturally changed the surface finish of plastic parts as many layers fused together created a horizontal texture which was not as smooth as the steel injection molds that had been used previously. The surface finish of a 3D printed part greatly depends on the layer height in which it was printed. Smaller layer heights create more detail as more 2D layers can be squeezed into a smaller space and larger layers iron out details as less texture can be dedicated to the shape. With a small enough layer height, a 3D printed part could be printed in a way that made it feel smooth to touch, however, the layer lines are hard to hide from the human eye as the light would reflect differently from the high and low points of the layers obviously setting apart a 3D printed object from an injection molded object. Printing at very small layer heights can create a smoother finish but it also drastically increases the print time as every layer added further increases the path that the extruder must follow. This means to achieve the same feeling as an injection molded part a 3D part would take a very long time to manufacture which is naturally inefficient to production.

3D prints can also be post-processed by sanding the layers until the high points of the layers match the low point and a smooth plastic is revealed underneath. This could then, in turn, be painted or lacquered to achieve a glossy finish achieving the aesthetic look of an injection molded part. This would recreate the image of plastic parts as consumers knew them, but the problems faced are that is it unfeasible to manufacture with such an intense workload in the post-processing of plastic parts.

Polymaker set out to create a technology which could eliminate all layer lines from a 3D printed object while also being a hands-free process requiring no extra work or man hours. The process developed was named Layer-Free™ technology and was applied to their PolySmooth™ 3D printing filament. PolySmooth™ is a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) based material which displays excellent solubility in isopropyl alcohol (IPA), this meant that when a 3D printed part is exposed to IPA, the layers could be quickly melted and fused together. The result is a smooth glossy object that looks like an injection molded part. The Polysher™ was created as a desktop device that could deliver IPA to 3D printed parts in a very controlled manner. The Polysher™ uses an ultrasonic nebulizer to create a cold mist of liquid IPA which is contained within a chamber. 3D printed parts made from PolySmooth™ could be lowered into the chamber and exposed to the fog of IPA which would gently melt the surface layers together. Polymaker found that this process was the best way of applying IPA to PolySmooth™ parts as it polished objects quickly but wasn’t too aggressive allowing details on printed object to remain after polishing.

The Polysher™ also allowed for recycling of IPA as all of the mist is contained inside the chamber, this allows it to re-condense and flow back into the reservoir situated at the bottom of the machine. The Polysher™ also has several safety features that allow it to work alongside your printer as a desktop machine. Firstly, the Polysher™ has a raising platform which elevates the polished object out of the IPA fog allowing users the chance to replace the platform and continue polishing. As the IPA fog is heavier than air, all IPA mist sinks to the bottom of the chamber where is can condense into a liquid and return back to the reservoir. This reduces the chance of any IPA mist escaping from the chamber and into your workplace. The Polysher™ also features two warning lights which monitor the seal of the chamber as well as monitoring the nebulizer. These warning lights cease all polishing processes until the issues have been addressed and a new polishing cycle can be started. The chamber seal light monitors the z-axis position of the platform while checking to see if the chamber casing is properly seated ensuring an airtight seal within the chamber. The nebulizer warning light monitors the frequency of oscillations from the nebulizer membrane. From this data, the Polysher™ can determine if there is an issue with the nebulizer such as, no IPA in the reservoir, the nebulizer becoming unseated or an over-heating problem, all of which will cause the nebulizer warning light and cease the polishing cycle.

The Polysher™ features two different lighting applications, one is the main chamber light which can be dimmed or turned off, the other is a nebulizer light which can cycle through 15 different colours to illuminate the IPA mist!

PolySmooth™ can be used in many different applications ranging from prototyping to production ready parts. Thanks to the unique surface that can be achieved once PolySmooth™ prints have been polished it allows designers to give the finishing touch to their prototypes producing a realistic finish that was unachievable before Layer-Free™ technology. Due to the excellent solubility of PolySmooth™ in IPA, it also allows for large parts to be chemically welded together as the IPA can be used as a solvent glue. Painting just three layers of IPA on the surface of PolySmooth™ will allow individual parts to be joined together allowing for colour combinations with hard edges without introducing any foreign bonding materials. Furthermore, the surfaces can then be polished together to create a smooth surface across join lines, this technique leaves a homogenous surface.

The toughness of PolySmooth™ 3D printed parts also increases after the polishing process, as all the exterior layers are bonded together. This fusing of the layers helps 3D printed parts take an impact and also improves their tensile strength. The Z-axis strength is also greatly increased as fractures along the layers are most common in 3D printed parts. Polished parts also are completely watertight which makes PolySmooth™ a great material for any part that will come in contact with water. This can range from useable vases to kitchenware, to medical applications, the smooth surface is also very easy to clean. The many layers in unpolished 3D prints provide lots of surfaces for dirt to get caught and for microbes and bacteria to grow, eliminating the layers greatly reduces the chance of a part becoming moldy when in contact with skin and water.

PolySmooth™ also allows for easy support removal and clean up, the majority of 3D printers currently on the market are single extrusion machines, as a consequence, complex geometries that require support must use the same support material as the build material. In some cases, this can cause issues as the support can leave scarring on the interface surface where the support meets the model. PolySmooth™ can be cleaned away very easily and any scarring that is caused by the support material can be completely removed once the part has been polished.

Laura Jonas is a Czech company creating unique fashion items using PolySmooth™ and the Polysher™ to achieve a finish that is aesthetically pleasing for their jewelry range.  Combining glossy plastic parts with materials more traditionally found in jewelry making, Laura Jonas has managed to create a look that is unique and beautiful.

Martin Jonas – Head Designer says “I love working with Polysmooth and the Polysher, I used to spend a lot of time sanding and buffing my 3D prints to get them to the industry standard surface finish. Polysmooth has completely removed this process, now I can print our accessories and get repeatable results in the polysher with no extra effort.”

PolySmooth™ has added a new dimension to the Laura Jonas fashion accessories and is a good example of using 3D printing to create final products.

Polymaker has developed a second material which employs Layer-Free™ technology, this material is a specialized casting material that can replace wax patterns used in the investment casting process. The use of Layer-Free™ technology is combined with Polymaker’s Ash-Free™ technology to create a 3D printing filament that both molds very well and burns away very cleanly. The material is called PolyCast™ and has been engineered directly for the metal casting industry. The process of making metal parts from wax patterns is well established and PolyCast™ fits into the process very nicely without disrupting traditional processes. Instead of injection molding wax patterns which are then used to create a ceramic mold, users can 3D print PolyCast™ patterns replacing the wax while also eliminating any need for tooling or injection molding. Tooling is often the limiting factor when bringing new products to market as it is time-consuming and costly. PolyCast™ allows for faster iteration of design and is not constrained by volume numbers or large minimum order quantities.  This major advantage of time and money has seen widespread adoption of PolyCast™ by foundries worldwide, without deviating from their well-established process, they can test new geometries and streamline production by adopting additive manufacturing and PolyCast™.

As previously mentioned PolyCast™ also has Layer-Free™ technology allowing the 3D printed parts to be polished to a smooth glossy surface, this greatly helps the molding process as bubbles can get trapped in between the layers causing defects in the mold which transfer to the metal parts. A typical investment casting process will go as follows.  CAD designs are 3D printed using PolyCast™ and then polished inside the Polysher™, they are then attached to a wax tree which can hold multiple parts and consists of sprues and risers which help guide the flow of molten metal. The tree is then dipped in a ceramic slurry which coats all the surfaces of the tree and 3D printed parts. This is then showered with a silica particle which adds thickness and strength to the mold. This process is then repeated until a ceramic shell is built up around the 3D printed parts that is thick enough to withstand the molten metal. The ceramic shell is then fired in a kiln at temperatures of 1200°C, this cures the ceramic to create a very hard and heat resistant shell. It is during this process that the 3D printed patterns are burnt out of the ceramic shells. Ash-Free™ technology typically leaves and an ash residue of 0.003% by weight after burn out. This means that the 3D printed part has been completely vaporized by the high temperatures in the kiln producing a very clean casting surface on the inside of the ceramic mold. The molds are then used to pour molten metal into which solidifies in the pattern of the 3D printed parts. The metal tree is then broken free from the brittle ceramic shell and the individual parts are cut away from the tree which can be recycled. Parts are generally post-processed by a CNC milling machine to achieve the desired tolerances for precise machinery. In some cases, metal parts can be easily cleaned up by hand and are production ready without the need of CNC milling. Having a mold that is completely free of ash is essential to the final quality of the metal part and is the key technology that is employed on PolyCast™, Layer-Free™ technology ensures a bubble-free interface layer on ceramic molds and also sealing all surfaces on the 3D printed part which reduces time in the final post-processing of metal parts.

Layer-Free™ technology has given 3D printed parts that finishing touch taking them into the league of traditionally manufactured plastic objects. With all the other benefits of 3D printing, the ability to create a smooth, glossy surface that's watertight and easy to clean is a major breakthrough for 3D printed parts and they serve as a daily aid to our modern lives. By unlocking new geometrical shapes, Layer-Free™ technology has helped open new doors for investment casing allowing shorter lead times and more customization of metal parts. This, in turn, will benefit many other industries and have a truly global impact as we create ever more efficient machines.

SHANGHAI March 6th – Polymaker, the global leader in 3D printing filaments today announced their partnership with Thought3D, producers of Magigoo 3D printing smart adhesives. Polymaker are now recommending Magigoo by adding their PC Smart Adhesive to polycarbonate product information sheets. PC Smart Adhesive aids bed adhesion and streamlines production workflow when printing with Polycarbonate based materials.

Polycarbonates offer some of the best mechanical characteristics of any 3D printing polymer, particularly when it comes to impact resistance. They have traditionally been popular among the automotive industry, applied in high vibration environments but have also gained traction across many other industries, notably Aerospace, Medical, Robotics and functional prototyping.

Polycarbonates can operate in temperatures well over 100°C but they also require high printing temperatures and warm environments, for larger parts bed adhesion is critical to the success rate of a polycarbonate 3D print. Thought3D have developed a special formula dedicated for polycarbonate bed adhesion. Using their smart adhesion technology, the PC formula adheres to printed parts locking them to the heated bed while also easily releasing at cold temperatures.

“There are other techniques for ensuring a good adhesion for PC parts, however, none of them work as seamlessly as Magigoo. The way in which printed parts release once the bed has cooled down is, for me, the best aspect of this product. For large PC prints, Magigoo will save the heart ache of wrenching away at your 3D printer to retrieve your PC part. Users printing PC regularly will understand the value immediately.” - Luke Taylor, Marketing Manager, Polymaker

In continuation with the Printer Manufacturer Partnership Program (PMPP) announced last year, Polymaker is continuing to deliver on its mission of bringing 3D printing to main-stream manufacturing. Functional and small-scale manufacturing relies on repeatable solutions that are achieved through interplay between machines and materials. Magigoo smart adhesives deliver a hassle-free interface between the printed object and machine raising the production efficiency for professional additive manufacturing.

With more industries adopting 3D printing, the specialisation of material, machine and process has become more focused. Thought3D has formulated new solutions to common sticking and warping problems for large format 3D printers dedicated to industrial plastics like Polypropylene, Polycarbonate and Nylons.

The new specialty mixes bring the convenience to industrial users. Adhesives are easily applied, require no change to the levelling of the 3D printing bed. They stick when hot and provide easy release when cooled down. The big difference a user will notice is the ease of cleaning the layer of Magigoo. In essence, new industrial mixes will provide same or better adhesion than alternatives and provide convenience and reliable use.

“We are really excited to work with Polymaker and their highly professional team. We have spent significant time cross referencing each other’s materials to provide highest value to end users. We love Polymaker filaments and are sure that this collaboration will benefit end-users and strengthen positions of both companies making the offering complete. We hope to provide a solution to any presently used and future filament. It is a win-win-win combination for all.” says Andrei-Andy Linnas, co-founder of Thought3D.

 

About Polymaker –  Polymaker is a company dedicated to developing new and functional materials for the 3D printing industry. Since 2013 Polymaker has developed unique in-house technologies that optimize their materials for 3D printing. In 2017 Polymaker won two major awards: “Material Company of The Year” from 3D Printing Industry and “Technology Innovation Award – Materials” from TCT. This marked the company’s growing reputation which is now widely recognized at a global scale. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Polymaker also has global offices in the USA, Netherlands and Japan. With their state-of-the-art research and development center, Polymaker place focus on pioneering development of engineering grade materials for applications across many industries.

 

About Thought3D - Thought3D is a R&D startup based in Malta. In 2014 the company experienced the first layer adhesion problem first hand and came up with a novel smart adhesive, that sticks when hot and releases when cold. Today, Thought3D produces and sells Magigoo and Magigoo PRO adhesives worldwide through a network of resellers and industry partners. Thought3D aims to provide superior user experience in 3D printing by solving the adhesion problem of FDM/FFF filaments.

21st – 23rd February, Shanghai, Polymaker attended 2019 TCT Asia, exhibiting a full portfolio of products, technologies, and cutting-edge applications in various industries. During the show, Polymaker announced to join the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program.

Polymaker is enthusiastic to introduce 3D printing technology into different industries through its best quality products, technologies, and considerate services.

To show the results of working on this, Polymaker exhibited case studies in automotive, construction, aerospace, UVA, fashionwear and gaming industries, covering industrial, professional, and consumer markets at TCT.

Automotive Industry

The eco-car from Tongji University ZEAL team was shown at Polymaker booth. The shell of the car was printed using Polymaker nylon product PolyMide™ CoPA. 3D printing technology helped ZEAL team to create the shape of car shell they wanted which can help to reduce the air resistance. In the meanwhile, the choice of printing material and printing infill percentage can reduce the weight of the car. These benefits enable the eco-car to be more energy-efficient.

Custom Import Arts are a sports car tuning company focusing predominately on imported Japanese sports cars designed for the track. Offering a wide range of services from tuning to remapping, they’ve found that PolyMide™ CoPA is the perfect materials to create custom fixtures and intakes that can withstand the high heat and pressures involved in and around the engine. This display shows an Air Intake printed in PolyMide™ CoPA fitted to a Honda NSX.

Construction

Polymaker & COIN-ROBOT have developed the worlds largest FFF plastic printing system commissioned by the Shanghai construction group to print large scale plastic parts. The first project is a pedestrian bridge which will be the longest 3D printed landscape bridge in the world, located in a public park in Shanghai.

Aerospace industry

Polymaker developed a flame retardant Polycarbonate based material for China Eastern airline to produce interior spare parts in cabins.  The application of 3D printing tech and Polymaker material will help China Eastern airline highly reduce the lead time and cost to get spare parts.

UVA

An Indian company, Drona Aviation, chooses to use PolyMax™ PLA to fabricate the frame of their new generation product Pluto X. PolyMax™ PLA is equipped with Polymaker’s Nano-reinforcement technology which makes it around 8 times tougher than normal PLA. Pluto X is an easy DIY, programmable and crash resistant drone thanks to PolyMax™ PLA.

Fashionware

Czech brand, Laura Jonas, uses PolyMax™ PLAPolySmooth™, and PolyWood™ to design and produce jewelry including Necklace, earrings, bracelet or even rings. The high-quality Polymaker materials and unique aesthetic options allow Laura Jonas to bring their design to life. Skilled designers take full advantages of 3D printing technologies, Polymaker materials’ aesthetic colors, the great toughness of PolyMax™ PLA, and the unique surface finish of PolySmooth™ and PolyWood™.

Gaming

One of the most attractive case studies of the Polymaker booth was made in partnership with Infinite Dimensions. This whole village has been printed using PolySmooth™. After being polished by Polysher™, these miniatures maintain all the details and can be easily painted.

The 3D printed giant LEGO dozer is created by Matt Denton. It took around 600 hours to finish printing all the part in one single 3D printer. When you plan a 3D printing project which will take 600 hours, the reliability and consistency of materials become quite a crucial factor. The huge Lego dozer is printed with PolyLite™ PLA and PolyMax™ PLA. Jam-Free™ technology ensures the reliability and consistency of them.

6 new products were shown at TCT Asia as well

These new products will soon be all available to the markets.

Polymaker will attend [RAPID + TCT 2019] during May 21-23 at Cobo Center, Detroit, MI. If you feel like to know more about Polymaker, welcome to our booth by then.

Pascal Ballot, French Chef and owner of STYX is using 3D printing to customize his chic restaurant in Shanghai. Using basic shapes Pascal quickly creates a sleek looking napkin holder customized with the STYX logo. The napkin holder positions the STYX napkins so they stand up displaying the branding of the restaurant, they are printed in black PolySmooth™ and finished in the Polysher™. Pascal first prints the individual shapes then assembles the parts with IPA before polishing and sealing the whole utensil in the Polysher™.

Watch Pascal take us through the process below...

YouTube video

Pascal Ballot, French Chef and owner of STYX is using 3D printing to customize his chic restaurant in Shanghai. Using basic shapes Pascal quickly creates a sleek looking napkin holder customized with the STYX logo. The napkin holder positions the STYX napkins so they stand up displaying the branding of the restaurant, they are printed in black PolySmooth™ and finished in the Polysher™. Pascal first prints the individual shapes then assembles the parts with IPA before polishing and sealing the whole utensil in the Polysher™.

Watch Pascal take us through the process below...

YouTube video

Extrusion-based 3D printing remains the most accessible 3D printing technology, due to its wide range of material choice and great user community. However, all materials face the same challenge of surface quality as they cannot escape the layers. PolySmooth™ is one unique filament that offers an answer to layered prints and now Polymaker has launched 5 new colors to add to the range!

In April 2016, Polymaker launched a Kickstarter campaign for PolySmooth™ & Polysher™, a desktop post-processing machine to remove all layers from printed parts and a 3D printing filament that can be easily smoothed with isopropyl alcohol. The campaign was a huge success and the goal was reached in just four hours of launching the campaign. Polysher™ & PolySmooth™ still remains the most successful Kickstarter campaign for a 3D printing accessory to date.

PolySmooth™ offers excellent printing quality, balanced mechanical properties, and most importantly, it is engineered for hands-free post-processing. The surface can be smoothed with alcohol to achieve layer free models using the Polysher™. In the meanwhile, the printing setting of PolySmooth™ is designed to be very similar to PLA, which means it is 100% compatible with existing extrusion-based (FDM/FFF) 3D printers and extremely easy to work with.

 

 

PolySmooth™ has been available in global markets for over 2 years with 7 unique colors– black, white, coral red, electric blue, slate grey, transparent and Polymaker teal. Once a print has been polished it is transformed into a smooth glossy object giving the printed part the aesthetics of an injection moulded part. This means that the color of the filament is more paramount than a regular color on a different material. Users like to utilize the unique colors of PolySmooth™ to create innovative, interesting, and aesthetic items for various application scenarios. As a result, there are more and more voices asking for new colors.

So, we are now introducing PolySmooth™ 5 new colors to the market: Pink, Yellow, Beige, Green and Orange. They are now available on www.polymaker.com and Amazon with both 1.75mm & 2.85mm diameters.

 

 

We look forward to seeing more exciting 3D prints using these new colors!

Lulzbot has just released their PolyCast™ bundles alongside a comprehensive guide for turning your 3D printed parts into metal parts. This tutorial shows the workflow from CAD to metal part using PolyCast™ 3D printing filament with Ash-Free™ technology. The unique properties of PolyCast™ allow for a very clean burn out when curing ceramic molds during the investment casting process. This leaves a very clean surface on the inside of the ceramic mold which is perfect for metal casting. Ash-Free™ technology typically leaves an ash residue of 0.003%.  The Lulzbot Taz 6 has a very large build volume capable of producing very large patterns for investment metal casting. Paired with their wide range of interchangeable tool heads, PolyCast™ patterns can be printed extremely fast with their MOARstruder (1.2mm nozzle) or users can achieve incredible detail suitable for jewelry with their new Aerostruder V2 Micro (0.25mm nozzle) and everything in between.

Cast Bronze Ring printed with Aerostruder Micro

"3D printing patterns for investment casting is increasingly becoming the go-to solution for artisans, engineers, and industrial professionals alike. With LulzBot 3D Printers and PolyCast™, users are able to test designs, iterate faster, and quickly produce short runs while reducing expensive tooling and long lead times. At a fraction of the cost of most additive manufacturing investment casting solutions, LulzBot 3D Printers enable companies of all sizes to speed innovation while reducing costs." - Lulzbot

YouTube video

Read their full article here: https://www.lulzbot.com/learn/tutorials/3d-print-patterns-investment-casting

Polymaker join the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program adding three engineering materials to the Ultimaker Workplace

SHANGHAI, 21st February 2019 – Polymaker, producer of advanced 3D printing materials, today announced during TCT Asia in Shanghai that they will join the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program. Polymaker will add three engineering filaments to the Cura workplace offering Polymaker material solutions to Ultimaker users.

Dr. Xiaofan Luo, President, Polymaker: “FFF 3D printing remains the most practical and accessible one of all 3D printing technologies. The 3 materials we offer via the Ultimaker Marketplace, including PolyMide™ PA6-CF, PolyMide™ CoPA  and PolyCast™, are among the most unique and advanced materials in our portfolio. I believe they will open up countless new applications for a greater number of engineers."

In order to accelerate the synergy between 3D printing material and machine, Polymaker have added three advanced materials from their portfolio to the Cura workplace. This will increase the printing quality and repeatability of parts as all print profiles are stored on Cura. Users will simply select the material profile and start a print in a matter of seconds. Polymaker have started by adding PolyMide™ CoPA, PolyCast™ & PolyMide™ PA6-CF to the alliance program introducing 3 unique materials with engineering applications across a number of industries.

Jos Burger, CEO at Ultimaker: “The growing importance of 3D printing gives us—as a leader in desktop 3D printing—an important role in ensuring a perfect collaboration between hardware, software and materials. By offering material profiles directly to millions of end users via the Ultimaker Marketplace, we unlock new 3D printing applications for different industries. Polymaker is a well-respected material company, offering unique material properties that are relevant for engineers working in a wide diversity of industries. I am proud to recognize their commitment to the Ultimaker Material Alliance during TCT ASIA.”

PolyMide™ CoPA

PolyMide™ CoPA is a co-polymer polyamide (Nylon) filament which combines the high heat deflection of Nylon 6.6 with the stiffness and impact toughness of Nylon 6. Together they produce a well-rounded Nylon filament with a heat resistance of 180°C and a high tensile strength and process ability. PolyMide™ CoPA also features Polymaker’s Warp-Free™ technology, which allows the polymers to crystallise extremely slowly allowing any internal stresses that are caused by printing to be relaxed. This produces a nylon filament which prints with near zero warp on an open bed printer. Furthermore, Warp-Free™ technology allows crystals to form across layers producing isotropic strength on the Z-axis. Formerly, nylon filaments have required enclosed heated chambers, high nozzle temperatures and were generally limited to small printed parts. PolyMide™ CoPA with Warp-Free™ technology releases the constraints previously supressing nylon, allowing engineers more freedom in the design and production of functional 3D printed parts.

PolyCast™

PolyCast™ is a unique 3D printing filament designed specifically for investment metal casting. PolyCast™ completely removes any tooling from the traditional investment moulding process, by replacing wax patterns with 3D printed patterns. Using Polymaker’s Ash Free™ technology PolyCast™ prints can be burned away very cleaning, typically leaving an ash residue of 0.003%. This allows for investment moulds to be cast around 3D printed parts which can then in turn be used to create metal parts suitable for production. PolyCast™ allows for rapid design iteration and is unconstrained by large production volumes as the expensive and time-consuming tooling process is eliminated. Furthermore, investment casting foundries are able to test complex geometrical shapes which are unachievable via injection moulding without diverting from their current casting process.

PolyMide™ PA6-CF

PolyMide™ PA6-CF is a nylon 6 filament with carbon fibre reinforcement, displaying high heat deflection paired with superior stiffness and toughness. PolyMide™ PA6-CF is perfect for practical applications involving high vibration environments where toughness and heat deflection are required. Polymaker have optimised the carbon fiber surface chemistry so that the fibers integrate perfectly within the polyamide matrix. This results in not only a greater adhesion between polymer and fiber but translates into a greater layer adhesion between printed layers. This breakthrough technology has not been witnessed before as fibers generally add stiffness only on the X-Y axis while degrading the Z axis strength. PolyMide™ PA6-CF displays an increased inter layer adhesion creating printed parts that are 30% stronger in tensile strength along the Z axis. Polymaker have jumped the final hurdle inhibiting fiber reinforced filaments, furthermore, PolyMide™ PA6-CF actually improves the layer bond on the Z axis. Paired with Warp-Free™ technology, PolyMide™ PA6-CF demonstrates itself as an engineering material with properties that outperform almost every other filament.

About Polymaker

Polymaker is a company dedicated to developing new and functional materials for the 3D printing industry. Since 2013 Polymaker has developed unique in-house technologies that optimize their materials for 3D printing. In 2017 Polymaker won two major awards: “Material Company of The Year” from 3D Printing Industry and “Technology Innovation Award – Materials” from TCT. This marked the company’s growing reputation which is now widely recognized at a global scale. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Polymaker also has global offices in the USA, Netherlands and Japan. With their state-of-the-art research and development center, Polymaker place focus on pioneering development of engineering grade materials for applications across many industries.

About Ultimaker

Since 2011, Ultimaker has built an open and easy-to-use solution of 3D printers, software, and materials that enable professional designers and engineers to innovate every day. Today, Ultimaker is the market leader in desktop 3D printing. From offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston, and Singapore – plus production facilities in Europe and the US – its global team of over 400 employees work together to accelerate the world’s transition to local, digital manufacturing. ultimaker.com

3D Printed Bridge & The Potential of Large Scale 3D Printing

The world's first 3D printed pedestrian bridge has now been installed in a Shanghai park serving as a physical landmark in the downtown park, as well as a landmark in large scale 3D Printing. The Bridge weighs in at 5,800kg, of which 12.5% are glass fibers that run through the material adding stiffness and toughness to the ASA-3012 3D printing material developed by Polymaker. The Bridge was printed in just over 30 days and is the first project to be completed by the Shanghai Constructions Group's new large format printer.

The printer has a current build volume of 144 meters cubed the majority of which is consumed by a 25m Y axis allowing for very long objects to be printed. This allows the construction group to venture into unchartered territories for extrusion-based 3D printing on a scale never witnessed before. As we've seen 3D printing penetrate almost every other industry it was only a matter of time until the construction guys got involved.

The pedestrian footbridge can take a load of 13 metric tonnes which equates to 4 people per square meter and the bridge is expected to operate for 30 years in the park. The material used to print the bridge is an acrylonitrile styrene acrylate reinforced with glass fibers and developed by Polymaker through their industrial range of materials. ASA-3012 was chosen as the material of choice due to its weather resistance and good mechanical properties. The addition of the glass fibers (12.5% by weight) adds both stiffness and toughness to the material while also lowering the coefficient of thermal expansion.

This means that when the material is heated and printed the expansion and contraction is much more controlled creating flat layers and eliminating internal stress within the material. The extruder on the 3D printer was developed by Coin Robotic who employed a tamping system to ensure all layers are completely level. The extruder is a pellet fed screw drive system with three heating zones, at the business end there is a 5mm nozzle which can pump 8kg of material per hour in 10mm layers.

Retaining heat on this scale proved to be a big issue in the testing phase of building this system, as it can take over 2 hours before the nozzle passes over the previous layer allowing the material to fully cool and crystallize reducing strength between the layers and producing a strong warp. This led Coin Robotic to add four industrial heat guns to their extruder system that bring the previous layer back up to heat prior to laying down a new layer, by raising the previous layer to the glass transition temperature it greatly increases the interlayer adhesion creating boosting the strength and eliminating the warping as the internal crystal structure can grow through the layers.

As development continues in large scale printing it made me wonder what role this technology could play on a grander scale, what if recycled plastics were repurposed to a 3D bridge instead of continuing the cycle of single-use plastic objects and ultimately ending up in our oceans. PETG used to create disposable drinks bottles is by far the most recycled plastic worldwide and shares many of its properties with ASA, what if we could repurpose the recycled plastic creating a long term solution to plastic waste. 3D printing large structures secures all the repurposed plastic in one place on land which is easy to manage, has a defined lifetime and can benefit thousands of people. While I'm always careful to dispose of my PETG bottles in the recycling bin, allowing the plastic to be turned into another single use bottle, how can I trust the next person will also recycle the plastic? Actually, by recycling the material I've given it another chance to end up in the wrong places, polluting our beaches and oceans. Imagine a third bin next to the current recycling and regular bins, called repurposing, a bin in which all materials are repurposed into long term 3D printed projects that can lock the plastic on land and benefit a huge number of people.

YouTube video

【TCT Asia】2019 will be held during 21st – 23rd February at SNIEC (Shanghai New International Expo Centre), Shanghai, China. Serving as Polymaker's "Home" show, they have booked their biggest ever booth, with 3D printed vehicles, a huge range of 3D printed models and even parts of the booth itself are 3D printed! Polymaker will be exhibiting 7 product families, case studies collected from Polymaker's global customers and some of the new products that will be launched in 2019.

Welcome to visit Polymaker's booth. The team is ready to introduce products, technologies, case studies and answer your questions.


Forecast

7 Product Families

Polymaker classifies its existing filaments and hardware into 7 product families: PolyLite™,PolyMax™,PolyMide™,PolyDissolve™,PolyFlex™,Specialty and Hardware. The family concept is helpful for customers to easily select the most suitable materials and helps categorize filaments with room for expansion.

 

7 Case Studies

Polymaker has been involved with 7 fantastic case studies on display at TCT Asia. Each of them can represent a unique application in 3D printing, featuring the manufacture of an Eco-car, Automobile modification, the design & manufacturing of a UVA, large-scale 3D printing applications, Aerospace, and Gaming.

Polymaker has invited their large scale 3D printing partner Coin-Robotics to join the exhibition. Coin-Robotics successfully 3D printed the first plastic pedestrian footbridge for Shanghai Construction Group at the beginning of this year.

Tongji Zeal Eco-Power team will also be on the Polymaker booth with their famous Eco-car which is manufactured using Polymaker Nylon and TPU.

 

6 Technologies

What sets Polymaker apart from their competitors? In house technologies. Polymaker now has 6 technologies: Jam-Free™, Warp-Free™, Layer-Free™, Ash-Free™, Nano-reinforcement, and Stabilized Foaming™.

6 New Products

Polymaker will exhibit 6 new products: PolyMax™ PETG, PolyDissolve™ S1, PolyLite™ ASA, PolySmooth™ 5 new colors, N600CF20(Carbon fiber reinforced nylon 6), and N600GF25(Glass fiber reinforced nylon 6).

 

Polymaker team is looking forward to seeing you there!

Polymaker has an exciting product plan for the first half of 2019. We are adding 3 New filaments to our repertoire and new colors to existing filaments!

 

PolyLite™ ASA

PolyLite™ ASA will add more interesting application possibilities to the PolyLite™ range with its excellent weather resistance and thermal stability. The material of choice for prints that need to face the elements. PolyLite™ ASA also has good mechanical properties and printability.

 

PolySmooth™ & PolyLite™ PLA new colors

Polymaker will add more colors to the PolySmooth™ and PolyLite™ PLA range in order to offer a wider range of choices for users and allow them to transform their digital design into realistic 3D models. This will include, Orange, Yellow, Pink and Green for PolySmooth™ and a Sparkle range for PolyLite™ PLA of Grey and Blue.

 

PolyMide™ PA6-CF & PolyMide™ PA6-GF

After announcing Polymaker Industrial’s new N600 series, Polymaker is working on introducing PolyMide™ PA6-GF and PolyMide™ PA6-CF to extend PolyMide™ family of Nylon based material. These new products will offer higher mechanical and thermal properties while also featuring the now well-known Warp-Free™ technology. Print lightweight parts with incredible stiffness and durability.

 

Polymaker also has some new products lined up for Q3 & Q4 adding more materials to the PolyMax™, PolyFlex™ & PolyMide™ families.

 

Polymaker’s research and development lab continues to develop new technologies to ensure Polymaker materials stay the best option on the market.

Last week, Polymaker made the 2nd journey to Las Vegas attending CES 2019.

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) serves as a global landmark platform for companies to introduce innovations and breakthrough technologies to the consumer market. Polymaker doubled the size of the booth for 2019 and brought the whole product portfolio to CES along with some selected case studies.

 

Case Studies

Polymaker chose to show 3 application cases that clearly illustrate the unique properties Polymaker products offer. These cases were very popular among visitors, with many stopping to check out the detail of the PolySmooth™ miniature diorama.

 

The impressive designs come from Infinite Dimensions Games, and were all printed with PolySmooth™ and polished by the Polysher™.  With the whole set taking over 400 hours to print the level of detail of the models attracted many visitors to the Polymaker booth.

The 3D printed Giant Lego go-kart belongs to Matt Denton and gained a lot of attention from the CES ramblers. The reliability of Polymaker PLA  allowed Matt to print the whole Go-Kart (98 pieces) in just 170hrs. This was all printed on the Taz 6 with the MOARstruder that's capable of printing big layer lines (0.4mm) very fast. Matt opted for Polymaker materials for the ease of printing, Jam-Free™ Technology and dimensional accuracy. This meant he could print quick and all the Lego blocks would snap together with a tight fit.

Laura Jonas jewelry set is always full of attraction no matter where and when it shows up. For most Polymaker visitors at CES 2019, it was their first time to see such beautiful 3D printed jewelry. One gentleman said this might be the kind of thing that could justify buying a 3D printer for his wife. Either way, Laura Jonas continue to lead the way in the 3D printing fashion scene.

New Products

Polymaker launched PolyMax™ PETG, PolyDissolve™ S1, N600(Nylon 6), N600CF20(Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon 6), and N600GF25(Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon6) at CES 2019.

PETG, an already popular material in America last year sees Polymaker add their Nano-reinforcement technology PETG creating PolyMax™ PETG a filament that's easy to print and offers double the toughness of regular PETG. PolyMax™ PETG still offers the great printing characteristics of PETG but with the added stiffness and toughness makes it a great all-rounder filament for everyday printing as well as prototyping. The Nano-reinforcement technology has already been used to produce bestsellers such as PolyMax™ PLA and PolyMax™ PC (Polycarbonate) with the addition of PolyMax™ PETG the PolyMax™ family gets stronger and stronger.

PolyDissolve™ S1 is the first product of PolyDissolve™ family. This family offers dissolvable support solutions for Polymaker filaments, PolyDissolve™ S1 is tailors specifically for PLA, TPU, PVB and Nylon and works well with PolyMax™ PLAPolyLite™ PLAPolyWood™PolyFlex™ TPU95PolySmooth™PolyCast™PolyMide™ CoPA so far. Polymaker will grow this family to offer more support options compatible with more materials in the future.

The Polymaker Industrial N600 series drew interest from the automotive sector in search of practical materials primarily focused on heat resistance. The Glass and Carbon filled options offer the added mechanical properties required by the automotive sector.

The most popular materials at Polymaker booth were the advanced engineering 3D printing filaments including PolyMide™ CoPA and PolyMax™ PC (formerly PC-Max™). It seems that more large multinational companies are introducing 3D printing technology into their internal product development and prototyping process. Advanced filaments such as PolyMide™ CoPA and PolyMax™ PC often top the bill meeting their requirements on toughness and heat resistance.

Last but not the least, Polymaker team would like to show our gratitude to all the visitors who were willing to spend time at our booth, we thoroughly enjoyed our time at CES in Las Vegas and were happy to meet the many enthusiasts pushing the boundaries of 3D printing.

PolyDissolve™ S1 is the first product of PolyDissolve™ family. This family offers dissolvable support solution for Polymaker filaments. PolyDissolve™ S1 is specifically engineered to have a perfect interface with materials while also displaying good solubility.

PolyDissolve™ S1 is a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) material which dissolves in water. This main advantage makes it preferable solution to support when printing complex geometries, overhangs, internal cavities and complicated structures. It liberates you from support removal problems, and enables greater design freedom

So far, PolyDissolve™ S1 is compatible with PolyMax™ PLA, PolyLite™ PLA, PolyWood™, PolyFlex™ TPU95, PolySmooth™, PolyCast™, PolyMide™ CoPA.

Advantages of PolyDissolve™ S1

Now it is available on www.polymaker.com and Amazon. You can also find it from Polymaker’s resellers.

PolyDissolve™ S1 Technical Data Sheet

PolyMax™ PETG is new member of PolyMax™ family. PolyMax™ family consists of advanced 3D printing filaments produced with Polymaker’s Nano-reinforcement technology, which delivers exceptional mechanical properties and printing quality.

 

 

PETG is a Glycol Modified version of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). It becomes more and more popular as 3D printing material. PETG 3D printing filament combines the advantages of 2 most popular kinds of FFF/FDM materials: PLA and ABS. It owns the reliability of PLA (easy to print, no warping, and odor during printing) and the functionality of ABS (strong, tough and heat resistant).

 

Just as PolyMax™ PLA and PolyMax™ PC (used to be called PC-Max™), which are the best of its kind, PolyMax™ PETG offers better mechanical properties than any other regular PETG making it a good candidate for a wide range of applications.

 

 

Pursuing the top-quality products, Polymaker applies the successful experience of creating PolyMax™ PLA and Nano-reinforcement technology to PETG material. Now we are delighted to introduce PolyMax™ PETG to you. PolyMax™ PETG has improved mechanical properties and printability.

 

Advantages of PolyMax™ PETG

Now it is available on www.polymaker.com and Amazon. You can also find it from Polymaker’s resellers.

 

PolyMax™ PETG Technical Data Sheet

 

Hello Polymaker

crosschevron-downmenu-circlecross-circle