Biocompatible, high strength plastic available for direct digital manufacturing or prototyping

Citation

(2008), "Biocompatible, high strength plastic available for direct digital manufacturing or prototyping", Assembly Automation, Vol. 28 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2008.03328caf.005

Biocompatible, high strength plastic available for direct digital manufacturing or prototyping

Article Type: Mini features From: Assembly Automation, Volume 28, Issue 3

Stratasys introduces ABS-M30i for medical, food, and pharmaceutical equipment prototyping or production

Stratasys has announced the availability of ABS-M30i, a new biocompatible material for use with its FDM 400mc™ prototyping and production system.

Stratasys expects common prototyping and production applications to include surgical instruments, food processing and packaging systems, and pharmaceutical handling, processing and packaging applications. ABS-M30i is FDA compatible and meets ISO 10993 standards. The material may be sterilised using either the γ radiation or ethylene oxide method.

In addition to being biocompatible, ABS-M30i offers substantial improvements over standard Stratasys ABS across a number of mechanical properties, including tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength. ABS-M30i mechanical properties for strength are up to 67 per cent stronger than standard Stratasys ABS, and bonding strength between layers is more than doubled, greatly expanding capabilities for functional testing or manufacturing production parts.

“ABS-M30i opens up a variety of direct digital manufacturing possibilities for medical device and food and pharmaceutical companies interested in developing sterile, biocompatible parts in-house”, says Stratasys FDM product manager Patrick Robb. “It gives users flexibility in choosing the best material to meet their needs. And it adds to a growing line of materials for FDM additive fabrication, including ABS, ABS-M30, ABSi, PC, PC-ABS, PC-ISO and PPSF”.

Build speeds using ABS-M30i on the Stratasys FDM 400mc are 29 per cent faster, on average, than the same part built in ABS on a Stratasys FDM Titan, Vantage SE or Vantage S system. ABS-M30i also uses the new SR20 soluble support technology, enabling automated support-material removal. In addition, ABS-M30i parts can be built with 0.005, 0.007, 0.010 and 0.013 in. slices. It is initially available in “natural” off-white color.