Engineered nano-composite Bluestone SL material for SLA systems

Citation

(2005), "Engineered nano-composite Bluestone SL material for SLA systems", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777aad.002

Engineered nano-composite Bluestone SL material for SLA systems

Engineered nano-composite Bluestone SL material for SLA systems

Keywords: Aerospace industry, Composite materials

3D Systems Corporation announces the availability of Bluestone SL material, the first commercially available engineered nano-composite resin for SLA (stereolithography) systems.

Bluestone engineered nano-composite material is said to be a breakthrough in material technology, claiming to deliver exceptional accuracy, stiffness, thermal performance and long-term stability. Bluestone material is believed to be ideal for aerospace applications, such as wind-tunnel testing, under-the-hood applications, and the manufacture of jigs and fixtures. Its thermal properties are also said to be suitable for elevated temperature electronic applications, including insulating components, electrical housings and connectors.

“Bluestone resin is an excellent fit for applications requiring added stiffness and thermal resistance”, said Rainer Neumann, General Manager at the service bureau 4D Concepts GmbH.

“This material is perfect for applications in aerodynamics, lighting applications (such as reflectors), and masters for vacuum casting and thermoforming. As a service provider we need to have flexibility in our material offerings, and Bluestone resin allows us to fulfill many customers' needs for a variety of applications. Now we can offer our customers a unique material with improved part quality and functionality.”

Extensive pre-release customer testing has reportedly shown the material to facilitate a reliable and predictable build process, to be easy to use and require minimal maintenance.

Stereolithography users will find this material easy to adopt as it requires little or no additional facilities, procedures or expertise, and its performance will extend the range of applications they can address.

3D Systems Corp. has also announced the immediate availability of its new Accura si 50 SL material. Processing the new Accura si 50 material through one of 3D Systems' designated SLA machines, is reported to result in the production of parts with a higher degree of durability and accuracy, a combination of attributes not typically available in any other SL materials.

The look and feel of parts produced from the si 50 material resemble molded ABS thermoplastic parts, a highly desired characteristic enabling designers and engineers to closely simulate end-use parts. In addition, parts produced from the si 50 material exhibit smooth, shiny sidewalls and excellent surface finish rendering it ideal for master pattern applications. The unique feature set combination of the si 50 material significantly expands the range of possibilities for customers seeking to reduce their time to market. It provides designers, engineers and marketers with the ability to produce models that closely match molded ABS parts resulting in shorter product design and testing cycles, saving valuable time and money.

The Accura si 50 material is available in the two most common end-use part colors; ABS natural and grey.

The material was designed, developed and optimised for use on the SLA 7000, 5000, 3500 systems, and the Viper SLA system.

For further details contact: 3D Systems Corporation. Tel: 888 337 9786, ext. 2882 (or þ1 661 295 5600, ext. 2882 from outside the USA); E-mail: moreinfo@3dsystems.com