Eastman Chemical and colorFabb Will Debut New Copolyester nGen Filament at CES 2016 with LulzBot

Back in 2013 Eastman Chemical Company and 3D printer filament manufacturer colorFabb collaborated on the development a line of advanced and chemically safe desktop 3D printer filaments. The colorFabb_XT filament offers users a high rate of durability and strength along with a very desirable resistance to high temperatures. But unlike other materials that offer the same levels of strength and heat resistance, it is also an odor free material that is completely free from potentially toxic chemicals like Styrene, is BPA free and meets the FDA’s food contact compliance regulations. The successful line of advanced polymer filaments brought a new level of safety and build quality to desktop 3D printing. colorFabb_XT is now available in fourteen different colors and is one of colorFabb’s most successful lines of filaments.

The two materials companies teamed up again when they developed their new line of nGen copolyester filaments which were released last month. The new filament was developed to offer desktop 3D printers the durability and versatility of an advanced, industrial quality 3D printing material without the need for industrial 3D printers. Objects printed with nGen will result in a smoother surface with less striation and it was formulated to tolerate a larger range of printing temperatures without the quality of the final print suffering. The nGen filament has a glass temperature that can exceed 85ºC (185ºF), giving it over double the heat resistance of standard PLA, while being able to successfully be printed at temperatures ranging from 220ºC to 240ºC (428ºF to 464ºF).

“The use of this material runs the gamut of 3D-printed applications, ranging from prototyping to experimenting, and from designing to making serious money,” explained colorFabb managing director Ruud Rouleaux.

Eastman and colorFabb will be officially launching their nGen filament at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas from January 6th to 9th. They will be showcasing the quality and usability of the material with Aleph Objects, Inc., the makers of award-winning LulzBot desktop 3D printers, including the TAZ 5, which was recently awarded Make Magazine’s “Best Overall” 3D printer. At the show Aleph Objects will demonstrate the nGen filament and confirm that it is an officially supported material on their line of 3D printers. They will be using the material throughout the show at booth 72117 located in Halls A-C as part of the 3D printing marketplace at the show.

While nGen materials can be purchased and used by anyone, it is clear that the recent spike in the purchase of lower cost desktop 3D printers by businesses and professionals has inspired materials manufacturers like colorFabb to expand the the available options of high-quality filaments. Advanced copolyester materials like nGen print easier on desktop printers, offering users an experience that will produce less waste, misprinted parts and will improve their overall 3D printing experience. And it will also allow non-professional 3D printing users the same benefits and stress free experience.

“nGen made with Eastman Amphora AM3300 3D polymer will allow for casual users and those who enjoy do-it-yourself projects to use a high-quality filament,” said Alex Dudal, market development representative, Eastman.

As with the colorFabb_XT 3D printing filament, nGen remains a strong, low-odor styrene-free material that is suitable for a wide variety of applications. You can learn more about colorFabb_XT here, and you can learn more about nGen here.  Discuss this story in the Copolyester nGen Filament forum thread on 3DPB.com