Adding to 3D Printing Building Blocks: Formfutura Releases TitanX, ApolloX, & Atlas Support Filaments
As the world of 3D printing becomes more expansive on a continual basis, so does the array of materials that users are able to choose from. Qualities such as durability, flexibility, and tensile strength in 3D printing filaments play a major role in how new innovations are being brought forth and also very often proving this new technology to be a better choice over traditional methods.
Companies like Formfutura allow users not just to explore newer, stronger materials, but they also keep a new and continual inventory of alternative filaments coming. This Dutch company has kept us busy reporting on everything from odorless and transparent materials to wood filaments and even powerful carbon. Now, we’ve just learned that they are releasing a lineup of three different filaments that offer expanded options for uses with engineering plastics.
As a result of extensive research at Formfutura, along with major modifications and optimizations, they are now offering new thermoplastics for FDM 3D printing by way of TitanX, ApolloX, and Atlas Support. All three of these new materials, according to Formfutura, are based on zero-warp engineering and have optimized first- and interlayer adhesion properties. If you are looking for the same type of precision and finish made available with injection molding, one—or all—of these new filaments may truly be able to enhance your next prototyping or small batch printing project.
TitanX – the Formfutura team describes this as ‘the evolution of ABS into a warp-free filament extremely suitable for 3D printing large scale and high precision engineering objects.’ Offering high performance in an industrial grade material, you can expect superior mechanical qualities—made possible due to modifications from FDM-optimization technology. It offers:
- Zero warping
- Superb first layer adhesion to glass/kapton/PET/adhesives
- Perfect interlayer adhesion
- Thermal stability
- Filament flowing behavior
ApolloX – designed as a professional high-performance engineering filament, this new material was based on acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), also a modified industrial compound. With this filament, users should experience all the same qualities as TitanX, allowing for flawless 3D printing. This material is also UV and weather resistant, meaning you are assured of great color stability, strength, and heat resistance. Those 3D printing for outdoor and automotive applications should find ApolloX highly suitable.
Atlas Support – Formfutura has developed this new filament to perform as the ‘next generation in water-soluble support materials for FDM 3D printing.’ The result of extensive research in PVA improvement, this new and unique formulation where numerous PVA grades have been blended into one superior water soluble support material allows for greater thermal stability. Allowing for stable and dual extruding, the Formfutura team promises you will not have to deal with issues like clogged nozzles.
This new filament will bond very well with thermoplastics such as PLA, ABS, HIPS, TPE, TPU. PETG, ASA, and more. Users will find that it is much more resistant to humidity, and allows for much greater excellence in 3D printing.
With the goal of offering the building blocks for your 3D printing needs, Formfutura—headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands—is made up of a team of enthusiasts who all want to see accessibility and affordability benefiting the global maker community. As they say, everybody has a designer inside them, and we’ve discovered that most of the best companies stem from those made up of designers motivated by their own initial needs to make quality products. These industrial materials should allow users even greater opportunity for invention, thanks to the comprehensive R&D team at Formfutura. What are your thoughts on these new materials? Discuss in the Formfutura New 3D Printing Filaments forum thread over at 3DPB.com.
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