When it comes to the 3D printing, as most of us know, there’s a lot more that contributes to the process than just your printer hardware. It takes a complete ecosystem, one that includes design software, a slicer, materials, and more. The California-based 3D printing company Type A Machines certainly understands this, and has worked to create an all-encompassing product line that takes makers from the initial steps of design to the finished print.
Alongside the Series 1 and Series 1 Pro, which are their two manufacturing-ready Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers, Type A Machines has also partnered with a number of filament producers to develop high-quality materials. Earlier this year, Type A introduced their ProMatte filament, a smooth and lightweight material that was developed in collaboration with Polymaker. Now, Type A has just released two new filaments, EverydayPLA and PerformancePLA, both of which will aim to satisfy the needs of their wide-ranging customer base.
EverydayPLA was primarily engineered for standard prototyping and educational purposes, it’s easy to print, contains a low odor, doesn’t require a heated bed, and still manages to produce an aesthetically pleasing finish. According to Type A Machines, the filament was formulated to be easily extruded, and provides exceptional bed-adhesion and low potential of warpage. The new material was developed in conjunction with 3DomFuel, an eco-friendly filament conglomerate. A 1kg spool of EverydayPLA costs $32, and is available in blue, black, white, gray, orange, and yellow.
In addition to EverydayPLA, Type A Machines has also rolled out their PerformancePLA, which was developed to provide customers with durable and production-quality parts. This filament was engineered in collaboration with Breathe-3DP, a subsidiary of the performance polymer extrusion company Universal Fibers. Compared to standard PLA, PerformancePLA supplies high impact strength and less brittleness, and is available in black, white, gray, red, green, and orange. The retail price for a 1kg spool of this performance-driven filament is $56.
“Delivering a 3D printing experience comprised of hardware, software, and materials, all tuned to work together, is critical to meeting our manufacturing customers’ needs”, said Tim Holmes, Chief Strategy Officer for Type A Machines. “EverydayPLA, and PerformancePLA provide our customers choices in filament that deliver solid, reliable results and we stand behind that.”
Outside of the new filaments, Type A Machines has also announced the official release their new optimized slicing engine, called Cura Type A 1.5. The slicer was released as a public beta back in March, which showcased new features like “Absolute Measurements”, a new infill paradigm, and a 3D infill feature that allows users to have more control over the part’s mechanical characteristics. Cura Type A 1.5 contains material profiles for 78 different types of filaments on their Series 1 3D printers. The slicing engine is currently available for free download on Type A’s website.
All in all, Type A Machines continues to innovate on all 3D printing fronts, providing their customers with a fulfilling ecosystem that enables them to harness the true potential of desktop 3D printing. Discuss further over in the new Type A 3D Printing Filaments forum at 3DPB.com.
