Nylon is a difficult material to 3D print with, especially for extrusion-based systems. The material tends to warp with maddening frequency, and it’s one of the biggest culprits in regards to absorbing moisture from the air, which causes numerous problems. Its benefits, however, make the material worth trying to overcome its drawbacks. It’s incredibly strong, durable, flexible when thin, and overall versatile, lending itself well to a number of applications. Add carbon fiber to that, and you have a super material. colorFabb‘s newest 3D printing material does just that – and does away with nylon’s drawbacks as well.
PA-CF Low Warp is a carbon fiber infused polyamide material with the mechanical properties of a PA6 but with very low warping. It can be printed on desktop 3D printers that have an extruder temperature range of at least 260°C and the ability to mount an abrasive resistant nozzle. The filament has excellent tensile and impact strength, and can maintain its properties at 120ºC. Low infill prints can print warp free on a non-heated build platform, while higher infill prints only require 40ºC to 50ºC.
The filament has also been engineered for very low moisture absorption – 50% less compared to PA6, and it takes four times as long to reach the saturation point. It’s well-suited to applications including automotive, functional prototyping and part manufacturing, jigs and fixtures, and more. It’s a lightweight material, less dense than regular PA thanks to the carbon fiber content, which also makes it stiffer.
“The ability to print engineering level materials on any desktop 3D printer is very exciting,” said Ruud Rouleaux, Director at colorFabb. “In most cases engineering materials can be very challenging to print, but what we’ve seen from our tests on several popular 3D printers is that the PA-CF Low Warp has excellent properties and can even be printed without warping on a build plate at ambient temperature. This is huge value for a material which is known to be difficult to print.”
PA-CF Low Warp is the first material developed under colorFabb’s new partnership with chemical company LEHVOSS Group, which in 2017 launched its LUVOCOM 3F 3D printing material line.
“We are excited that colorFabb have chosen our materials for their high-performance PA filaments,” said Thiago Medeiros Araujo, Market Development 3D Printing at LEHVOSS Group. “With our product line LUVOCOM 3F for extrusion based 3D printing we are focusing in high-performance applications. Our materials enable 3D printing to be used not only for the traditional prototyping applications but also for functional parts and series production. Having an improved layer adhesion and reduced warping, coupled with the high-quality filament technology of colorFabb, makes the whole process reliable and repeatable.”
PA-CF Low Warp is available in colorFabb’s web shop for €79.95 per 700 gram spool. colorFabb is also offering a special deal in which you can get the filament together with a 0.4mm Olsson Ruby nozzle for €176.75. Shipping will begin tomorrow, December 19.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
[Images: colorFabb]
