GMASS 3D Printer Filament Combines ABS, Metallic Fillers to Provide Radiation Shielding, Weight & Balance

3D printers are all the more impressive when they’re able to print with higher-tech materials. In the latest innovation on the filament front, today Utah-based Turner MedTech announced their newest development: GMASS 3D filament.

“We are extremely pleased to bring a technology to market that will serve as a catalyst for a new era of innovation in 3D printing,” said Truner MedTech’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Clark Turner.

This catalyst, as Dr. Turner calls it, is GMASS, which is intended for rapid prototyping applications, and is a high-density ABS-based filament (patent pending). Turner MedTech will debut GMASS filaments at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting, which will run November 30 – December 5 in Chicago. Orders for 2014 delivery are being accepted now.

3D printing with metal materials is still under development, and GMASS addresses this process through using a variety of metallic fillers in its structure — proprietary blends of bismuth and tungsten. This makeup provides a density, weight, and feel near traditional metals’, but with the ABS’ design flexibility. In addition to applications that call for weighting and balancing, GMASS is optimized for radiation shielding. Furthermore, the lack of lead in a material suitable for x-ray shielding makes GMASS a much more environmentally friendly option.

Among GMASS’ recommended uses — for rapid prototyping or low-volume manufacturing — are:

• Consumer — add weight and balance to sporting goods
• Health Care — medical x-ray shielding, nuclear medicine components, laboratory equipment
• Industrial — x-ray shielding, reactor shielding, vibration dampening, inertial weighting

Four color choices broaden design options for 3D printing with GMASS: natural, red, blue, and dark grey. These colors will offer a variety (admittedly somewhat limited, for now) of looks for printed products, beneficial in the prototyping of new inventions.

Dr. Clark Turner, Founder and CEO, Turner MedTech

“The new GMASS filaments are ideal for x-ray equipment designers and are also configured for easy use by hobbyists and experimentalists in the rapidly growing 3D printing industry as well,” said Dr. Turner.

GMASS filaments are designed to be utilized on 3D printers using a heated bed (recommended at 100°C-110°C), with recommended printing temperatures in the 200°C-230°C range.

According to Dr. Turner, one order for GMASS has been placed by a growing x-ray equipment company in order to prototype a new x-ray collimator design. The use of GMASS filament in this application is expected to allow for time and money savings in their prototyping, ultimately bringing the final product to market in a speedier process than using traditional materials and techniques.

Let’s hear you thoughts on Turner MedTech’s latest product in the GMASS Filament forum thread on 3DPB.com.