The 3D printing materials developers at Dutch filament manufacturer ColorFabb just unveiled a copolyester-based, carbon fiber composite material called XT-CF20, which includes 20% or more of the tough fiber material.
Colorfabb was founded by Ruud Rouleaux, an expert in the field of additives and master-batches for the plastics industry. Rouleaux began the company by focusing his efforts on creating a high quality 3D printing filament, and during the summer of 2012, he began his first experiments. Those initial steps led to the official launch of the brand, Colorfabb, during March of 2013. Now that Colorfabb is run by a multidisciplinary team, extruder line operators are tasked with checking the quality of their various lines of filament products.
Based on the Amphora 3D polymer from Eastman Chemical, ColorFabb says the new filament has been tested for the last six weeks – and without a single nozzle jam or related thermal issue. While the material showed excellent test results, they say the abrasive nature of the carbon fibers in the filament can cause accelerated wear of brass, so they recommend using stainless steel or hardened copper alloy nozzles.
To highlight the features XT-CF20, the company built the OpenRC Truggy from Thingiverse entirely from their new material, and the result is no less than stunning. They say the material features an extremely high “flex modulus” which is twice as stiff as PLA, is not extremely brittle, features very high melt strength, high melt viscosity, good dimensional accuracy and stability, low printing odor and an attractive matte black surface.
ColorFabb says their new filament is good for a number of applications and industries, and that it’s stiffness, dimensional stability and heat resistance make it ideal for the fabrication of drones, aerospace and automotive parts and prototyping objects. XT-CF20 is nowavailable for pre-ordering through the company’s website and colorFabb expects the first orders will ship by the end of this month. Priced at a little over $52 (€49.95) per 750 gram spool, XT-CF20 falls into the higher range of filaments, but considering its functionality, the price seems warranted.
Have you ever used ColorFabb products before? What are your thoughts on their new carbon-fiber composite filament? Let us know in the ColorFabb XT-CF20 Filament forum thread on 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
US Army Corps of Engineers Taps Lincoln Electric & Eaton for Largest 3D Printed US Civil Works Part
The Soo Locks sit on the US-Canadian border, enabling maritime travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, from which ships can reach the rest of the Great Lakes. Crafts carrying...
Construction 3D Printing CEO Reflects on Being Female in Construction
Natalie Wadley, CEO of ChangeMaker3D, could hear the words of her daughter sitting next to her resounding in her head. “Mum, MUM, you’ve won!” Wadley had just won the prestigious...
Blue Laser-powered M600 3D Printer Launched by Meltio
Founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Additec and Sicnova, metal 3D printer OEM Meltio develops and manufactures high-performance and easy-to-use metal 3D printing solutions that use its patented wire-laser metal...
3D Printed Storage Tanks Cut Material Costs by 25%
In a previous article, “Concrete Dreams: Let’s Print Money, Not Houses,” we discussed how the spotlight on 3D printing homes might be misplaced. Bollards, pedestrian bridges, and concrete tanks could...