BCN3D, a leading Spanish 3D printer manufacturer, recently unveiled two new 3D printing filaments courtesy an ongoing collaboration between Mitsubishi Chemical (MCPP) and BASF Forward AM to develop new industrial-grade materials. The two new 3D printing filaments – Tough PLA for tooling and end-use parts and BVOH for water-soluble supports- add to their material portfolio.
According to Eric Pallarés García, CTO at BCN3D, “We are very excited to have two of the major chemical companies in the world as close partners. Their expertise in the industry and our combined capabilities in co-developing new solutions have proven to be essential.”
Tough PLA 3D Printing Filament
PLA is one of the most popular 3D printing material that provides stiffness, a variety of colours and ease-of-use. The new PLA developed by BCN3D retains the properties of PLA and builds on it to make it tougher and stiffer.
Tough PLA is engineered for its high impact and strength, similar to ABS, and with a stiffness akin to PLA. It is a plug and play material, shows excellent results in layer adhesion and has a very good surface quality. Tough PLA can also be easily printed using many different temperatures with no warpage or shrinkage.
Tough PLA Applications
For functional prototyping, Tough PLA’s easy printability and competency in layer adhesion works well. Tough PLA is perfect for both manufacturing aids and manufacturing tools because of its resistance to high impact and industrial feel, and its ability to perform as a standard material with more demanding properties.
It works as an alternative to ABS for large prints as, in comparison, Tough PLA is stiffer, presents much less warping issues and is more 3D printing friendly as it doesn’t need an enclosed printing environment or emits any fumes which would require filtering.
Speaking about the Tough PLA 3D printing filament, Álvaro García Sabater, Product Manager t BCN3D said, “Tough PLA is really a great alternative to ABS and I would recommend it for applications that require high impact resistance, easy printing and excellent surface quality.”
Tough PLA will initially be available in colours black and white, with red and blue references available shortly.
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BVOH 3D Printing Filament
BVOH (Butanediol vinyl alcohol copolymer) is a thermoplastic optimized for the FFF manufacturing process. Its main advantage is its incredibly fast dissolution. This water-soluble material is easy to remove from inside small parts and reduces clogging issues as a result. It is compatible with PLA, Tough PLA, PET-G, TPU 98A, ABS, PA and PAHT CF15. Highly hygroscopic, make sure to store your BVOH in a sealed container to prevent moisture absorption.
BVOH Applications
Above: BVOH vs PVA dissolution comparison/Video Source: BCN3D/YouTube
BVOH is ideal for water-soluble supports for partially enclosed cavities and complex geometries, or even sacrificial moulds. When dissolving, the higher the water temperature, the faster the process. This makes it a great way of printing temporary support materials for complex geometries, such as structures with overhangs. It gives a smooth finish on functional prototypes and has excellent surface quality. With BVOH, movable mechanisms and hollow parts are also achievable, as well as multi-component models.
Speaking about the BVOH 3D printing filament Álvaro García Sabater, Product Manager at BCN3D said, “BVOH is a complementary support material (PVA & BVOH) and I would recommend it for parts that need water-soluble supports, taking the potential of IDEX architecture; but also when a wider compatibility with our material portfolio is needed.”
Ever-Growing Portfolio
The addition of Tough PLA and BVOH 3D printing filaments takes the BCN3D materials portfolio to 11 filaments. Both Tough PLA and BVOH are compatible with its range of 3D printers including the Sigma series (Sigma D25) and the Epsilon series (Epsilon W50 and Epsilon W27), as well as the Sigma and Sigmax 3D printers.
The new 3D printing filament profiles are also made available on CURA.
BCN3D has also announced a giveaway for a chance to win a spool of either of the 3D printing filament!
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