Zortrax, a Polish manufacturer of 3D printers, announced the expansion of its wide range of photopolymers for Zortrax Inkspire 2 UV LCD 3D printer with a new ceramic-filled resin. This new resin – the BASF Ultracur3D® RG 3280, is manufactured by BASF Forward AM.
The material has exceptional hardness, high stiffness, and excellent temperature resistance up to 280 degrees Celsius. It also has a stable particle dispersion and low viscosity, making it simple to work with and print with.
Parts 3D printed on Zortrax Inkspire 2 and post-processed on Zortrax Cleaning Station and Zortrax Curing Station have ceramic properties without the use of special furnaces. The high content of ceramic particles ensures that the target models have a true ceramic appearance.
Ceramic-filled resin for Zortrax Powerful Trio
BASF Ultracur3D® RG 3280, a rigid line specialised resin with ceramic infill, is the new material to join the company’s product portfolio. Together with the Inkspire 2, it enables 3D printing of parts that, after proper post-processing with the Zortrax Cleaning Station and Zortrax Curing Station, acquire true ceramic-like properties without the use of expensive furnaces.
Although the new ceramic-filled resin is a high-performance, specialised photopolymer with unique properties, it is simple and convenient to use with Zortrax Powerful Trio. It begins with creating a model in Z-SUITE, where users can find a ready-to-use, calibrated profile for BASF Ultracur3D® RG 3280.
Through a series of innovative features, including a powerful, proprietary light engine, the Inkspire 2 has been designed specifically to work with specialised filaments. Furthermore, during 3D printing, users are given suggestions for proper post-processing.
As a result, users are aware of the cleaning and curing times of their 3D prints. Post-processing in Zortrax Cleaning Station takes about 10 to 20 seconds for parts made with Ultracur3D® RG 3280, whereas it can take up to 30 minutes for each side of the model in Zortrax Curing Station.
“BASF Ultracur3D® RG 3280, 3D printed and post-processed on Zortrax Powerful Trio, which comprises Zortrax Inkspire 2, Zortrax Cleaning Station and Zortrax Curing Station, each validated by BASF Forward AM, features high stiffness (up to 10 GPa), excellent HDT values and Shore hardness (D) reaching 96, which is rare on the market. Despite the high content of ceramic particles, the resin has low viscosity and its sedimentation in the vat is limited, which translate into maximized ease of use and print quality.”
– Artur Chendoszko, Resin Technology Leader at Zortrax
Ceramic materials are used for a wide range of applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, robotics, electronics, metallurgy, energy production, and chemical industry due to properties such as corrosion resistance, temperature, shape change, melting, stretching, and distortion. Components 3D printed with BASF Ultracur3D® RG 3280 have high stiffness and electrical non-conductivity.
As a result, the resin is an excellent choice for 3D printing objects required for specific manufacturing processes, such as ceramic handling arms that move semiconductor wafers from one station to another or pressure welding positioning and guide pins. The resin is recommended for all manufacturing processes in which the parts must have highly desirable mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties as well as function as non-conductive thermal insulation that does not interfere with the welding process.
According to Natalia Jusiak, Head of Marketing at Zortrax, “We’re glad that our cooperation with BASF Forward AM is so fruitful – we are constantly expanding our product portfolio with materials for both FDM and UV LCD technologies. It is worth noting that Zortrax is the only 3D printer manufacturer on the market with such a broad portfolio of resins by BASF which are all compatible, tested and calibrated to work with the Zortrax Inkspire 2 printer.”
