'Revolutionary' FGF-compatible foam material that doubles 3D printing speed

Dutch filament developer colorFabb has revealed that it is working with system manufacturer Colossus to create a 3D printing-compatible "LW" foam material
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ColorFabb's PLA-based LW series, first introduced in 2019, uses reactive foaming technology to allow users to FDM 3D print lightweight, low-density parts
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The company's latest version, which will be sold with Colossus' new XS system, is designed to take these capabilities to the next level and uses FGF's multiple heating zones for faster, more efficient component production
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This technology can double the printing speed and double the light intensity, and will be applied to large-scale industrial systems in the future
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Printing and alternating these effects using the same grain, machine or even G-code is revolutionary
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Founded in 2012 by Helian Polymers CEO Ruud Rouleaux, colorFabb was launched on the back of a newly developed PLA that foams when heated, increasing its volume by nearly 300%
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The updated "LW" version of the polymer, which allows users to reduce their material output by 60%, is made by the company alongside the ASA version, as well as materials from such people are now commercially available as DSM, LEVHOSS, NinjaTek and Easy Gus
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Over the years, the company has steadily strengthened its commercial activities, launching its new Belfield headquarters in 2017, before adding a variety of filaments to its materials portfolio, including polyester-based nGen_LUX and varioShore TPU
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ColorFabb has also formed partnerships with other material manufacturers as a means of developing new polymers, and for the past four years it has successfully partnered with Robo3D and LEVHOSS to create a carbon fiber-infused Polyamide, which is said to have properties similar to PA6 but with enhanced printability
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In a recent collaboration, colorFabb is now looking to combine its polymerization expertise with Colossus' processing technology to formulate, test and tune stable FGF-3D printable compounds
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Essentially, developing this material may be advantageous because FGF systems have multiple heating zones that may be configured to allow the foam to rapidly reach full expansion
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The amount of energy that the filament can absorb during printing depends on the length of the hot zone and the time it takes for the filament to pass through, the longer the filament stays on the hot end, the more energy it can absorb
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Assuming that the nozzle size and layer height are fixed, the main input variables are temperature, velocity and flow to determine the amount of expansion
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Initial tests are said to have yielded positive results, with the company achieving a layer height of 1cm using an 8mm nozzle, although they insist that "the limits of the material have not been reached"
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Once ready, the polymer will be marketed with Colossus' new XS series, a 1600 x 1200 x 1300 mm WEBER extrusion-driven FGF system that will soon be added to a "containerized" version
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When used with Colossus' XS series, Merillet believes the upcoming FGF-compatible material will eventually enable 3D printing suppliers to produce parts with "unusually high layer heights" while reducing their manufacturing costs
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In printing services around the world, cost is a function of material price plus printing time
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Higher layer heights reduce print times, it's like having a 4.
5K/h extruder that can print at 9k/h and only print a percentage of normal weight, what's not to like? From this moment on, it will change the way people print
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"

Large format potential of FGF

Given their lightweighting potential, the new materials from ColorFabb and Colossus are a perfect fit for FGF users as the technology continues to find large-format applications
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DSM’s resins and functional materials division, recently acquired by Covestro, has been at the heart of experimenting with such use cases, and last year it partnered with JuggerBot 3D to further its testing regime
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Soon after, the company also announced a partnership with Nedcam, agreeing to support its partner's large-scale commercial FGF printing services
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Specifically, DSM's Materials division helps develop and test new FGF materials, processes and applications in the marine, energy, construction and infrastructure sectors
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Jabil subsidiary Jabil Engineered Materials partnered with Titan Robotics last November to improve the technology's capabilities in industrial applications
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Not only have the two companies successfully used Jabil's fiber-reinforced nylon composite for Titan's pellet-based extrusion Atlas 3D printer, but they are also committed to continuing to develop materials for the platform in the future
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