Objet Expands Materials Choices Across Its 3D Printer Line

With materials choices a key part of its value proposition, Objet Ltd. is broadening the availability of a range of new offerings to a wider number of its 3D printers. The materials, which were released in limited form in the first half of this year, will be offered on different 3D printer platforms, depending upon the use case.

The Objet VeroWhitePlus offering, for example, is a rigid white material delivering enhanced dimensional stability and allowing for high-detail visualization. Given its properties, it lends itself to a range of use cases, including standard plastics simulation and for creating models intended to closely resemble the look of the final product. As a result, it's now being served up for all Objet 3D printers and sold around the globe.

Objet VeroClear, a new, rigid water-clear transparent material used to simulate transparent surfaces like bottles or glass lenses, is now available for all Objet Eden and Connex 3D printers. A member of the Vero family, this new offering is the only clear material available on rapid prototyping systems for under $100,000, according to Bruce Bradshaw, director of marketing for Objet Ltd.

The addition of VeroClear to the product line also opens up more opportunity for Objet, which previously could only offer a clear material with a tint limiting its use case. "By offering clear stuff, it opens us up to new industries and allows for better prototyping," Bradshaw told Design News. "Before, we had a clear material with an amber tint. You could dye it to get it to a clear state, but now you can get it right off the printer water clear."

The last new material to be cast on a broader set of 3D printers is Objet ABS-like Digital Material, a composite substance for simulating ABS-grade engineering plastics, making it a fit for creating snap-fit parts, durable and movable parts, and products requiring drop testing.

Objet ABS-like Digital Material, a high-impact material (65-80J/m or 1.22-1.50 ft lb/in) with high-temperature-resistance (65 degrees C or 149 degrees F, and after thermal post-treatment 90 degrees C or 194 degrees F), is now available for all Objet Connex 3D printers, including the multi-material Objet260 Connex.

With the addition of expanded palette, Objet now has 65 materials in its line up, including 51 composite materials. Having a diverse array of materials choices is one of the primary attributes Objet is touting to differentiate its 3D printer line.

"If you want something to look like the real product and function like the real product, [materials choices] are liberating in terms of design," Bradshaw said. "It really allows you to show what your thoughts and ideas are."