We raise our 3D printed glass to the latest filament to hit the 3D printing market. Last week, we saw the launch of an electric filament and, now, glass. Netherlands-based Formfutura, has launched their new filament range called HDglass, a modified PETG compound that is meant to be high-strength and high-performance and comes in a range of transparent colors. “HD” stands for “heavy duty” and Form Futura claims that their filament is tough and temperature resistant, while also allowing 90% of visible light to pass through.
What are the obvious uses for 3D printed glass? The most mundane use for HDglass™ filament is to 3D print glasses, containers, and plates. Form Futura says that the material is food and drink contact approved and maintains thermal stability. So, will this material put Tupperware out of business, now that you can custom print containers for your leftovers? Maybe. The material is also recyclable, so you don’t have to worry about your storage containers hanging out in a landfill for hundreds of years.
There are already filaments on the market like t-glase and XT, but Form Futura claims that their HDglass™ focuses on transparency and is easier to use with 3D printers. The company also suggests that their material is the closest to glass on the market that is compatible with 3D printers.
The line comes in several different colors: clear, red, green, blue and black. HDglass™ has a high gloss sheen and is odorless to process and print. What we don’t know at this point is the quality of the print produced with HDglass™, but we’ll have to wait and see and hope that we can see what this material can do in the near future. It’s also important to note with any 3D printing material that is labelled as safe for food and drink that the printer’s extruder itself may not produce food-safe prints and that the microscopic pores left in any print may harbor bacteria, so that a coating may be necessary to seal off prints.
