NinjaTek has already become popular among desktop 3D printing users for its NinjaFlex and SemiFlex flexible 3D printing filaments. For CES 2016, the Fenner Drives subsidiary has launched two more filaments to be released in Q1 2016 that it hopes will see strong industrial use. And NinjaTek is calling the materials Cheetah™ and Armadillo™.
To be available for purchase in late January, Cheetah is described as a “high-performance flexible polyurethane material” that can be printed on all types of 3D printers with ABS settings. Unlike other flexible materials, Cheetah is meant to be 3D printed much more quickly up to 60 mm/s, while achieving great interlayer adhesion, limited retraction, and with fine detail. NinjaTek envisions the use of this material to print objects like gaskets, grips, hinges, seals, sleeves, and snap-fit parts, making it ideal for industrial applications.
Available in earl February, Armadillo, on the other hand, is a rigid material capable of withstanding stress with great durability. The filament is, according to the company, resistant to greases, oils, and other industrial chemicals. And, on top of all that, NinjaTek says that it has almost no warping issues and “excellent bridging capabilities”. In turn, it’s best for printing functional parts, like braces, brackets, fasteners, gears, guides, splints, and anything else that needs to be tough or have high impact resistance.
These materials certainly expand the NinjaTek portfolio from the fun and flexible NinjaFlex of the past and into more practical materials, particularly if they can be used in a wider number of printers. Whether or not they will be as popular as NinjaFlex remains to be seen.
