By Spectrum Filaments
Spectrum Filaments – one of the largest European materials manufacturers for 3D printing in FDM / FFF technology, will present a range of 8 new technical materials at the Formnext 2022 fair in Frankfurt am Main. Among them are composites of Kevlar (aramid fibers), PTFE (Teflon), carbon fibers, and glass fibers. The offer will also include high-temperature PPS AM230 material offering softening point (VICAT) as high as 236°C.
Spectrum Filaments has been operating in the additive manufacturing market since 2015. The company’s offer includes over 60 types of filaments in different variants, which translates into several hundred catalog products. The company produces and sells materials under its own brand, as well as serves as a contract manufacturer to many reputable entities. The company’s filaments are dedicated to working with both amateur (budget) as well as desktop and industrial 3D printers.
Each manufactured spool undergoes a very precise quality control system – Verify your spool. During production, the filament is continuously measured in 2 axes with ±0.8µm accuracy, which creates a high-quality final product. To prove this, Spectrum Filaments publishes parameters individually for each manufactured spool:
- the course of diameter on the entire length of the spool,
- mean diameter,
- ovality,
- standard deviation.
New Spectrum materials to be presented at Formnext 2022 will be available via the manufacturer’s distribution network in mid-November 2022:
ASA Kevlar
Spectrum ASA Kevlar is a technical composite filament based on the combination of ASA copolymer with aramid fibers – one of the strongest synthetic fibers. Aramid fibers are used to produce items with high resistance to damage, such as bulletproof vests, helmets, or speaker membranes.
Aramid itself is a material that is poorly resistant to UV radiation, but as a result of combining it with ASA – a material highly resistant to this factor guarantees the long life of the fibers and the entire composite. Kevlar fibers, unlike carbon and glass fibers, show significantly less abrasion of the 3D printer nozzle. The use of fibrous structures reduces material shrinkage during the 3D printing process, allowing the production of large parts.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 240-270°C
- printbed temperature: 80-100°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm/s
- heated working chamber: not required
ASA-X CF10
Spectrum ASA-X CF10 material characterized by high resistance to external conditions with a beautiful carbon finish. This filament is an ASA-based composite filled with 10% carbon fibers. The parts made of the material are resistant to external exposure such as sunlight (UV) and humidity. Its tensile modulus is over 7.5 GPa and its thermal resistance is 101°C. At the same time, the Spectrum ASA-X CF10 is characterized by low shrinkage and very easy printing processability.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 235-260°C
- printbed temperature: 90-110°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm/s
- Heated working chamber: not required
PPS AM230
Spectrum PPS AM230 – a high-performance filament based on an engineering PPS polymer with exceptionally high mechanical parameters. Even under constant stress at high temperatures (above 100°C), the stiffness and strength remain unchanged. Spectrum PPS AM230 shows a softening point (VICAT) up to 236°C.
The filament is also characterized by remarkable chemical resistance – it is practically insoluble in any known solvent, including concentrated acids and bases. A characteristic feature of Spectrum PPS AM230 is its natural non-flammability, even without using flame retardant additives.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 300-330°C
- printbed temperature: 100-120°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm/s
- heated working chamber: actively heated chamber (60-80°C)
PETG/PTFE
Spectrum PETG / PTFE – as a basis for the material was used Spectrum PET-G Premium, well-known for its excellent mechanical properties, is supplemented by adding 10% PTFE, commonly known as Teflon, with self-lubricating properties. Thanks to the proper selection of components while reducing the coefficient of friction, the filament maintains the ease of 3D printing, interlayer adhesion, impact resistance and thermal properties characteristic of PET-G. The filament is available in different colors.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 235-255°C
- printbed temperature: 60-80°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm/s
- Heated working chamber: not required
PA6 Low Warp CF15S
Spectrum PA6 Low Warp CF15S designed for the production of high performance parts. The “LowWarp” line is characterized by additional admixtures aimed at improving the flow during 3D printing and better adhesion of material particles. The use of 15% of carbon fibers results in more than twofold increase in stiffness and increased tensile strength (up to 120 MPa). In addition, Spectrum PA6 Low Warp CF15S has an improved HDT thermal resistance: 180°C (0.45MPa), compared to the unfilled version. The fiber content lowers the shrinkage characteristic for most high-temperature materials, significantly facilitating the printing process and gives the printouts an aesthetic, “carbon” look.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 250-280°C
- printbed temperature: <80°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm/s
- heated working chamber: recommended
PA6 Low Warp GF30
Spectrum PA6 GF30 – a thermally stabilized 30% glass fiber reinforced copolyimide, mechanically improved in terms of tensile and compressive strength. The fibers have a less aggressive geometry, limiting the degradation of the 3D printer nozzle. The material is used for 3D printing of parts requiring high mechanical parameters, high hardness and thermal resistance. Spectrum PA6 GF30 has a temperature resistance of 180°C (0.45MPa), which puts it at the forefront of materials dedicated to desktop 3D printers.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 250-280°C
- printbed temperature: <80°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-70 mm / s
- heated working chamber: recommended
PCTG CF10
PCTG – a copolyester characterized by much greater impact strength compared to the popular PETG. High flexibility of PCTG combined with high layer bondability, high viscosity and negligible shrinkage make it an ideal polymer for composing composite materials. Spectrum PCTG CF10 is a composite with carbon fiber – the fibers used give the filament extremely high stiffness, while reducing the brittle cracking characteristic of other copolyester-based carbon composites. They also increase thermal resistance, reduce shrinkage and give the characteristic “carbon” matte appearance to 3D printed parts.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 250-270°C
- printbed temperature: 50°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-80 mm/s
- heated working chamber: not required
PCTG GF10
Spectrum PCTG GF10 is another composite, this time filled with glass fibers. It has high durability and a matte surface. As in the case of PA6 Low Warp GF30, it also uses fibers with a less aggressive geometry, reducing the degradation of the 3D printer nozzle. Spectrum PCTG GF10 is a technical filament with high stiffness and hardness. Thanks to the extremely high interlayer adhesion and low shrinkage, it enables large prints, even by intermediate users.
3D printing Specs:
- printhead temperature: 250-270°C
- printbed temperature:> 50°C
- 3D printing speed: 30-80 mm/s
- heated working chamber: not required
