WACKER, the Munich-based chemical group behind the ACEO silicone rubber 3D printing brand, has opened its first ACEO Open Print Lab in the U.S.
The new Open Print Lab is established in WACKER’s Silicone R&D facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, offering first-hand tutorials and hands-on training for customers seeking to 3D print with silicone rubber.
“We are pleased to announce another milestone in ACEO’s history with the launch of the Open Print Lab in Ann Arbor,” said Dr. Bernd Pachaly, Head of Project 3D Printing at WACKER SILICONES.
“North America is one of the leading markets in additive manufacturing. Our new facility brings 3D printing with silicones much closer to potential customers in the region.”
ACEO silicone 3D printing
In 2016, WACKER introduced the 3D printing webshop for its trademark brand, ACEO. ACEO technology is a drop-on-demand principle, integrated into its propriety 3D printers. A print head is used to deposit single silicone voxels on a building platform. After each layer, the curing process is activated by UV light.
Focused on educating its customers on this technology Ian Moore, Vice President WACKER SILICONES at Wacker Chemical Corporation, Michigan, explains, “Our business partners in the region want to understand how their ideas and products can be brought to market with our support.”
“WACKER’s Silicone R&D Center in Ann Arbor was designed to develop advanced and forward-looking solutions for silicones. With the new Open Print Lab, we can significantly expand our local portfolio and contribute to the growing demand of the market.”
ACEO Open Print Lab
In 2017, WACKER established its first ACEO Open Print Lab in Burghausen, Germany, to help customers understand how 3D printing with silicones can accelerate business needs. The new Open Print Lab, in Michigan, is headed by Sarah Burke, a Lab Manager at ACEO who previously worked at the Silicones R&D Center. The lab will be equipped with two ACEO 3D printers, which are able to process a broad range of silicone rubber with different Shore A hardnesses. The ACEO Open Print Lab team will provide workshops open to small groups of up to four people.
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Featured image shows 3D printed fluorosilicone samples. Photo via ACEO.
