Designers now have the option to 3D-print silicone rubber parts in colour using liquid silicone rubber from Dow and a new dosing system developed by Nexus.
A collaboration between Dow, Nexus Elastomer Systems and German RepRap enables designers to 3D-print coloured parts using Dow’s groundbreaking SILASTIC 3D 3335 Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and companion colour packs from Mesgo Iride Colors.
End-users can now enjoy the benefits of Dow’s 3D-printable LSR in a range of consumer-pleasing colors thanks to this collaboration, which has linked Nexus’s new colour dosing system with German RepRap’s liquid additive manufacturing (LAM) 3D printer.
“The collaborative work with Nexus and German RepRap to align the new dosing system with the German RepRap L320 3D printer enabled us to give designers the option of printing coloured parts – as well as transparent parts – from this uniquely beneficial material,” said Hans Peter Wolf, research and development manager at Dow.
SILASTIC 3D 3335 Liquid Silicone Rubber is very transparent, enabling users to design and produce parts for applications where clarity and transparency are vital attributes. The final performance is virtually the same, regardless of which colour the designer chooses.
Once used primarily for prototyping, 3D printing has entered the realm of production-scale manufacturing. Potential applications include, but are not limited to, mobility and lighting, wearable devices, consumer electronics, and custom footwear.
Visitors to the K 2019 Trade Fair – 16-23 October in Düsseldorf, Germany – saw this system in action on the new German RepRap L320 3D printer. Demonstrations using SILASTIC 3D-printable LSR were held daily at the Dow exhibit in Hall 8a, Booth K48.
SILASTIC 3D-printable LSR
SILASTIC 3D-printable LSR combines the performance benefits of silicone elastomers with the design and processing advantages of the additive manufacturing process. It can enable faster prototype development and the creation of customized products, and it is ideal for small manufacturing trials of complex parts.
Expanding design options and speeding time to market, SILASTIC 3D-printable LSR supports coloured and transparent 3D-printed parts with properties that closely match those of injection-molded LSR parts and can ease transfer to injection molding processes for high-volume manufacturing.
Dow’s portfolio of performance materials, industrial intermediates and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for our customers in high-growth segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 113 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,000 people. Dow delivered pro forma sales of approximately $50 billion in 2018.
