MakerBot adds Nylon to METHED materials portfolio.
Desktop 3D printing leader MakerBot has added its eighth material to the METHOD line-up; Nylon.
The black filament is said to provide high abrasion resistance and high flexural, tensile and impact strength, well-suited for functional prototyping and end-use applications in automotive, industrial products, and consumer products industries.
MakerBot says Nylon's strong mechanical and thermal properties make the material ideal for applications that require repetitive motions or applied force, such as manufacturing tools and fixtures, articulated parts, snap fits, living hinges, gears, and air intakes. The material can also be used alongside water-soluble PVA support filament to enable complex geometries.
“As we continue to rapidly expand our materials offerings, customers can choose from a variety of materials that offer different mechanical and thermal properties suited to their applications,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot. “Nylon’s unique combination of mechanical properties, accompanied with high heat resistance, opens up a new set of applications for the METHOD platform, such as gears, living hinges, and repetitive motion manufacturing fixtures. Engineers can also increase efficiencies in the workplace by using Nylon for a range of end-use applications.”
While printing in nylon is nothing new for desktop extrusion-based systems, the METHOD does provide some additional features that ensure materials are kept in their optimal condition. Nylon, for example, is sensitive to moisture absorption which, if stored incorrectly, can lead to warping and deformation when printing. To address that, the METHOD includes sealed material bays and a new spool drying feature to protect and dry out nylon spools affected by humidity, along with built-in sensors to keep materials stored in their ideal environment.
The METHOD has been out in the wild for just under a year now and MakerBot has continued to push its "performance 3D printing" range with a number of material additions and a more advanced METHOD X machine. It appears as though the Brooklyn-based company's goal to bridge the gap between desktop and industrial is working as it reports to have attracted hundreds of small and large industrial customers over the last 11 months such as PENSA and All Axis Robotics.
