3D Printing

Essentium Altitude is the first polycarbonate for extreme cold

Essentium launched its groundbreaking new material, Essentium Altitude, the first in its series of filaments designed for outdoor use. This innovative polycarbonate (PC) material is the first 3D printing filament to withstand cold temperatures as low as -60° C without cracking, making it ideal for a wide range of applications that require extreme cold, ultraviolet, and flame resistance.

A spool of Essentium Altitude polycarbonate material designed for extremely cold temperatures.
Essentium Altitude is a polycarbonate 3D-printing material designed for extremely cold temperatures and outdoor use. Image courtesy of Essentium.

Essentium Altitude’s extreme cold resistance properties make it suitable for high-altitude applications, such as drones and drone bodies, as well as outdoor housing, panel covers, electrical and transformer housings and covers, electrical line protections, and outdoor maintenance. The material is also ideal for use in cold outdoor environments in countries such as Norway and Alaska.

The material can be used on any open-source 3D printer, including the Essentium High-Speed Extrusion (HSETM) 180 and HSE 280i 3D printing platforms. This gives industry players a unique opportunity to rapidly produce parts that can withstand cold temperatures on demand, saving money, reducing waste, and streamlining the supply chain at the speed of relevance.

The team’s world-class AM experts combined their knowledge of machines, materials, and manufacturing industries, to develop this material, enabling manufacturers to make their AM visions a reality. The material complies with the company’s certificate of conformance, which provides individual spool traceability through the ISO and AS9100 quality process.

“We are excited to introduce Essentium Altitude, our latest innovative material that drastically expands the usability of 3D printing for outdoor and high-altitude applications. Engineered to withstand extreme cold, ultraviolet rays, and flames, Essentium Altitude sets a new standard for high-performance parts in industries such as aerospace, automotive, cold storage, maintenance, and construction. We will continue working with our partners and customers to drive a step-change in polymer advancement, enabling manufacturers to use AM for applications never imagined,” said Nirup Nagabandi, Ph.D., vice president of materials engineering at Essentium.

The new material is an addition to the company’s comprehensive portfolio of engineering-grade materials, which includes the recently released Essentium Duratem, and is available for pre-order.

Essentium
essentium.com

Written by

Rachael Pasini

Rachael Pasini has a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering and a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from The Ohio State University. She has over 15 years of experience as a technical writer and taught college math and physics. As Editor-in-Chief of Engineering.com and Design World and Senior Editor of Fluid Power World and R&D World, she covers automation, hydraulics, pneumatics, linear motion, motion control, additive manufacturing, advanced materials, robotics, and more.