Stratasys Inc., (NASDAQ: SSYS) a maker of 3D printers for prototyping and producing plastic parts, introduced a static dissipative ABS material for items sensitive to electrostatic charge. The ABS-ESD7 is a new material for use by Fortus additive manufacturing systems. It can be used in situations where a static charge can damage products, impair performance, or cause an explosion. Unlike most thermoplastics, ABS-ESD7 prevents a buildup of static electricity, so it can’t produce a static shock.
Besides eliminating static shock, the ESD material eliminates another common static electricity problem: the attraction and buildup of particulate, such as dust or powders, which can degrade product performance.
ABS-ESD7 is also beneficial when designing products that avoid attracting atomized liquid, such as medicine inhalers, which must deliver the entire drug dose to the patient and not leave mist clinging to inhaler’s internal surfaces.
The material will be most useful for manufacturers that wish to create assembly aids that hold, handle, or carry their electronics safely.
Primary applications include:
• Carriers and organizers for electrical components
• Fixtures for electronic component assembly
• Production line and conveyor parts
Other applications include:
• Product design and validation for:
◦ Electronic product enclosures
◦ Electronics packaging material
◦ Powder or mist conveying or dispensing
“ABS-ESD7 was engineered in response to a strong demand from our additive manufacturing system owners,” says Stratasys Business Development Director Fred Fischer. “In a survey, over 50 percent of owners expressed a need for ESD materials for creating assembly aids, prototypes, or production parts.”
ABS-ESD7 will run on Fortus 400mc and Fortus 900mc FDM systems. It is comparable in operation to its non-ESD counterpart, ABS-M30, from Stratasys. All mechanical properties of ABS-ESD7 are within five percent of the ratings for ABS-M30. Orders are being taken now for ABS-ESD7, and material canisters will begin shipping in September.
ABS-ESD7 is available immediately for contract manufacturing jobs through Stratasys’ RedEye On Demand digital manufacturing service.
Stratasys, Inc.
www.stratasys.com
Source: :: Make Parts Fast ::
