SABIC has announced the launch of its AMS31F breakaway support material for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology.
The new filament has been designed to be used with SABIC’s ULTEM AM9085F material, a high-performance polyetherimide (PEI), which it launched two years ago at RAPID + TCT.
This PEI product boasts high heat resistance and mechanical strength – important qualities within industries like aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas – while the supplementary AMS31F support material works to maintain rigidity during printing. It is also said to enable easier removal of scaffolding. Thanks to its ‘exceptional’ pliability, the support material separates at room temperature, meaning no reheating is required.
The combination of these materials not only enables parts with the required quality, but with the simple removal of scaffolding in the post-processing phase, can also reduce time it takes to produce finished parts. Also facilitating the more streamlined removal of support structures is the contrast in colour – the AMS31F is white, while the ULTEM filament is an amber colour – which helps the user to easily identify which structures need to be removed.
“Using structural supports to print parts with complex geometries is essential, but it can also be quite challenging. Removing traditional supports from the finished part often involves time-consuming processes that can negatively impact productivity and quality,” commented Keith Cox, Senior Business Manager, Additive Manufacturing, SABIC. “By offering a complementary support material for the ULTEM AM9085F filament, SABIC is providing a complete material solution that helps customers save time and effort. Additionally, the ease of support material removal provides part designers greater flexibility in defining print orientation to optimise part performance.”
“The ease of support material removal simplifies our secondary operations process and provides a higher quality part for our customers,” added Tracy Albers, President of Rapid Prototype + Manufacturing (RP+M), an Ohio-based additive manufacturing service provider. “SABIC is providing service bureaus with a complete material solution that effectively combines the high performance of ULTEM filament with their efficient AMS31F support filament.”
Source: tctmagazine
