taulman3D has debuted a new high strength material targeting 3D printers like the Atmel-powered MakerBot lineup. Dubbed “T-Glass,” or tough glass, the new material boasts an optimum temperature of about 212c to 224C, although it prints down to 207C and up to (approximately) 235C.
Unsurprisingly, T-Glass is specifically made of FDA approved polymers for direct food contact/containers, including cups and utensils. And, unlike some lines, there are no odors or fumes when 3D printing with T-Glass.
“T-Glass is very strong, yet different from our nylons as it’s stiff, like PLA and ABS,” a taulman3D rep explained in an official blog post. “Based on our first industrial trials, [it] meets all the requirements for three industrial customers that had an applicable need. To these customers, the clarity was a significant advantage for their quality control departments.”
Indeed, John Porter, President of the Canada-based 3F Product Design, said his company has been using the Makerbot 2X with a variety of materials.
“[However], T-Glass is some of the best printing material we have ever used,” he noted. “It’s lower print temperatures, layer bonding, and strength are great, and almost no shrinkage means prints stay flat, allowing them to stay much closer to design tolerances than ABS, or PLA.”
Sergio M. Ammirata, Ph.D., Managing Partner SipRadius, expressed similar sentiments.
“We love the new T-Glass material. It was extremely easy to use with our Makerbot 2x. We just used the standard heated platform temperature of 110C and a Nozzle temperature of 212C and the print was hassle free,” he said. “It took about 2.5 hours to print this piece. Thanks to this new FDA approved material, we can now manufacture items for an entire new market. It opens up a world of possibilities for us.”
Additional information about T-Glass can be found here.
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