Opens Up Applications for a Range of Consumer Goods, Medical, and Other Industries
REDWOOD CIY, CA – November 9, 2017 – Carbon (www.Carbon3D.com), a Silicon Valley-based 3D manufacturing company, today announced the release of Silicone (SIL 30), a soft, tear-resistant, biocompatible resin, opening up additive manufacturing applications for a range of medical and consumer products such as headphones, wristbands, and other various attachments for wearables. With this new material, Carbon has the potential to revolutionize manufacturing for the wearables market, which, according to International Data Corporation (IDC) is expected to double by 2021 due to the increase in sales of smartwatches and smart clothing.
Carbon worked with NAMSA, a leader in biocompatibility testing, to certify SIL 30 as well as six additional Carbon resins, including multiple resins that will be used in medical device manufacturing – another industry that has seen significant benefits from using 3D printing.
“Consumer goods and medical are two industries that show the most promise for using 3D printing for production at scale, which is why we’ve prioritized the development of novel materials like SIL 30,” said Carbon CEO and Co-founder Dr. Joseph DeSimone. “We now have seven biocompatible materials, more than double the amount of any other additive manufacturing company.”
In addition to SIL 30, the other six Carbon resins that have been certified biocompatible include:
- Cyanate Ester (CE 220): A highly temperature-resistant and stiff material similar to glass-filled nylon, used primarily for applications that need long-term thermal stability like under-the-hood automotive components, electronics assemblies, surgical instruments, and industrial products. CE has excellent dielectric properties for uses in high voltage transformers and radio frequency applications.
- Rigid Polyurethane (RPU 61): A versatile, tough, and rigid material comparable to ABS and used primarily for single-use surgical tools, housings, consumer, and industrial products.
- Rigid Polyurethane (RPU 70): Like RPU 61, a versatile, tough, and rigid material comparable to ABS. RPU 70 also has a UL 94 HB flame-resistance classification.
- Elastomeric Polyurethane (EPU 40): A highly elastic, tear-resistant, and resilient material comparable to TPU elastomer used primarily for cushioning, vibration isolation, gaskets, and seals for applications like surgical robotics, prosthetics, and diagnostic devices.
- Epoxy (EPX 81): A temperature-resistant and strong material comparable to glass-filled PBT used primarily for applications like electrical connectors.
- Urethane Methacrylate (UMA 90): A rigid material similar to conventional SLA resins that is well-suited for producing manufacturing jigs, fixtures, and general-purpose prototypes.
“We were investigating how to best create pediatric stents that can be easily switched out as a child grows, but found that traditional 3D printing methods and materials repeatedly failed due to the dynamic action of the airways,” said Dr. Robroy MacIver, Congenital Heart Surgeon at Children’s Minnesota. “Carbon’s SIL 30 material offers an isotropic, smooth finish with the durability to withstand such action in the trachea, while its innovative Digital Light Synthesis technology allowed for the size, fine resolution, and robust-build quality required for such small airways. As a result, we were able to develop a durable, flexible device that can support many different deployment techniques for pediatric stent placement.”
“For several years now, Carbon’s materials scientists have been aggressively working to create the broadest possible range and depth of photopolymer materials with exceptional surface quality, mechanical properties tuned for production, and now biocompatibility,” said Jason Rolland, Carbon’s vice president of materials. “We engage closely with our customers to understand their individual requirements as we develop new production-quality materials, so the range of materials that can be used with our M Series 3D printers and Digital Light Synthesisä technology will continue to grow extensively.”
For more information about SIL 30 and Carbon’s other biocompatible materials, visit www.Carbon3D.com/materials or contact sales@carbon3d.com.
About Carbon
Carbon is a Silicon Valley-based company working at the intersection of hardware, software, and molecular science to deliver on the promise of 3D manufacturing. The company empowers its customers and partners to evolve beyond using 3D printing for basic prototyping to producing at scale by revolutionizing how they design, engineer, make, and deliver their products. With Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis™ technology and its SpeedCell™ system (M Series printers and Smart Part Washer), manufacturers can unlock new business opportunities such as mass customization, on-demand inventory, and differentiated products made with unique functional materials. Carbon’s solutions also provide substantial operational efficiencies, such as the elimination of tooling costs and decreased time to market. To learn more, visit www.Carbon3D.com.