3DS Introduces Infinity Water Soluble 3D Printing Support

One of the reasons additive manufacturing (AM) has made such a big splash in the design and engineering arena is that it allows for a freedom of design never before possible. A part that would have to be designed for traditional manufacturing as several different parts requiring additional assembly can be built using AM in one print.

Part of what makes this freedom of design possible is the existence of printing support. Overhanging parts or unusual shapes require some sort of support in place during the printing process to finish the build. For entry-level 3D printers, support materials is often removed post-build using cutting tools. However, a new support material developed by 3D Systems (3DS) for its Cube 3 and CubePro desktop 3D printers is water soluble.

3DS has named the new support material Infinity Rinse-Away. According to 3DS, Infinity either completely washes away after a long soak, or washes away all but the largest chunks of support material, which come free during the soak without requiring assistance.

“We are thrilled to expand our desktop printing materials with the introduction of Infinity Rinse-Away soluble support material, enabling never-before-possible results from consumer 3D printers,” said Peter Theran, VP, global consumer products, 3DS. “We are excited to see the amazing things that our growing user base will do with these powerful new capabilities.”

Infinity is made with biodegradable corn-based plastic, which is compatible with PLA. According to the company, the new support material makes it easier to design objects with articulation, suspension and movement. Cartridges are priced at $49 for the Cube and $99 for the CubePro.

This new support material is another indication of 3DS’ drive to be considered the go-to product for desktop AM systems.

Below you’ll find a video about Infinity.

Source: 3DS