New Resin for Stereolithography

By DE Editors

Developer of resins for stereolithography (SL) DSM Somos (Elgin, IL)has announced NanoTool, the third generation of the company's SomosProtoComposite materials for the rapid prototyping industry. NanoToolSL parts, says DSM Somos, offer "excellent sidewall quality."

Described as heavily filled with non-crystalline nanoparticles,NanoTool is said to permit faster processing with reduced finishingrequirements. NanoTool has a flexural modulus of 10,500 MPa, a heatdeflection temperature of 260°C (at 0.46 MPa after thermal post-cure),and linear shrinkage of less than 0.001 inch.

DSM Somos asserts that SL parts built using NanoTool demonstrates thebest sidewall quality of any composite SL material on the market today.The parts are said to reduce the amount of finishing time required tosand layer lines, making NanoTool an attractive choice for applicationsrequiring highly finished parts.

Additionally, residue left on the surface of a NanoTool part can becleaned with a simple water honing process. Such characteristics assmooth surface, easily removed residues, and high initial modulus makeNanoTool an excellent resin for metal plating, according to DSM Somos.

In conjunction with RePliForm, a Maryland-based service organizationspecializing in electroforming applications with rapid prototype modelsand parts for industrial design and product development, DSM Somos isstudying the metal-plated strength improvements achievable withNanoTool. To date, flexural modulus values of >55GPa have beenreached based on a metal to resin volume ratio of 1:4, according DSMSomos.

NanoTool is available today through the company's direct sales channels.  For further details, contact DSM Somos.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.