Colossus 3D Printing & colorFabb Announce Collaboration To Bring Specialized LW Foaming Materials To The 3D Printing FGF Market
Colossus & colorFabb now stand at the forefront of the 3D printing industry and with their collaboration, usher in a new era in 3D printing. In the past, due to the fledging technology and lack of LW foaming materials, 3D printing was very limited, but with the introduction of Colossus’s new XS model printer and colorFabb’s new material, skies the limit.
Houthalen-Hechteren , Belgium – September 21, 2021, Colossus Gigantic 3D Printing, known for their cutting-edge 3D printing equipment, have announced a collaboration with colorFabb in an effort to bring large-scale 3D printing to the mainstream. colorFabb, known for their development of high-quality specialized filaments have entered into the partnership with Colossus with the goal of bringing Lightweight (LW) materials to the FGF market. Although it may seem like an unlikely pair due to the fact they are in different industries, their shared vision for innovation and new partnership will propel the 3D printing industry to new heights.
Colossus has secured exclusive rights to offer colorFabb’s new LW foaming material to the market, and that coupled with their new Colossus XP Print System will bring a complete 3D printing system from nuts to bolts to the market. LW foaming materials, developed and introduced to the filament market by colorFabb in 2019, have a very novel and leading-edge advantage. The LW PLA is the first material of its kind using active foaming technology to achieve lightweight, low-density parts, or exceptionally high layer heights depending on the parameters used. colorFabb’s LW PLA filament is a highly specialized material and an iconic filament used in various industries from model airplanes and drones to cosplay costumes and attributes.
During a recent interview, Philippe-Daniel Merillet, CEO of Colossus was quoted as saying, “The first time we encountered the LW material range from colorFabb we immediately recognized the opportunities it would bring to the FGF market. Imagine taking the principle of printing twice as fast or twice as lightweight applied to large-scale industrial print systems. Printing and alternating these effects with the same pellets, the same machine and even incorporated in the same G-code. Its revolutionary.”
He went on to say, “In print services around the world, cost is a function of material price + printing time. Higher layer heights allow for reduced print times. It’s like having a 4.5K/h extruder capable of 9k/h and the ability to print only percentages of the normal weight, what’s not to love. It will change the way people print from this moment onwards.”
“The LW materials expand based on the energy they absorb. The amount of energy the filament can absorb during printing depends on the length of the hot-zone and the time it takes for the filament to pass through the hot-zone. The longer a filament will reside inside the hot-end, the more energy it can absorb which will increase the amount of expansion. Assuming nozzle size and layer height are fixed, the main input variables are temperature, speed, and flow to determine the amount of expansion.”
Over the recent year, these two agile and innovative companies worked closely together. Using colorFabb’s expertise in high-performance polymers and 3D printing filaments and Colossus’s process knowledge in large-scale extrusion, the foaming materials and formulations were tested and adapted to obtain a stable FGF compound. The first rounds of testing have been completed with very promising results.
Philippe-Daniel mentioned that layer heights of 1cm have already been achieved on an 8mm nozzle but claims the limits of this material have not yet been reached. The material will be commercialized through Colossus and is therefore expected to be launched in combination with the highly anticipated new XS model FGF Printer the company is also introducing to the market. The XS Printer is the first print system developed in partnership with high quality WEBER additive extrusion technology.
The printer has been specially designed and optimized to get the most out of this innovative material, and has been self-described as “a desktop printer on steroids,” capable of handling both small and large-scale printing jobs.
To learn more about Colossus 3D Printing, visit their official website at https://colossusprinters.com/.
About Colossus:
Colossus printers is a Belgian based 3D printing company. Together with partner The One Project, Colossus is active in redefining the boundaries for 3D printing, the use of recycled materials and eco-sourcing. The main advantage of Colossus is that through its application driven approach they have expanded printing, process and postprocessing knowledge in the world of additive manufacturing. The main focus of Colossus is on the commercial sales of their large scale transportable FGF 3D printers, and to offer the production of large-scale prints which can range from prototypes, furniture, art, construction applications, machine parts, wall panels etc., and most importantly to build out the market for FGF printers by providing their clients with the most cutting-edge innovations and updates.
About colorFabb:
colorFabb, one of the most dynamic filament producers, has established itself as a market leader of high quality and highly specialized 3D printing filaments. With extensive polymers knowledge and 3Dknow-how, colorFabb works continuously on developing new solutions and materials for the 3D printing market. From their state-of-the-art 3D printing center in Belfeld, the Netherlands – which the company shares with Helian Polymers, Blackbelt 3D, and the recently new introduced PodoPrinter –colorFabb focusses on innovation, development, and production of all materials in house. With this first specialized compound introduced in pelletized form, colorFabb starts a new journey in developing and producing tailored formulations, targeting functional and sustainable material solutions.
Media Contact:
Colossus Printers
ATTN: Media Relations
Houthalen-Hechteren, Belgium
+32472567029
rh@colossusprinters.com