To announce its newest material, E-RigidForm, EnvisionTEC 3D printed a ridiculously long chain. Measuring out at 328 feet, the links demo the material’s tough properties and the possibility of such parts for end use.
Michigan-headquartered 3D printer manufacturer EnvisionTEC broadened its already pretty vast pool of materials this month with the announcement of E-RigidForm. Positioned as tough and durable, the polyeurethane-like material is comparable to nylon 6 and polycarbonate.
To show off the new material ahead of this month’s RAPID + TCT show, the company turned to its own 3D builder Robert Montes, who devised record-setting print: the longest continuous single-print chain.
Almost entirely filling the 18-cubic-inch build volume of the company’s largest resin printer, the Xede 3SP, the chain consists of 6,144 links 1.5-inch links and requires just shy of 100 hours print time.
It took Montes (with some colleagues in support) two weeks to design, and required an extremely graphically powerful computer to process for printing, generating supports and divining the layers to be printed.
In all its a remarkable print, and incredibly satisfying to see pulled apart into the single chain. Check out the video below and see for yourself.
Solid Chain, Even More Solid Material
The material EnvisionTEC shows off with this chain will perhaps be as interesting as the chain itself to non-manufacturers. Dubbed E-RigidForm, this new tough material boasts a high tensile strength, measuring 68-73MPa at 7% elongation at break.
Speaking about the new release, EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani said “A print job of this size and complexity would not have been possible before, simply because of the stiffness required during the 3D printing process for so many links and layers.”
You can see the full material profile over on the EnvisionTEC webpages.
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