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WATERCLEAR™ PROTOFUNCTIONAL® RESINS NOW AVAILABLE FOR HELIUM CADMIUM AND ARGON ION STEREOLITHOGRAPHY MACHINES
15 February 2002 - DSM Somos
| DSM Somos®, world leader in innovative material technologies for the rapid prototyping (RP) industry, has announced the availability of its WaterClear™ ProtoFunctional® resins for all stereolithography laser platforms. |
The new materials will be marketed for argon ion and helium cadmium laser systems under the brand names Somos® WaterClear™ 10100 and Somos® WaterClear™ 10110 respectively. First launched in August 2001 for solid state stereolithography (SL) laser systems, Somos® WaterClear™ resins represent the only SL solution commercially available which allows industrial and engineering designers to realise their prototypes with robust material properties and optical clarity. The availability of WaterClear™ for a greater number of machine owners is in direct response to market demand and confirms the company’s position of creating valid ProtoFunctional® solutions to better satisfy the needs of the rapid prototyping community, engineers and designers. Somos® ProtoFunctional® resins belonging to the WaterClear™ family provide many desirable engineering properties: the flexural strength and modulus of polycarbonate, the notched izod impact strength of Nylon 66 and the tensile strength of ABS. Ideal applications for this epoxy-based photopolymer include flow visualization, complex assembly analysis, form/fit analysis and functional testing. For applications where colour is desired, the material may be dyed in a secondary step. In addition to delivering optical-clarity, prototypes made in Somos® WaterClear™ ensure exceptional durability, toughness and impact strength, properties which favour its use for applications where previously available grades of stereolithography resins were too soft or too brittle. Examples of such demanding applications include those which call for the incorporation of screws or press fit bearings into stereolithography models. Prior to the introduction of the Somos® WaterClear™ family, a significantly greater amount of time was required for the realization of clear prototypes, and this phase of the development process was normally restricted to late in the design stage. Thanks to the innovative properties of this material, transparent, colour-free models can now be built early in the design process and multiple iterations or design modifications of these parts can be easily made as the design evolves.
http://www.dsmsomos.com
About: DSM Somos
DSM Somos is an unincorporated division of DSM Desotech—a world leader in the development of UV-curable materials—and a member of the global DSM family.
DSM Somos is currently the world's second largest materials supplier to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography liquids and
selective laser sintering powders used for the creation of three dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data. Somos' patented ProtoFunctional materials are used by a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications. DSM Somos has developed a full line of rapid prototyping materials that replicate the performance parameters of production materials, saving both time and money in new product development. From thermoplastic elastomers to polyethylene and polypropylene, DSM Somos has stereolithography and selective laser sintering technologies. The Somos business has been actively involved in the development of rapid prototyping materials since the late 1980s, from the introduction of the first commercial Somos stereolithography resin in 1992. DSM Somos is part of DSM Desotech, a leading innovative formulator and manufacturer of high quality ultraviolet and electron beam (UV/EB) curable materials. DSM Desotech is a business unit of DSM - an international chemicals and materials group headquartered in The Netherlands, with annual sales of EUR 8.1 billion and a work force of approximately 22,000 employees at more than 200 sites worldwide. DSM is active worldwide in life science and nutritional products, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company specializes in innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life and DSM products are currently used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). The group has annual sales (pro forma including the recent acquisition - renamed DSM Nutritional Products) of approximately EUR 8 billion and employs about 26,000 people around the world. Ranking among the global leaders in many of its fields, DSM is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. |
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