DSM Somos Drives SL Innovation, Application Development with 2006 Product Introductions

During Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing 2006, North America’s largest annual Rapid Manufacturing event, stereolithography resin leader DSM Somos officially introduced its line-up of new materials for 2006.

"This year’s new resin offerings reflect DSM Somos’ commitment to driving the market forward with both material innovation and application development," says Somos Marketing Manager Eva Montgomery. "In particular, we’ve continued our focus on materials that will move the RP market closer to direct manufacturing."

Somos NanoTool
NanoTool is the third resin to be introduced within DSM Somos’ line of reinforced composite materials for conventional stereolithography (SL). In 2003, ProtoTool 20L delivered novel capabilities to the RP market including stiffness up to 300% higher than unfilled resins, ultra low shrinkage and standard-setting thermal properties. In 2004, NanoForm 15120 provided the SL industry with the first 100% nano-filled material, offering enhanced stiffness and accuracy with the processing ease of unfilled resins.

This year, NanoTool successfully combines the best features of these innovative Somos composite resins into one new material. Enhanced processing speeds ( >30% increase) and ease of secondary processing further advance the use of composite SL resins in applications such as wind tunnel testing, rapid tooling and metal plating of structural composites.

Somos 18120 ProtoGen O-XT Clear & 18420 ProtoGen O-XT White
Based on Somos’ oxetane chemistry (the Oxetane Advantage), ProtoGen O-XT Clear & White resins offer high dimensional stability via low water absorption and high green strength. Other advantages of these new multipurpose materials include faster processing speeds with higher accuracy and heat deflection temperatures (HDT of 70°C with UV-only post-treatment and >100°C with thermal post-treatment).

Somos first harnessed oxetane chemistry more than four years ago in order to move ahead of traditional SL acrylate and epoxy chemistries in producing the standard-setting dimensional stability of its ABS-like WaterShed 11120 and Somos White 14120 resins. Today, Somos’ next generation of oxetane SL materials is designed to further expand the performance parameters of multipurpose SL resins.

Somos 19120 ProtoCast AF
Targeted for the investment casting industry, ProtoCast AF is a completely antimony-free version of Somos’ new ProtoGen O-XT Clear resin. The material boasts extremely low ash content and is targeted for use with both fused silica and alumina refractory shell systems. Like ProtoGen O-XT, ProtoCast AF is also formulated with Somos Oxetane Advantage chemistry, for high dimensional stability and green strength.

All four of Somos’ 2006 product introductions are currently in beta testing, with full commercialization expected later this year.