Print 3D parts lighter than metal but just as strong
Nylon 12CF extends the properties of Nylon 12 through the addition of chopped carbon fibre. Comprising 35% of the material weight, carbon fibre gives Nylon 12CF the highest stiffness to weight ratio of any FDM 3D printing material currently available. This makes it an ideal alternative to aluminium or other metal alloys when lightness is required or metal is not appropriate.
Carbon fibre threads are designed to align with the direction of print. This affords major strength improvements on the XY axis, while maintaining similar properties on the Z axis to those experienced when using Nylon 12. Parts can be produced with a layer thickness of up to 0.254mm (0.010in).
Nylon 12CF is compatible with Stratasys’ SR-110 support material for use when building complex parts. For areas that involve complex internal geometry, box supports are recommended however. Parts can be built using traditional, easily-removed sparse or basic supports.
Key benefits
- Reduced compensation requirement when metal forming due to increased stiffness
- Parts produced with Nylon 12CF are lighter than traditional metal equivalents, thus reducing weight and mass on fixtures
- Parts have a higher uniaxial stiffness than injection moulded parts of the same material
- Nylon 12CF has a high melting temperature of 223 degrees Celsius (433 degrees Fahrenheit) making it ideal for use in demanding environments
- Despite the unique nature of the material, no special skills are required for its use or in post-production finishing
Uses of Nylon 12CF
- Creating production rigs where this was previously impossible due to material flexibility
- Production of drill guides designed to retain their shape for a truer, more reliable alignment
- Replacing parts that would otherwise be manufactured using metal, such as brackets, jig fixtures and other elements that require high material rigidity
- Producing low-volume production parts with unique structural elements and a requirement for enhanced structural strength in a single direction
Nylon 12CF is available on the Fortus 450mc and F900 3D Production Systems and requires an updated version of Insight software.
