Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM), a global leader in high-volume additive manufacturing technologies, today introduced FreeFoam™, a new family of photopolymer resins that enable the tool-free manufacture of durable and dimensionally accurate closed-cell foam parts. This offers entirely new benefits for the automotive, home furnishings, footwear, sporting goods, healthcare and other industries.
This press release contains multimedia content. View the full announcement here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005364/en/
FreeFoam will be showcased at Foam Expo North America June 28-30 in Novi, Michigan. 3D printed vehicle seats made from FreeFoam, developed in collaboration with Camaco, a provider of engineered seating solutions, will be featured at booth 2336.
Parts manufactured with FreeFoam are already being produced by leading companies in the automotive and furnishing industries. Wide commercial availability of FreeFoam material is planned for 2023. A new video showing the process of making 3D printed parts with this innovative new material is now available at https://learn.desktopmetal.com/freefoam.
“FreeFoam is one of the most exciting and commercially significant photopolymer solutions in industrial printing in a long time,” said Ric Fulop, founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “The market for conventionally manufactured foam faces numerous problems – from expensive molds that limit design possibilities, to dense and heavy foams that absorb water and incur high transport costs, to the inability to easily increase strength and Shore -Adjust hardness on specific foam designs.”
“We’re particularly excited to showcase our FreeFoam innovation in the Detroit metro area, where our new foam material can help make cars and trucks lighter while maintaining the performance and comfort you’ve come to expect from foam seats. With FreeFoam is Desktop Metal is uniquely positioned to address a variety of foam market challenges.”
FreeFoam resins planned in several quality levels
FreeFoam was invented and developed by Adaptive3D, a Texas-based subsidiary of Desktop Metal, which was acquired in 2021 and is a leader in the development of high-quality photopolymers and elastomers.
FreeFoam resins are 3D printed using DLP, similar to other photopolymer resins. After 3D printing, FreeFoam parts can be expanded if desired during a short heating cycle in an oven at approximately 160-170°C (320-340°F). The printed parts contain dispersed, heat-activated foaming agents that create closed cell pores inside the material. This highly controllable process causes FreeFoam resins to consistently expand from 2 to 7 times their original size, depending on resin grade, and produce final parts within desired tolerances.
With this entirely new process, 3D printers are able to produce foam parts whose final size far exceeds the printer’s original design envelopes. The foam products can be shipped in compact sizes and foamed directly at the assembly site or at the point of commercial use.
While the preliminary specifications for FreeFoam are now available, Desktop Metal plans to offer several grades of FreeFoam resins that have different shore hardnesses and other specific material properties, such as e.g. e.g. water resistance, for the outdoor furniture industry.
FreeFoam is part of the recently introduced DuraChain™ category of one-pot, one-piece photopolymers that offer breakthrough properties in terms of elasticity and toughness thanks to a photopolymerization-induced phase separation process. When these materials are illuminated during DLP printing, nano-level phase separation occurs into a material that cures into a resilient, high-performance polymer network. With DuraChain, FreeFoam parts can be foamed in a controlled manner in an oven without a mold.
FreeFoam will initially be printed exclusively on Desktop Metal’s polymer 3D printing brand’s ETEC Xtreme 8K top-down DLP system. Companies interested in this new material and process can learn more at https://learn.desktopmetal.com/freefoam.
About Desktop Metal
Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, Desktop Metal, Inc. accelerates manufacturing transformation with a comprehensive portfolio of 3D printing solutions, from rapid prototyping to mass production. Founded in 2015 by leading experts in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy and robotics, the company addresses the unsolved challenges of speed, cost and quality to make additive manufacturing an indispensable tool for engineers and manufacturers around the world close. Desktop Metal was named one of the 30 Most Promising Technology Pioneers in the World by the World Economic Forum and named one of the 50 Smartest Companies by MIT Technology Review. In 2021, the company received Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award in Materials and Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech Award in Sustainability.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the terms “believe”, “project”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “strategy”, “future”, “opportunity”, “plan”, “may”. ‘, ‘should’, ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘continue’, ‘are likely to result’ and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this document, particularly regarding the risks and uncertainties discussed in Desktop Metal, Inc.’s filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission . These reports identify other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein relate solely to the date of their publication. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Furthermore, Desktop Metal, Inc. assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The source language in which the original text is published is the official and authorized version. Translations will be included for a better understanding. Only the language version that was originally published is legally valid. Therefore, compare translations with the original language version of the publication.
View original version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005364/en/
Leverage must be between 2 and 20
No data