CEL’s 3D printer will be able to print in new copolyester materials

October. 13, 2015 — Recently CEL, the creators of the Robox 3D printer, announced new partnerships with ColorFabb, the Dutch producer of high quality filaments, that brings its range of new filament colours to CEL customers as Robox SmartReels.

The partnership means Robox customers can print with a rainbow of colours in ColorFabb’s copolyester filament ‘colorFabb_XT’, made from Eastman Chemical Company’s Amphora™ 3D polymer. The colorFabb_XT filament is now available in the full range of colours, including red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, light blue, purple, pink, black, white and clear.

ColorFabb_XT is made from Amphora™ 3D Polymer, a product of Eastman Chemical Company, and has a number of advantages over both PLA and ABS materials, according to Eastman. For example, it is less brittle than PLA, and because of its extremely low shrink rate, it is dimensionally more accurate than other materials and has good bed adhesion, with strong inter-layer bonding.

ColorFabb extrude their blend of Amphora™ 3D Polymer in the Netherlands on their quality manufacturing suite which is specially designed to maintain high dimensional accuracy.

CEL Robox is the first 3D printing manufacturer to have this filament spooled directly onto their SmartReels.

“The CEL Robox project is to build an eco-system around an extremely user friendly piece of hardware and to do this we want to bring together industry leaders to benefit 3D printer users,” said Chris Elsworthy, CEO of CEL. “In this case we have the first resin ever developed for 3D printing from Eastman, ColorFabb’s high quality blending and extrusion and Robox’s user friendly SmartReel system.

“ColorFabb_XT is another high quality material that we bring to our users to ensure their 3D printing experience is the best it can be,” Elsworthy said. “We are particularly interested in using this material in education applications as we feel it improves the reliability of printing and the strength of the end results.”

“I first saw the Robox printer in action in 2014 and was immediately taken by the ease of use that Robox offers consumers,” said Ruud Rouleaux, CEO at ColorFabb. “So when we began looking for a 3D printer to partner with we naturally reached out to Robox to see how we could work together to make 3D printing in a range of different materials more accessible to everyone. In Robox we have found a partner that we can work together with to achieve our goal of allowing people to create functional and aesthetically beautiful prints.”

“Collaborations such as the one between CEL and ColorFabb are why Eastman is involved in the 3D printing market,” said Alex Dudal, market development representative, Eastman Chemical Company. “Working with these leaders in the hardware and filament markets allows us to bring the benefits of Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer to a wider audience.”

Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer is a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive, Eastman claims.

About Robox®: Robox® is 3D printer for anyone to use at home. It has been engineered so people can ‘plug and print’ models of the highest quality in a wide range of materials, finishes and colours.It features a ‘dual nozzle FFF head’ which has one nozzle for printing a highly detailed surface, and the other for fast-filling. This enables Robox to print faster than other printers with only a single nozzle system. The Robox printer also includes automatic build platform levelling and features a closed feedback loop, dual-pinch-wheel extrusion system, which enables it to print with good resolution and control. Robox is easy to use and it gives everyone the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. AutoMaker™ software and automatic material recognition means that Robox® does not require heavy programming to start work. Robox was designed by CEL, a British based product development company. The Robox currently retails at £999 (inc. VAT).

About ColorFabb: Headquartered in Venlo, the Netherlands, colorFabb ventured into 3D printing in 2013 by producing quality filaments, which are developed and produced in the Netherlands under its brand name colorFabb. With a focus on development of high-end specialty and functional materials, colorFabb has already found a worldwide customer base.

About Eastman Chemical Company: Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products in end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. Eastman serves customers in approximately 100 countries and had 2014 revenues of approximately $9.5 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, and employs approximately 15,000 people around the world.

Source: Eastman