MakerBot continues to expand its materials portfolio with the availability of ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate). ASA is part of MakerBot’s line of Precision Materials for Method and is suited to outdoor applications that need to withstand harsh environments, such as in the automotive, power and utilities, agriculture, oil & gas and mass transit industries.
ASA is an engineering-grade material with high weather-resistant propertiesuseful for outdoor applications such as electrical box covers, gardening equipment and automotive side view mirror housings. It is available for Method X, a manufacturing workstation with an up to 100°C Circulating Heated Chamber capable of providing a decent print environment for industrial-level materials. Powered by Stratasys, the MakerBot Method X is designed to help engineers achieve dimensionally-accurate production-grade parts at a lower cost than traditional manufacturing.
ASA has mechanical properties similar to ABS but with stronger ultra-violet (UV), long-term heat resistance and chemical resistance. This enables ASA to retain its gloss, colour, and properties in outdoor exposure better than ABS. ASA’s weather-resistant properties make it ideal for many end-use parts and functional prototype applications that are exposed to harsh environments.
Engineers can print unrestricted geometries when printing ASA with Stratasys SR-30 industrial support material. The combination of these two materials allows users to achieve consistent and repeatable parts with ±0.2mm dimensional accuracy. Method X is the only 3D printer in its price-class that uses SR-30, providing engineers with unlimited design freedom.
Precision ASA is expected to go on sale in November 2019, and will be initially available in black. The availability of ASA in red and white is due soon after.
Click here to read about the latest research into 3D printer materials.
