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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DSM Somos Contact: Melisa Lasell, Tel. +39 06 9865179 Fax. +39 06 9871694
Email. <melisa.lasell@probusinesstech.net
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November 22, 2004
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Building on its reputation as the industry innovator, DSM Somos reconfirmed Frankfurt's Euromold fair as its launch pad for new materials with the preview of two new ProtoFunctional® families in line for commercialisation in 2005. Advanced material technologies and comprehensive process know-how by DSM Somos scientists have proven the exhibition to be a valuable shop window for the rapid prototyping industry.
Ty Bacon Marketing & Sales Manager, DSM Somos commented, "DSM Somos has won acclaim amongst industry experts for delivering innovative materials, a factor which has helped the business to consistently achieve double digit growth over the last several years. We believe that the two new materials previewed at Euromold 2004, a fire retardant material, and a low durometer material, confirm the company's ability to deliver leading edge SL materials for prototyping and rapid manufacturing applications."
Somos FR™ 16120 meets UL 94 standards for fire resistance
Somos FR™ 16120, a new flame retardant ProtoFunctional® material from DSM Somos, has been accredited a V-0 rating in accordance with UL 94, the Standard for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances. V-0 accreditation indicates that the test was carried out with the material in a vertical position and denotes that the material is self-extinguishing. The test is equivalent to ASTM D3801 and IEC Standard 60695-11-10 (B). This resin will meet the requirements for flame retardant prototypes and low volume production parts in the electronic, electrical and automotive industries.
Somos ULM™ 17120 offers new levels of elasticity in prototypes
Ideal for applications where toughness and flexibility are important, the new low durometer Somos ULM™ 17120 provides the highly elastic properties necessary to produce functional models of seals, gaskets, hoses, and flexible membranes. Prototypes realized in Somos ULM™ SL resins will allow the RP industry to capitalize on the benefits of stereolithography, including enhanced accuracy and surface finish, in applications traditionally reserved to selective laser sintering (SLS) or through silicone molding.
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Sales of Somos White 14120 exceed expectations for DSM Somos
Since its announcement at Euromold 2003 and its commercial launch in 2004, Somos White 14120 has surpassed company expectations. Commenting at this year's Euromold exhibition, Ty Bacon, Marketing & Sales Manager, DSM Somos said, "The unprecedented success of Somos White 14120 confirms the designer's need for highly stable and accurate parts with excellent properties and aesthetics similar to ABS. The resin's low viscosity, high photo-speed, and wide process window, as well as part stability over time, have also made it extremely popular with SL machine owners."
Somos NanoForm™ 15120 confirms a place for nanotechnology in rapid tooling and rapid manufacturing.
Part of the ProtoComposite™ family, NanoForm™ has a modulus of 5,900 MPa and HDT of 259°C, combining the mechanical properties of glass-filled polyamide sintering materials with the accuracy and surface finish of stereolithography. Since its announcement at Euromold 2003, NanoForm™ 15120 is enabling an increasing number of users to shorten prototyping cycles by eliminating the need for secondary tooling requirements in order to produce silicone parts.
The ceramic-like finish obtained by NanoForm™ allows a surface quality unlike traditional rapid prototyping materials, and is inspiring companies to create new applications and solutions based on direct manufacturing in the material. On display was a mock-up of the patented 3d-ART system by ErgonixART which provides innovative solutions to museums and exhibitors for the sight impaired. Guide rails with incorporated Braille symbols are realized directly in NanoForm™ and, thanks to the superior tactility, the systems can be directly mounted into display rooms without costly secondary production methods.
Somos ProtoTool™ 20L proves the potential for SL technology direct tooling.
Injection moulding on a BabyPlast machine was conducted on the Somos stand in Frankfurt, using tools made directly in Somos ProtoTool™ 20L. The industry's first ceramic-filled composite resin has a modulus of 10,000 MPa and HDT of 279°C. Since its commercial launch in late 2003, ProtoTool™ has been successfully installed on numerous SL machines throughout Europe and the USA, confirming its commercial viability for producing parts for the aerospace, automotive and motorsport industries, among others. Ty Bacon, Sales & Marketing, DSM Somos said, "ProtoTool™ 20L is being used for direct moulds for production runs of 500 plus shots of PP, PET and ABS. Test runs with high specification engineering plastics such as Xenoy® have also proved successful."
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About DSM Somos
DSM Somos is currently the world’s second largest materials supplier to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography liquids and selective laser sintering powders used for the creation of three-dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data. Somos’ patented ProtoFunctional® materials are used by a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications. Somos' corporate office is located at: 2 Penn’s Way, New Castle, DE 19720, USA, Tel. +1-302-326-8100, Americas@dsmsomos.info . For more information on DSM Somos in Europe: Fax. +39 06 9871694, Europe@dsmsomos.info
DSM Somos is an unincorporated division of DSM Desotech—a world leader in the development of UV-curable materials—and a member of the global DSM family. More information about the companies can be found at www.dsmsomos.com and www.dsmdesotech.com.
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DSM
DSM is active worldwide in life science and nutritional products, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company specializes in innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life and DSM products are currently used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). The group has annual sales (pro forma including the recent acquisition - renamed DSM Nutritional Products) of approximately EUR 8 billion and employs about 26,000 people around the world. Ranking among the global leaders in many of its fields, DSM is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. More information about DSM can be found at www.dsm.com <http://www.dsm.com/>
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What is stereolithography?
Stereolithography (SL) permits the rapid creation of 3D pieces utilizing a computer-controlled laser that polymerizes light-sensitive resins. The process is highly precise and constructs the object in a series of "additive layers," providing the advantage of producing highly complex forms that are difficult or impossible to fabricate by machining or traditional molding techniques. The evolution of advanced SL materials offers the potential of moving stereolithography from prototyping into production.
DSM Somos ProtoComposites™ are resins reinforced with various materials, such as ceramics and glasses, to produce functional properties not possible using individual components. DSM Somos ProtoComposite materials are a result of a significant research and development program investigating the potential for ACT-SL™ (Advanced Composite Technology for StereoLithography).
DSM Somos ProtoFunctional® resins for stereolithography provide advanced technology to respond to the changing needs of new product development and industrial design. In 2003, DSM Somos announced ProtoTool™ ceramic-filled resins, the first member belonging to the new ACT-SL™ technology and the result of a significant research and development program. Traditional non-composite ProtoFunctional materials by DSM Somos satisfy a varying range of character-istics: transparency, superior humidity and heat resistance, and outstanding mechanical prop-erties, replicating those of many production grade plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS and PBT. Technical data on all Somos materials may be found at www.dsmsomos.com
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