SHANGHAI, China and NEW YORK, NY, Apr 20, 2016 – Polymaker, the Shanghai-based 3D printing company most known for its high performance 3D printing materials, surprised the industry with its launch of PolySmooth PVB and Polysher, the company’s latest products aimed to fundamentally improve the surface quality of 3D printed parts, bridging the gap between 3D printed parts and parts made by traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding.
PolySmooth and the Polysher Polished PartPolishing your 3D prints
This new product comes in the form of a new innovative material and desktop machine to work in tandem. Simply print your part with PolySmooth on any FDM/FFF 3D printer, remove any support structure and place your print into the Polysher. Thanks to the simple and intuitive interface, you can set your time with the twist of a dial, sit back and let the Polysher work its magic. Your part will magically transform from a coarse, layered surface to a smooth and glossy print that could rival any part manufactured by mass production techniques.
“For extrusion-based 3D printing, the poor surface quality has always been a prominent disadvantage which separates 3D printed parts and parts made by conventional manufacturing methods”, said by Dr. Xiaofan Luo, the president of Polymaker, as he explained the motivation behind this new product, “what we want to do is to bridge this gap, bringing 3D printing to the realm of making final products, not just prototypes.”
According to Polymaker, the core of the technology is their material – PolySmooth PVB. This innovative material gives excellent printing characteristics, balanced mechanical properties, and most importantly, can be polished when exposed to common alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol or ethanol. The polishing process take part in the desktop machine the Polysher. The key component of the Polysher is a unit called the nebulizer, which consists of a thin membrane with hundreds of tiny (< 10 microns) holes attached to a piezoelectric actuator. When activated, the nebulizer will generate a fine aerosol of micro-sized alcohol droplets filling up the sealed chamber in the Polysher. These micron-sized droplets then create a film on the surface of the 3D printed part, smoothen and unite the layers creating a truly glossy surface with no visible layers. There is no heat involved and thanks to the Polysher’s sealed chamber and smart electronic system, the process is safe and consistent each time.
“After a typical polishing process, the surface roughness, as characterized by the mean roughness depth or Rz, can be reduced by about 1 order of magnitude, for example from ~100 um (typical for a part printed at 0.2 mm layer height) to less than 10 um. The difference is visually striking, with the polished part exhibiting a smooth, glossy surface finish with layers no longer visible. ” said Junheng Zhao, material scientist at Polymaker.
One advantage of Polymaker’s new product package is that it requires very little effort to get started. PolySmooth has almost identical printing characteristics as PLA and therefore can be used on almost any extrusion-based, FDM/FFF 3D printer. Polysher is also extremely easy to use with its simplistic design and intuitive interface; the single variable is the polishing time, which can be adjusted by simply turning a dial to the chosen duration. Once the polishing is done, the onboard drying system will begin to dissipate the mist and begin drying your print. After a minute the drying system will switch off, you will be allowed to click open and the plate will be raised to the top of the chamber revealing your finished part. The Polysher uses commonly found alcohol, easily obtained in supermarkets, hardware stores or pharmacies. Priced competitively The PolySmooth and the Polysher will be affordable and can complement your desktop printer without breaking the bank.
“We believe every 3D printing user, from designers to engineers and makers can benefit from such a technology, powerful and versatile yet simple to use, safe and affordable” commented by Aaron Jennings, Polymaker’s design and communications manager.
The launch of Polysher also marks Polymaker’s debut in 3D printing hardware. To ensure its success, Polymaker teamed up with Pragmatic Designs, Inc. and Gyre9, LLC, two US-based product development companies to create a sleek design and durable product.
“I am thrilled to work with Polymaker to create the Polysher,” said Julia Truchsess, president of Pragmatic Designs, Inc., “being a 3D printing enthusiast myself, I was immediately drawn to it when Polymaker presented this project to me about a year ago. This can be a game-changer and I am so glad to be part of it.”
Furthermore, Polymaker has partnered with Mascon to manufacture the Polysher. Mascon has over 30 years of experience in managing manufacturing, assembly and supply chain. This partnership can ensure the delivery of a high-quality product.
“Polymaker’s core mission is to make 3D printing more useful,” commented by Dr. Xiaofan Luo, “this is another solid step towards our mission.”
Polymaker will launching a KickStarter campaign on April 25, 2016, with shipping targeted to start in September, 2016. They will release more information, such as full specs of PolySmooth and Polysher, on their campaign page and website below:
About Polymaker LLC
Polymaker is a company committed to innovation, quality and sustainability in the pursuit of producing high-quality materials for the 3D printing industry. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Polymaker now has global offices in the USA, Netherlands and Japan. With their state-of-the-art manufacturing centre and market leading quality control process, Polymaker’s filaments are not only ensured to have the best quality standards, but also provide innovative properties. Whether it is with their increased mechanical strength, unparalleled Jam-Free printing or the world’s first 3D printable foam based filament, Polymaker will continue to bring new performance enhanced materials to the 3D printing community.