Innovation
Now Micro 3D printing with heat-resistant material is possible
High-performance polymers are designed for use in extreme temperatures and used for 2PP 3D printing
Published: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 – 11:58
(Cubicure, Vienna, Austria) — This new high-performance polymer is ideal for ultra-precise 2PP (3D printing) This will allow micro-3D printing to meet all the requirements of the electric industry for the very first time. Cubicure and UpNano, two high-tech companies made this breakthrough possible in 3D printing. Cubicure’s jointly developed material UpThermo is now available.
Special starting materials are required for ultra-precise 3D printing of 2PP. However, until now, these have not allowed the production of temperature-resistant components with the stability needed, for example, in the electrical industry or for the production of micro-injection molds. Cubicure’s UpThermo material is the first to be suitable for 3D printing in 2PP.
Top value in heat resistance
The UpThermo material, which is available immediately, is stable up to 300° C. (HDT-B, the test specimens were printed with a length of 35 mm). This remarkable value for a 2PP-3D-printable material means it can be used anywhere higher temperatures and precision are required. This material could be used to make components for the electric industry.
Cubicure invented and patented hot lithography technology, which was the foundation of this new innovation. This technology allows processing viscous material in precision 3D printing, creating components with unimaginable material quality. “Hot lithography opens up a wider process window—also for light-polymerizing micro 3D printing,” says Robert Gmeiner, CEO of Cubicure. “With our technology, polymers can be tailored to their application purpose, and high-temperature-resistant components can also be produced. That was the basis of our collaboration with UpNano.”
UpNano makes the NanoOne 2PP 3D Printers. This printer is currently one of the most efficient and precise of its kind. It has applications in both research and industry. The series’ ability to print structures at nanometer resolution and in centimeter size makes them highly sought-after and popular. Although the printers’ applications already include electronics in addition to micro-optics and biocompatible applications in cell and medical research, the use of 2PP 3D printing in this industry has been limited by the lack of heat resistance of the printable materials.
Cubicure has made this possible. Cubicure already has an extensive range of performance materials available: precision materials and high-temperature materials that are fire resistant, impact-resistant photospolymers, and widely-used elastomer types.
Material matters
Cubicure’s joint material development with UpNano makes it possible to combine hot lithography and 2PP 3D printers. This extends the capabilities of micro 3D printers to new areas. Hot Lithography technology is also available for retrofitting existing NanoOne 3D Printers. This allows for a wider range of components to be produced. UpNano has once again led the charge when it comes opening up new areas for 2PP3D printing with new materials. The company has already demonstrated its expertise in materials development in the past with the introduction of the industry’s first black material (UpBlack), an optically translucent material (UpOpto), and one suitable for printing with living cells (X Hydrobio INX).