Stereolithography Resin approaches thermoplastic performance.
Press Release Summary:
Able to produce parts that demonstrate stiffness and toughness, Somos® NeXt provides look and feel of thermoplastic with detail, dimensional accuracy, and aesthetics offered by stereolithography. Product is suited for functional testing applications as well as for producing functional end-use performance prototypes, including snap-fit designs, impellers, duct work, connectors, electronic covers, and automotive housings.
Original Press Release:
DSM Most Advanced Stereolithography Resin to Date in Approaching True Thermoplastic Performance: Somos® NeXt
In its ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of stereolithography (SL) performance for additive manufacturing, DSM Somos has introduced Somos® NeXt-the industry's most advanced resin to date for approaching true thermoplastic performance. Somos® NeXt produces parts that demonstrate an unprecedented combination of stiffness and toughness which typically characterizes thermoplastics, yet with all of the high feature detail, dimensional accuracy and aesthetics offered by stereolithography. "This is a material you need to hold in your hand to fully appreciate," says DSM Somos Marketing Manager Vince Adams. "The stiffness/toughness combination produces a look and feel that is so like a thermoplastic, people are really surprised that it's actually stereolithography." Parts produced from Somos® NeXt are ideal for use in functional testing applications as well as low-volume manufacturing applications where exceptional toughness is required. "Finished Somos® NeXt parts perform like an engineered thermoplastic, which means our customers can depend on it for functional testing", says Don Portenga Sales Engineer at Eagle Design & Technology. "From the speed at the vat, finish time on the floor, to the enthusiastic response form the customer base, Somos NeXt is a home run." Applicable market segments for Somos® NeXt include: aerospace, automotive, consumer products and electronics. It is also highly compatible for producing functional end-use performance prototypes including snap-fit designs, impellers, duct work, connectors, electronic covers, automotive housings, dashboard assemblies, packaging and sporting goods. "The unique combination of mechanical properties is what gives Somos®NeXt its key advantage compared with all previous SL resin options," says Adams. "We beta tested this material among a group of highly demanding professionals who are extremely familiar with various resin technologies and represent a diverse range of application areas. They agree that Somos®NeXt represents a true generational step forward in producing prototyped SL parts as previously not possible." About DSM Somos
DSM Somos is a leading global material suppliers to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography (SL) resins used for the creation of three-dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data. Patented SOMOS® ProtoFunctional(TM) materials are used in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications. SOMOS® SL resins provide advanced technology to respond to the changing needs of new product development and industrial design. These materials demonstrate a varying range of performance properties including: transparency, superior humidity and heat resistance, and mechanical properties which replicate those of many production grade plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS and PBT. DSM Somos is an unincorporated subsidiary of DSM Desotech Inc. (www.dsmdesotech.com), and part of the global DSM family (www.dsm.com). More information may be found at: www.dsmsomos.com. About DSM Desotech
DSM Desotech (www.dsmdesotech.com) is a world leader in the development of high performance UV-curable materials. For the telecommunications industry, Desotech is the leading global supplier of UV-curable coatings, inks and matrix materials for the production of glass optical fiber and optical cable. In the rapid prototyping industry, DSM Desotech's Somos® group is a leading innovator of UV-curable stereolithography resins. In 2007 DSM Desotech launched its UVention(TM) group, dedicated to the formulation of custom UV/EB curable coatings for a wide variety of industries seeking solutions for challenging performance requirements. Since that time, two new business areas have been added to the UVention(TM) portfolio: UVolve® Instant Floor Coatings (www.UVolveCoatings.com) and UVaCorr® anti-corrosion coatings for tube and pipe applications (www.UVaCorr.com). DSM Desotech is headquartered in Elgin, IL, USA, with facilities also located in Charlotte, NC, the Netherlands and China, as well as a joint venture in Japan. It is a business unit of DSM Resins and part of Royal DSM N.V. (www.dsm.com). DSM - the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance. Its end markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM manages its business with a focus on the triple bottom line of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, which it pursues simultaneously and in parallel. DSM has annual net sales of about 8 billion and employs some 22,700 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com ®: registered trademarks of DSM
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