Wematter launches Aurora TPU material for SLS 3D printing system

BY SAM DAVIES ON TCT MAG

Wematter has announced the introduction of its Aurora TPU material for its Gravity 2021 Selective Laser Sintering 3D printer.

The company has been exhibiting the rubber-like and durable material at TCT 3SIXTY this week. Suitable for application in the medical and automotive industries, among others, Aurora TPU has been developed in close collaboration with a manufacturer of outdoor power products, who is one of Wematter’s largest customers. The material bolsters Wematter’s materials portfolio – which also includes PA12 and P11 products – and comes after the company launched the latest version of its Gravity SLS system last year.

Wematter believes enabling its users to print soft and flexible parts will further demonstrate its 3D printing system’s high-quality capabilities. Aurora TPU is a durable material that does not absorb water and is resistant to UV light, oil, grease and solvents. The material can also print parts with fine details and smooth surfaces, while retaining high abrasion and resistance. Such capabilities mean the material is suitable for the printing of gaskets, hoses, tires and shoe soles, with applications also to be found in the medical and healthcare sectors.

“I think it’s really cool that we can start from a powder and then achieve rubbery prints with such soft properties that Aurora TPU now offers. It is proof that Gravity as a platform has great potential, and that the technical solutions we have chosen have been the right way to go,” commented Wematter founder and CEO Roert Kniola. “We can process a wide range of materials, from really hard rubber with fibre reinforcement to very soft with TPU.

“We will continue to explore this material group with a view to developing more materials with the requested properties of elastomers. I am pleased that we have chosen a robust and reliable power source that can also handle white TPU – or any other colour you like, for that matter.”