GoProto Introduces New 3D Printing Parts Service

3DElastoPrint is enabled by an elastomeric TPA, co-branded by Evonik and HP—a flexible, high-performance, thermoplastic elastomer optimized specifically for HP’s Multi Jet FusionTM(MJF) 3D printer.

Evonik and HP’s TPA material is flexible and lightweight, distinguished by its very low density of 1.01 g/cm³ and a Shore A hardness of 90. This high-performance material is suited for prototypes as well as end-use products that call for high extensibility and energy return, such as sports equipment, automobile components and end-of-arm tooling.

“We researched this elastomer from Evonik and instantly recognized the massive market potential and its ability to help us provide customers with production-grade parts with no tooling and all of the benefits of 3D printing,” says Jesse Lea, president & CEO of GoProto. “We're not going after parts we can already produce with conventional methods inexpensively; we are going for the things that haven't been addressed well before.”

Potential applications include:

Sporting Equipment

Using HP’s powder-bed technology, 3DElastoPrint TPA material allows for complex geometries at a fraction of the cost of traditional technologies. With high fatigue resistance, it can be bonded into wearables, footwear, protective gear, eyewear and various sporting equipment.

Ducting & Bellows

3DElastoPrint service solves these problems with this newly released, highly durable, production-grade, TPA elastomer. The material has high energy return and high fatigue resistance, capable of thousands of flexes. And, due to MJF technology, it is perfect for parts with large undercuts & trapped volumes.

End-of-Arm Tooling

End-of-arm tooling is at the forefront of “new engineering required” because shapes are often very amorphous, the weight needs to be optimized, and material properties can affect the performance. There is no room for compromise with “prototype” materials. 3DElastoPrint parts can be latticed, hollow, topology-optimized and light-weighted works of engineering mastery.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

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