New Smooth Finish For Multi Jet Fusion Black Pa12

Discussion in 'Official Announcements' started by gregorykress, Jul 31, 2019.

  1. gregorykress
    gregorykress Shapeways Employee CEO
    Hi Shapeways community!

    As part of our ongoing commitment to continually diversifying our range of materials, we are thrilled to announce the addition of a new finish for Multi Jet Fusion Plastic: Black Smooth PA12.

    Thanks to cutting-edge physio-chemical technology, you can now create smooth, semi-shiny, and watertight Multi Jet Fusion Plastics parts, sealing the material’s porous surface. Unlike polishing, this new process can smooth all surfaces including internal cavities and does not wear down key features, altering the dimensional accuracy by no more than 0.4%.

    The smoothing process enhances the surface quality of each part without altering the mechanical properties, making Black Smooth PA12 a perfect option for working prototypes, display models, external functional parts, and high-end DIY projects. We’re so excited to see how this new material will expand the realm of what’s possible with Shapeways and bring a new level of professionalism and accuracy to your products.

    To order this new finish, upload a 3D model, select Multi Jet Fusion Plastic, Black, then Smooth PA12, and add your configured model to your cart.
     
  2. ecs_norway
    ecs_norway Well-Known Member
    The process looks interesting, I'd like to see how it handles models with small details.

    On the other hand, the price is unappetizing, as far as I can tell it basically doubles the price of the model which is already a lot higher than this material was in beta.
     
  3. Rick_D_Ryo
    Rick_D_Ryo Active Member
    Would have been very interested by this new finish, unfortunately the additional cost to an already expensive material isn't going to be worth it for our application and our customers, pity.
     
  4. TrentTroop
    TrentTroop Well-Known Member
    Can we get some pics of items printed in both basic pa12 and smooth pa12 side-by-side?

    Also, will this be made a store option at some point?
     
  5. ecs_norway
    ecs_norway Well-Known Member
    I've been disappointed with this material ever since the price was doubled when it came out of Beta, and I never have gotten an explanation for why that happened.
     
  6. reducedAircraftFactory
    reducedAircraftFactory Well-Known Member
    I am convinced that if PA12 -- coated or not -- were roughly the same price as Versatile Plastic, it would become the material-of-choice for most of my sales. The material's added strength and resistance to warping are great features, and the surface properties are somewhat easier to deal with -- it's not quite as "fuzzy". At its current pricing, it only sees light demand from my customers.

    EDIT: At 2023 pricing, there is a sweet spot where PA12 is a great, cost-competitive choice. It doesn't work for very small models because Versatile Plastic has a lower "minimum price". It doesn't work for larger models because PA12 price escalates quickly when the size crosses some threshold. But for the goldilocks sizes in the middle, it does well.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2023
    MadBikeSkills likes this.
  7. micah356
    micah356 Member
    Will this ever be available for shop products?
     
  8. TrentTroop
    TrentTroop Well-Known Member
    So, any chance for side-by-side pics and eventual shop availability?
     
  9. ecs_norway
    ecs_norway Well-Known Member
    This material would indeed be a lot more popular at a lower price point. During the beta I was printing a lot of my test jobs in this because it gave such a nice return for such a low price.
     
  10. I agree it is great stuff. Very clean (no powder) and high res. I only like black. All the other colors looks dirty.
     
  11. coelian276
    coelian276 Well-Known Member
    Black PA12 has just become +$2.50 more than the grey one. They used to be the same. Some official statement why o_O?