As part of our month-long feature on Versatile Plastic, we’ve asked you, our readers, to submit your questions about this material. Today, we’re sharing these questions and answers to help you better understand the properties and applications of Versatile Plastic.
Top Questions Asked
Q. Is this material FDA certified to be food safe?
A. Unfortunately, Shapeways does not have any materials that are considered food-safe at this time.
Q. How transparent or translucent is this material?
A. Versatile Plastic does not have a transparent or translucent color. However, it is possible to produce transparent models on the Stratasys J750 that we recently introduced.
Exposure to the Elements
Q. Do you have any information about the UV stability of Versatile Plastic?
A. The colors will fade and discolor over time with exposure to UV light, but the material properties are stable.
Q. Is this material suitable for permanent outdoor exposure?
A. Yes, it will fade or discolor over time with exposure to UV light, but the material itself will not degrade.
Coloring and Painting
Q. What happens when a colored version of this material gets scratched?
A. The color is dyed so it will wear with abrasion.
Q. What kind of paint is suitable for this material? What preparation is required and how durable will the finished surface be?
A. Please see our Painting 3D printed SLS models tutorial.
Bonding
Q. Can it be bonded to itself and other materials? What type of adhesive is suitable for bonding?
A. Any epoxy will be suitable for bonding. Instant epoxies offered by Loctite should work.
Applications
Q. Can Versatile Plastic be electroplated?
A. Yes, it can!
Q. Are you able to produce moulds using this material?
A. It is possible to create a mould in other materials, such as MJF PA12 Plastic.
Q. Is this good for hobby grade RC car parts?
A. Yes!
Pricing
Some of you have sent us specific dimensions and designs for quotes. Please reach out to our sales team and we would be happy to help!
Check out our Material of the Month series on Versatile Plastic:
Part One: Material Overview
Part Two: Voytek Medical Uses Versatile Plastic to Transform the Landscape of Healthcare
Part Three: How Strong and Flexible is Versatile Plastic?
Part Four: Top Questions Answered: Versatile Plastic