Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. The proof is in the pudding. There are an untold number of idioms and figures of speech to drive home the point that putting something into action matters. Today, Formlabs continued turning additive manufacturing’s talk into action with the release of the company’s newest material, Tough 1500, part of Formlabs’ Engineering Resin segment.
Designed for the company’s stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers, Tough 1500 Resin enables engineers, designers and manufacturers to create stiff, yet pliable, parts that bend and spring back quickly under cyclic loading, according to the company. Formlabs states the material is ideal for functional prototypes, jigs and fixtures, and connectors undergoing temporary deflection—simulating polypropylene parts in terms of stiffness and strength.
Parts made with Tough 1500 Resin balance elongation and modulus, according to the company, enabling parts to bend significantly while quickly returning to their original shape. The “1500” in the product name refers to its tensile modulus in MPa. Formlabs states new and reformulated materials will transition to this “adjective + number” naming convention.
Technical Data of Tough 1500 Resin After Post-Curing
Ultimate Tensile Strength
Tensile Modulus
Elongation at Break
Flexural Modulus
Notched Izod
33 MPa
1500 MPa
51%
1400 MPa
67 J/m
Data was obtained from parts printed using Form 2, 100 μm and post-cured with a Form Cure for 60 minutes at 70°C (Source: Formlabs)
Unplugged Performance, a provider of performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, has been testing Formlab’s new Tough 1500 Resin on customized bumpers. Previously, it took Unplugged Performance roughly 55 minutes to remove each sensor mount from the old bumper and bond it to the new one, limiting their output to one car every one-and-a-half days. Utilizing Tough 1500 Resin to print new sensor mounts, the company has been able to increase its throughput to three cars per day, according to Formlabs.
Tough 1500 Resin is the latest material to be added to Formlabs’ Resin Library and the first new Engineering Resin added to the Form 3 ecosystem.
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