CRP Technology, one of the top companies in the field of additive manufacturing, has launched the first flame-retardant and glass fiber reinforced material for SLS printing technology.
Less than 6 months after they launch the material Windform FR1, the first carbon-fiber-reinforced flame-retardant material for industrial 3D printing, CRP Technology is newly publishing a composite material Windform FR2 for SLS, which also belongs to the top-line production.
Windform FR2 is a Flame Retardant polyamide-based glass fiber reinforced material. Having excellent flame-retardant quality and insulating properties, Windform FR2 is suitable for aerospace applications. It differentiates from Windform FR1 on some properties, including:
- Reinforcement material (Windform FR2 is glass fiber reinforced, Windform FR1 is carbon fiber reinforced)
- Colour (Windform FR2 is off-white, Windform FR1 is dark gray)
- Electrical behavior (Windform FR2 is electrically insulating)
- Smoother surface finish
The material passed successfully the FAR 25.853 12-second vertical and 15-second horizontal flammability tests as well as the 45° Bunsen burner test and Smoke density test.
“CRP Technology constantly produces technological breakthroughs and highest-level solutions,” commented Franco Cevolini, VP and CTO at CRP Technology. “Only a few months ago we launched Windform FR1, flame retardant carbon fiber reinforced material. Now we introduced Windform FR2, a flame-retardant material which is glass fiber reinforced.”
“Flame retardants are not new to the 3D printing market but flame-retardant materials which were also reinforced and presenting significant mechanical properties, lacked. We at CRP Technology were the first to fill this void; we have created not only the first material of its kind, but now two. In order to invent these materials, we must anticipate, intercept and satisfy the requests of the most demanding and innovative industrial sectors.”
Windform FR2 is halogen-free polyamide-based material, combining outstanding wear resistance and good temperature resistance. It is not electrically conductive. Compared to Windform FR1, it allows for good detail resolution with a smoother surface finish.