CRP Technology intros composite material for powder-bed fusion
Windform RS is the 10th composite material of the Windform TOP-LINE range of composite materials (windform.com) created, formulated, and developed by CRP Technology (Modena, Italy; crptechnology.com) for the laser powder-bed fusion (PBF) process that is carbon fiber-reinforced. This polyamide-based, carbon fiber-filled composite has incomparable and exceptional mechanical characteristics for good additive manufacturing performance.
Franco Cevolini, CEO and CTO of CRP Technology explains, “Our focus on innovation led to the creation of a composite material with a very high tensile strength (85.25 MPa) that has at the same time excellent ductility (elongation at break of 9.46%) and low density (1.10 g/cc) Windform RS is resistant to damage, shock, vibrations, deformations, and high temperature. High resilience/strength properties allow it to withstand shocks at various ranges of temperature, even sub-zero (it has been successfully tested to -40°C).
It is resistant to water and liquid absorption down to just 1 mm part thickness and has been rated HB according to the flammability UL 94 test.
Windform RS provides enhanced functionality, offering product designers and engineers greater flexibility and speed in developing intricate parts that must be resistant to fatigue, shocks, and high and low temperatures. It is suited for tough, intricate, and complex 3D-printed PBF parts, robust functional prototypes, and heavy-duty end-use applications withstanding harsh environments. These attributes make it ideal for custom production, preseries parts, and mission-critical components for demanding industries such as aerospace, military, robotics, motorsports, automotive, and marine.