NEW CASTLE, DEL.—DSM Somos of New Castle recently unveiled a family of resins that replicate polypropylene for rapid prototyping applications.
The new line, called the Somos 9100 Series, will expand applications for stereolithography by producing more functional prototypes.
The series consists of Somos 9100, Somos 9110 and Somos 9120.
The series mimics PP's tensile strength and elongation at yield. DSM claims stereolithography parts made from the material can be used in aerospace, automotive interior, consumer products, medical equipment and business machine applications.
The stereolithographic method using the DSM resin also is significantly faster than processes that use cast polyurethane, according to DSM spokeswoman Michelle Wyatt. Wyatt said customers have reported that part turnaround time has been reduced from two to three days to about two hours using DSM resins for stereolithogrphy.
DSM Somos is the rapid prototyping division of DSM Desotech, a materials provider for fiber-optic cables in Elgin, Ill.