Biocompatible, High Strength Plastic Available For Direct Digital Manufacturing Or Prototyping

Biocompatible, High Strength Plastic Available For Direct Digital Manufacturing Or Prototyping


Stratasys Introduces ABS-M30i for Medical, Food, and Pharmaceutical Equipment Prototyping or Production

LONDON - Stratasys today announced the availability of ABS-M30i, a new biocompatible material for use with its FDM 400mc prototyping and production system. The announcement was made in conjunction with the MEDTEC Show in Stuttgart, where Stratasys is exhibiting at the alphacam stand, number 1838, in Halle 6.

Stratasys expects common prototyping and production applications to include surgical instruments, food processing and packaging systems, and pharmaceutical handling, processing, and packaging applications. ABS-M30i is FDA compatible and meets ISO 10993 standards. The material may be sterilised using either the gamma radiation or ethylene oxide (EtO) method.

In addition to being biocompatible, ABS-M30i offers substantial improvements over standard Stratasys ABS across a number of mechanical properties, including tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength. ABS-M30i mechanical properties for strength are up to 67 percent stronger than standard Stratasys ABS, and bonding strength between layers is more than doubled, greatly expanding capabilities for functional testing or manufacturing production parts.

“ABS-M30i opens up a variety of direct digital manufacturing possibilities for medical device and food and pharmaceutical companies interested in developing sterile, biocompatible parts in-house,” says Stratasys FDM product manager Patrick Robb. “It gives users flexibility in choosing the best material to meet their needs. And it adds to a growing line of materials for FDM additive fabrication, including ABS, ABS-M30, ABSi, PC, PC-ABS, PC-ISO, and PPSF.”

Build speeds using ABS-M30i on the Stratasys FDM 400mc are 29 percent faster, on average, than the same part built in ABS on a Stratasys FDM Titan, Vantage SE or Vantage S system. ABS-M30i also uses the new SR20 soluble support technology, enabling automated support-material removal. In addition, ABS-M30i parts can be built with 0.005, 0.007, 0.010, and 0.013 inch slices. It is initially available in “natural” off-white color.