Mechnano ESD Photopolymer Resin Offers Enhanced Impact Resistance

Mechnano’s Tough ESD is an additive manufacturing (AM) resin based on its MechT technology which utilizes discrete carbon nanotubes (dCNTs). The photopolymer delivers isotropic electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties to parts fabricated with VAT photopolymerization processes, while also providing enhanced impact resistance. Mechnano is releasing Tough ESD as a white-label resin to interested partners.

The materials build on Mechnano’s Formula1 resin, which is a static dissipative photopolymer in AM using dCNTs. While the original Formula1 is well suited for electronics manufacturing processes that require rigidity, Tough ESD is the answer for parts that will undergo a higher level of abuse where breakage would occur with more rigid solutions.

Tough ESD’s increased impact resistance and elongation at break open the door to new applications for AM. This includes parts that require not only ESD and toughness but also fine features and smooth surface finish, which are characteristics the company says are out of reach for current filament and laser sintering options. While these issues may be addressed via expensive and time-consuming machining or mold tooling today, the ability to iterate, customize and confirm design improvements in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost makes Tough ESD a good fit for many relevant applications such as ESD tooling, assembly aids, enclosures and nozzles.

Both Formula1 and Tough ESD enable rapid customization, iteration and fabrication of static dissipative parts without compromising mechanical performance, and with zero concern for z-axis breakdown. Mechnano’s MechT-based resins enable accurate, repeatable, localized production of ESD parts to help manufacturers create or incorporate electronic components in their products to reduce costs and decrease time to market.

“Our latest innovation builds on our original effort, unleashing dCNT potential in AM materials to achieve extraordinary performance,” says Bryce Keeler, Mechnano’s president. “MechT-enhanced resins expand, improve and add material properties for a wide array of applications.”

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• Learn about Nexa3D’s ESD-safe resin for the fabrication of static-dissipative parts powered by Mechnano’s MechT.
• Read about B9Creations collaboration with Mechnano to develop carbon nanotube-enabled materials.
• Mechnano says it is bringing the promise of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to life within various modalities of 3D printing. Read how these tiny additives deliver macro-level material improvements.