Sponsored By

Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, TN) is aiding the rapid evolution of 3D printing with its Eastman Amphora 3D polymer. The material's toughness, ease of processing and printability is helping 3D-printing filament provider taulman 3D and desktop 3D printer developer Aleph Objects Inc. introduce new, advanced materials and printers to the market. The companies' collaboration provides complementary materials and desktop printers for the production of strong printed parts.

Clare Goldsberry

May 24, 2015

2 Min Read
Eastman Amphora 3D polymer used for taulman 3D's new filament line

Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, TN) is aiding the rapid evolution of 3D printing with its Eastman Amphora 3D polymer. The material's toughness, ease of processing and printability is helping 3D-printing filament provider taulman 3D and desktop 3D printer developer Aleph Objects Inc. introduce new, advanced materials and printers to the market. The companies' collaboration provides complementary materials and desktop printers for the production of strong printed parts. Taulman 3D's upcoming material, n-vent, is made with Eastman Amphora and can be used with desktop 3D printers, such as Aleph Objects' LulzBot Mini for at-home printing or LulzBot TAZ for professional use.

The companies announced the partnership and n-vent material at the recent RAPID 2015 trade show and conference in Long Beach, CA.

AlephObject3Dprinter.jpg"Collaborations like this one between taulman 3D and Aleph Objects are why Eastman is involved in the 3D-printing market," said Alex Dudal, Market Development Representative at Eastman. "These two companies are key leaders in this market from a hardware and filament perspective, and collaborating with them allows us to bring Eastman Amphora 3D polymer to a broader audience in the right way."

The newly announced n-vent material is suited for creating aesthetic parts such as vases and desktop items, and will be available for purchase in summer 2015 in several colors. According to taulman 3D, n-vent's heat resistance, shrinkage properties and tensile strength make it ideal for use in prototyping as well as smaller designs.

"Eastman provides quality materials, and their technical and engineering expertise round out a set of features that is ideal for 3D printing material development," said Thomas Martzall, Owner of taulman 3D. "Because of trends in smaller designs, we're expecting an increase in multipart designs that need to fit together properly. The reduced shrinkage of this material, along with Eastman Amphora 3D polymer's bonding abilities, will ensure multipart designs accomplish the desired goal."

According to information from Eastman, taulman 3D began providing product in October 2012 with the release of its nylon 618 filament. Soon after, the company released additional materials, including nylon 645.

Aleph Objects emerged from the RepRap project and is fiercely committed to respecting user freedom. The company earned the first hardware certification from the Free Software Foundation and meets the Open Source Hardware Association definition. The company provides the LulzBot desktop 3D printer and recently launched the LulzBot Mini, which is described as easier to use and more reliable than other 3D printers on the market. It won the editors' choice awards from PCMag and Tom's Guide, and has received numerous other accolades.

"At Aleph Objects, our mission is to respect user freedom and offer versatile, cutting-edge technology that allows our community to bring ideas to life," said Jeff Moe, President. "Based on our in-house testing using LulzBot 3D printers, we are confident that n-vent by taulman 3D, made with Eastman Amphora 3D polymer, will rank among the best premium materials on the market."

About the Author(s)

Clare Goldsberry

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

Sign up for the PlasticsToday NewsFeed newsletter.

You May Also Like