Product category:
Fast prototyping equipment, pattern-making and services
News Release from: DSM Somos | Subject: Stereolithography materials
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 August 2006
Demand grows for stereolithography
materials
A growing demand for high-performance oxetane based materials, as well as for a growing line of composite resins include investment casting, fit and function and wind tunnel testing.
In response to record demand for Somos stereolithography (SL) materials, DSM Somos has announced that recent investments in production capability in the USA and Europe continue to ensure the ready availability of product supply for customers worldwide Somos has seen heightened demand for its high-performance oxetane based materials (including WaterShed 11120, Somos White 14120 and ProtoTherm 12120), as well as for its growing line of composite resins (ProtoTool 20L, NanoForm 15120)
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Apr 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Growing applications for these materials include investment casting, fit and function testing and wind tunnel testing.
"Meeting customer needs is not just about the performance and quality of our products, but also the reliability of their supply," said Somos marketing manager Eva Montgomery.
"Currently, Somos has a nearly 100% on-time delivery rate, with most products being shipped within 24h of receiving an order.
Further reading
New moulding and rapid prototyping shown
DSM Somos' WaterClear and injection moulding materials - recently presented during the Technology Focus in the United States - were shown for the first time in Europe.
Stereolithography resin is optically clear
DSM Somosannounces the availability of Somos 10120 WaterClear: a new stereolithography resin providing the optical clarity of many polycarbonates.
Stereolithography resin is optically clear
DSM Somos, leading technology innovators in the rapid prototyping (RP) materials industry, will be launching a new family of ProtoFunctional stereolithography resins at EuroMold in Frankfurt.
Taking initiatives to ensure ready availability - especially for those products in highest demand - allows us to partner with our customers in a valuable way." Production capability expansion is the latest of several new Somos customer service initiatives taken since the company relocated from New Castle, DE, to the Chicago-area headquarters of parent company DSM Desotech in July of last year.
"There is no question that our new location has allowed Somos to better leverage shared resources for our customers," said Montgomery.
Other customer service initiatives have included the following.
* Creation of a new support Web site for SL users, SLConnect.com, in conjunction with National RP Support.
* Expansion of the TS-Fast technical service support system to include Somos' European customers.
* Creation of new lead-generation opportunities for Somos customers via the DSM Web site and the DSM Somos Co-Marketing Programme.
The focus on customer service is also a key part of DSM Somos' current 'Driving the (Rapid Prototyping) Market Forward' campaign.
Said Montgomery, "We see Customer Service being one of four components crucial for driving the RP market forward to its fullest potential (The other three: Product Innovation, Application Development, and advancing SL technology for Direct Manufacturing.), ensuring ready availability of product supply for our customers is an important part of that commitment." * More About DSM Somos - DSM Somos is a leading materials supplier to the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography resins used for the creation of three-dimensional models and prototypes directly from digital data.
Somos' patented ProtoFunctional materials are used in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications.
DSM Somos is an unincorporated subsidiary of DSM Desotech (www.dsmdesotech.com) - a world leader in the development of UV-curable materials and a member of the global DSM family.
* More about DSM - DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals.
The company creates innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life.
DSM's products are used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics and electronics.
DSM's strategy, named Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company's specialties portfolio.
Market-driven growth, innovation and increased presence in emerging economies are key drivers of this strategy.
The group has annual sales of approximately EUR 8 billion and employs around 22,000 people worldwide.
DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields.
The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
* More About DSM Somos materials - what is stereolithography? - Stereolithography (SL) permits the rapid creation of 3D pieces utilizing a computer-controlled laser that polymerizes light-sensitive resins.
The process is highly precise and constructs the object in a series of 'additive layers', providing the advantage of producing highly complex forms that are difficult or impossible to fabricate by machining or traditional molding techniques.
The evolution of advanced SL materials offers the potential of moving stereolithography from prototyping into production.
DSM Somos ProtoComposites are resins reinforced with various materials, such as ceramics and glasses, to produce functional properties not possible using individual components.
Somos ProtoComposite materials are a result of a research and development program investigating the potential for ACT-SL (Advanced Composite Technology for StereoLithography).
DSM Somos ProtoFunctional resins for stereolithography provide advanced technology to respond to the changing needs of new product development and industrial design.
In 2003, DSM Somos announced ProtoTool ceramic-filled resins, the first member belonging to the new ACT-SL technology and the result of a significant research and development program.
Traditional non-composite ProtoFunctional materials by DSM Somos satisfy a varying range of character-istics: transparency, superior humidity and heat resistance, and outstanding mechanical prop-erties, replicating those of many production grade plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS and PBT. Request a free brochure from DSM Somos ...
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