Fillamentum Opens Up a Rainbow of Possibilities With Newest PETG
One of the benefits of FDM printing is the wide range of filaments that are available (depending on the printer used). Even so, it goes without saying that one of the most popular is PETG, being one of the most used materials both in industry and for hobby use. This technical yet still easy to print material has quickly gained popularity for its properties such as low warping and shrinkage. However, that does not mean it is without its flaws. Notably, PETG filaments are limited in terms of color choice. But one material manufacturer hopes to change that. Fillamentum announced recently that it has released a new PETG, notable because it is available in 24 different colors.
The idea behind this PETG is for users to “break the stereotype and reprint your mind.” But what does that mean? Well, for those who might not be familiar with the material, PETG is actually a form of PET, the material used for plastic water bottles. As such, it is probably best known for its ability to be transparent as well as for characteristics like the fact that it can be in contact with food. But unlike PLA, another filament which is easy to print (but which does not have the same properties), often PETG only has a handful of colors available (though of course there are exceptions). With this release, Fillamentum hopes to break the stereotype that it is necessary to only have drab or dull colors when printing with more technical materials like PETG.
Parts made with Fillamentum’s Premium PETG
Fillamentum’s PETG Gives the Material a Makeover
PETG can be considered to be a ‘practical’ material in many ways, with a number of applications. For example, it is popular for food but also in the medical field, with many makers turning to it when making things like face shields during the pandemic. Now with PETG 2023 by Fillamentum, these technically proficient materials will also be able to be elegant.
Martin Opustil, marketing specialist at Fillamentum, expands “When the pandemic situation calmed down, we set a clear goal – we would expand the PETG range! But this time we’re going to do it the Fillamentum way. We have largely built on the popularity of our color variants, especially the premium ones enhanced with glitters and various multi-color combinations that our customers are already used to in the PLA Extrafill series. In the second half of 2022, our R&D came up with several test samples of the new PETG, which they have been working hard on for a long time. The goal was to come up with unique colors but with no impact on mechanical, functional or direct 3D printing properties.”
More specifically PETG 2023 by Fillamentum, as it is called, consists of six premium colors containing glitter, two popular colors from the PLA series (Wizard’s Voodoo and Vertigo Grey) as well as ten transparent and eight classic color options. All without sacrificing the properties of the material. Notably, users of the materials can take advantage of the fact that it has low warping and shrinkage, great layer adhesion, high strength and good hardness and flexural resistance. Additionally, it has a temperature resistance of up to 70℃ along with chemical resistance against water, acids, alkalis and alcohols. All this while also being safer in many ways than some other materials, like ABS. This is because lower fumes are released when printing and it is even safe for food contact according to both EU and FDA regulations.
Fillamentum has made 24 different colors available for its newest PETG filament
Moreover, it is also recyclable and BPA-free and styrene-free, which is important for Fillamentum. This extends even to the spool itself which are gray polypropylene spools that not only are made from recycled materials but can be continuously recycled. Even the choice of color reflects Fillamentum’s commitment to environmental sustainability. By making the spools gray, the spools will become more easily recognizable to IR sensors in a selection plant, allowing them to be recycled again.
In any case these colorful PETG filaments are already available from Fillamentum. In fact, they are already being used in at least one project. Fillamentum used it to print antenna components for stratospheric balloons in the “Touch the Universe” project from the STEAM Academy in the Czech republic. Opustil concludes, “What matters most to us at Fillamentum is that each of our customers have an experience with every print. There are no limits to creativity and we believe that our new design of an already established material will make many a maker or professional printer happy.” You can find out more in the video below or on Fillamentum’s website HERE.
What do you think of Fillamentum’s new, colorful PETG filaments? Which color are you most excited about? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*All Photo Credits: Fillamentum
