A resin that produces parts so clear that one company is using them right off the machine.  Colorimeter data for WaterClear Ultra as compared to acrylic, polycarbonate, and acompeting polycarbonate-like SL resin. |
Building on the company’s patented clear resin technology, rapid prototyping resin innovator DSM Somos has announced the commercial availability of WaterClear Ultra, a highly clear, colorless stereolithography (SL) resin.
In color comparison testing, WaterClear Ultra has been shown to be the clearest SL resin available on the market today, according to the company.
Using a colorimeter (an instrument used to measure the amount of color and light able to pass through plastic), percent light transmission values were compared between WaterClear Ultra and various plastic samples. The transmission showed WaterClear Ultra closely mirrored the behavior of a high-clarity acrylic and demonstrated higher clarity than a commercial grade polycarbonate sheet.
 Stereolithography is highly precise and constructs an 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 direct manufacturing. |
“Clear SL resins are in growing demand,” says Somos Marketing Manager Eva Montgomery. “Simply put, they translate into better looking prototype lenses and packaging materials.”
In the automotive sector, beta test feedback on WaterClear Ultra includes assessments that the resin’s clarity resembles that of milled acrylic in both thin and thick sections.
Shawn Zindroski, president of Torrance, CA-based Added Fabrication Studio Morpheus Prototypes states, “In the past, clear SL materials had a green or blue tint, or even appeared hazy. Now, with WaterClear Ultra, not only do the parts come out of the SLA machine with phenomenal clarity and excellent side walls, but in secondary finishing WaterClear Ultra sands and takes automotive clear coats extremely well.”
Zindroski adds, “In the past, headlight lenses and inner lenses needed to be made out of milled acrylic, but with WaterClear Ultra we can now make them via the stereolithography process. This reduces the turnaround time for my clients and opens the door for more clear part applications.”
“WaterClear Ultra parts are so clear, they can be used right off the machine in many cases — saving finishing time and cost for my customers,” says Martin Colombo, rapid prototyping manager of Accelerated Technologies.
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