Printing a Functional Stool

Objet Ltd. has announced that it has printed a full-size folding stool that is able to support more than 220 pounds. The stool was printed in a single print job using the company’s ABS-like Digital Material (RGD5160-DM), which was jetted as a composite material via the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer.

The folding stool, which sits 19 inches off the ground, has similar high dimensional stability, thermal resistance, and toughness as ABS-grade engineering plastics, Objet reports, enabling it to repeatedly sustain the weight of a person.

“Not only can this stool carry the weight of a person, but it was actually printed in the fold-up position in a single print job and then opened up upon removal from the printer to be used,” says Gilad Gans, Objet’s executive vice president. “Whether skateboards or folding stools, the prototypes that come out of Objet Connex 3D printers look like the real thing and also perform like the real thing.”

The Objet ABS-like Digital Material is a high-impact material (1.22-1.50 ft lb/in), with high-temperature-resistance (65°C or 149°F and, after thermal post treatment, 90°C or 194°F). The material is designed for manufacturers and engineers looking to functionally simulate products made of ABS-grade engineering plastics, including snap-fit parts, durable and movable parts and products requiring drop-testing.

OBJET
www.objet.com