Formfutura adds three 3D printing filaments to Ultimaker Marketplace

Dutch filament brand Formfutura has added three high quality filaments to the Ultimaker Marketplace, FF ApolloX ASA, FF Galaxy PLA metallic and FF Stonefil. The announcement expands Formfutura’s offering as a member of the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program.

“Formfutura’s ambition is to be ‘the brand’ for 3D printer filaments,” said  Arnold Medenblik, CEO of Formfutura. “As a company we are continuously looking for new and innovative products, technology and service to increase 3D printing standards and to expand the field of application.

“Product innovation is key in achieving this goal, but next to this our focus is on progressive support solutions. We want to share knowledge proactively and the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program is an initiative that perfectly aligns with our vision of providing progressive support solutions. We are very proud that Formfutura is part of the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program and we will continue to further share knowledge, data, footage and printing profiles via a soon to be launched open support and download page.”

Also based in the Netherlands, Ultimaker launched its Material Alliance Program last year with the aim of offering a growing range of industrial 3D printing materials through partnerships with materials developers. As of April 2019, the program had over 80 partner companies, all working towards the shared goal of increasing the range of 3D printing polymers.

The three new materials added by Formfutura extend the range of materials that Ultimaker users can easily print with. Let’s take a closer look at the three high performance filaments.

• FF ApolloX ASA is a professional engineering filament based on a modified industrial-grade Acrylonitrite Styrene Acrylate (ASA) compound. The material is easily printable with excellent thermal stability, flow behaviour and interlayer adhesion. Moreover, the material has no risk of warping, enabling users to produce parts near comparable in quality to injection molding. The material also boasts UV, weather and heat resistance, making it suitable for automotive or outdoor applications.
• FF Galaxy PLA metallic is a new metallic-coloured PLA range based on Formfutura’s EasyFil PLA compound. The metallic, glittering effect has been achieved with the addition of silver aluminum flakes. The special compound also enables smooth, high quality parts with subtle colour shadings. The filament also prints easily, and the metallic flakes do not cause abrasion for the 3D printer nozzle.
• FF StoneFil is a PLA-based filament with is gravimetrically filled with 50% powdered stone, resulting in a material that resembles real stone. The filament also has a density up to 37% higher than normal PLA. In terms of use, the material is suitable for Ultimaker 3D printers and parts are distinguished by their matte stone-like finish with unique natural gradient colour linings.

Paul Heiden, Product Manager Materials at Ultimaker, said: “Formfutura and Ultimaker are continuously looking for innovative ways to serve client needs with the best possible 3D printing solutions. By adding FF ApolloX ASA, FF Galaxy PLA metallic and FF StoneFil to the Marketplace in Ultimaker Cura, we can unlock more 3D printing applications together. We are glad to collaborate with Formfutura on our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to local digital manufacturing.”