Carbon DLS 3D Printing
Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS), enabled by Carbon’s proprietary CLIP™ process, is a breakthrough 3D printing technology that uses digital light projection, oxygen permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to manufacture parts with excellent mechanical properties, resolution, and surface finish.
Carbon DLS 3D Printing Manufacturer
Elimold, a leading manufacturing company driven by technology, high quality data and artificial intelligence, focuses on manufacturing excellent quality of sheet metal parts, custom parts and components, a wide range of 3D printed parts and moldings. It is a single source for a wide of range of companies around the world for their need of sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, 3D printing, and molding.
Besides its own production capacity, Elimold’s ability access to a huge amount of manufacturing capacity of its top quality partners across China,Europe and the U.S allows it to provide its customers with low and high volume production, rapid prototyping and a wide range of manufacturing services from sheet metal fabrication to 3D printing.
Elimold’s data-driven AI approach to manufacturing maximizes its overall product and service quality while minimizing the overall cost of its parts and services. This leads to high quality products, better inventory programs for our customers worldwide, better visibility for supply chain management.
Elimold’s team of manufacturing engineers, mechnical engineers, quality engineers, supply chain engineers, industrial designers, artificial intelligence engineers, data scientists, and software application developers work in a unique and coherent way to provide your company with high quality manufacturing parts and services, driven by data and artificial intelligence.
As a single source for all your manufacturing needs, Elimold minimizes your overhead cost, diversifies your supply chain, significantly improves the quality of services and parts you outsource, minimizes suppliers’ risks, improves your purchasing power, and provides the goods and services with a philosophy of just in time.
Our Capabilities
- Maximum Part Size: 7.4 x 4.6 x 12.8 inches (189 x 118 x 326 mm)
- Layer Thickness: Layerless, isotropic parts
- General Accuracy: Up to +/- 0.003 inches in + 0.001 inch per inch dimension size (Up to +/- 0.070 mm + 0.001 mm per mm dimension size)
- Production Repeatability: Up to +/- 0.002 inch (Up to +/- 0.04 mm)
- Lead Time: Can be as low as 3 days
Carbon DLS Material Options
The resolution and gentleness of the Carbon process provides the ability to work with a wide range of materials, meeting the surface finish and detail requirements necessary for end-use parts. Furthermore, Carbon offers a range of materials that are comparable to traditional thermoplastics commonly used in manufacturing.While Carbon is continuously adding to their materials offered, these are some of the materials we currently print:
- Rigid: RPU 70 and RPU 130
- Flexible: FPU 50
- Elastomeric: EPU 40, EPU 41, EPU 43 and EPU 45
- Cyanate Ester: CE 221
- Epoxy: EPX 82 & EPX 86FR
- Silicone: SIL 30
- Multi-Purpose: MPU 100
- Prototype: UMA 90
- Clear: HENKEL LOCTITE 3D IND405 Clear
- Dental: WHIPMIX, DPR 10 and Keysplint
Available Finishes for Carbon DLS™ Parts
Parts built with Carbon DLS technology will typically have a matte to semi-gloss surface finish depending on feature direction. Extended protrusions will show vertical lines in the part that are parallel to the direction of growth. Supports are removed and mitigated as required.
UMA 90 materials come in different colors available for custom mixing. Although the standard is black or white, other solid colors can be available for part productions.
With natural finishing, you get varying aesthetics based on build orientation. Standing nibs are sanded flat.
With unfinished, you get varying aesthetics based on build orientation. Dots or standing nibs remain evident on the bottom of the part from the support structure remnants.
Don’t see the finish you need? Send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll research the finish for you.
Industries We Serve
We serve mechanical engineers to make custom DLS 3D printed parts for application in multiple industries: space, aerospace, automotive, defense, hardware startups, industrial automation, machinery, manufacturing, medical devices, oil & gas and robotics. Use Elimold expert 3D printing services to take advantage of our network of professional 3D printing capabilities, which means our customers get both competitive prices and fast lead times. We specialise in four processes, bringing you everything you need for custom DLS 3D printing projects, from rapid prototyping to small production runs of metal 3D prints for industrial applications.
Common Carbon DLS™ applications
Carbon DLS™ is often used for end-use parts because it produces high tolerances and smooth surface finishes. The speed of the Carbon DLS™ 3D printing process makes it an attractive option for rapid prototyping.
- Custom medical devices
- Medical grade surgical guides
- Automotive under-the-hood components
- Rapid tooling
- Tear resistant wearables
- Industrial components
- Complex end-use parts
- Higher volume production of small parts
Ready to Get Started?
Contact us to see if the Carbon DLS™ process is the right fit for your production needs.
What is Carbon DLS™ Technology?
Carbon DLS™ is a resin-based polymer process that uses light and heat to create parts with isotropic properties, complex geometries, and excellent surface finishes.
Carbon uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce products with end-use durability, resolution, and surface finish. This 3D printing technology is called Digital Light Synthesis™, or DLS for short. Another legacy term for the process is Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP).
DLS offers a wide range of production-grade materials, allowing engineers to build end-use parts right off the printer. Along with Carbon’s custom liquid resins, DLS unlocks new business opportunities and product designs previously impossible, including mass customization and on-demand inventory of end-use products.
The Carbon DLS™ Process
Digital light projection: UV light shapes the part
The Digital Light Synthesis process is driven by Carbon’s groundbreaking Continuous Liquid Interface Production™, or CLIP™. CLIP is a photochemical process that cures liquid plastic resin into solid parts using ultraviolet light. It works by projecting light through an oxygen-permeable window into a reservoir of UV-curable resin. As a sequence of UV images is projected, the part solidifies, and the build platform rises.
Oxygen-permeable optics: fast printing via the "dead zone"
The heart of the CLIP process is the “dead zone”—a thin, liquid interface of uncured resin between the window and the printing part. Light passes through the dead zone, curing the resin above it to form a solid part without curing the part onto the window. Resin flows beneath the curing part as the print progresses, maintaining the “continuous liquid interface” that powers CLIP and avoiding the slow and forceful peeling process inherent to many other resin-based printers.
Dual-cure materials: mechanical properties set by heat
Traditional resin-based 3D printing processes produce weak, brittle parts. Carbon overcomes this by embedding a second heat-activated programmable chemistry in our materials. Once a part is printed on a Carbon printer, it’s baked in an oven. Heat sets off a secondary chemical reaction that causes the materials to adapt and strengthen, taking on exceptionally strong characteristics. This produces high-resolution parts with engineering-grade mechanical properties.
Carbon DLS Build & Design Guidelines
Carbon DLS offers amazing part details and quality, but each 3D printing technology ranges on what size features it can build. See below for best standard practices.
- Build Layers = Standard is 0.004” (100 micron) but can reduce to 0.001”-0.002” (25-50 micron)
- Minimum Walls Thickness & Feature = 0.040” (1mm)
- Standard Finish = Level 1 Support Removal Finish (available custom finishes)
- Standard Lead Time = 3-5 days
- Tolerances = +/- 0.005” for first inch then +/- 0.002” per inch thereafter
- Inserts = Preferred for threads; install in post-processing with heat stake or adhesives
- Holes = Drill, Ream, and Tap (Print threads then chase or ream in finishing)
This table depicts the general tolerances for Digital Light Synthesis™. Stresses during the build, support strategy, and other geometry considerations may cause deviation in tolerances and flatness. Improved tolerances may be possible with a manual quote review, after successful completion of a prototype build, and must be approved on a case-by-case basis. General tolerances apply before secondary finishing or post-processing unless otherwise specified. Please check out Elimold’s Manufacturing Standards for more information on tolerances per process.
Advantages of Carbon DLS 3D Printing
- Wide range of elastomeric and rigid engineering-grade materials
- Biocompatible and sterilizable materials
- Reduce time to market
- Isotropic parts, air-tight and leak-proof
- Outstanding surface finish
- Smart equipment for industry 4.0
Why the Carbon DLS™ Process?
Accelerate every step of product development
Rapid Design Iterations
Test dozens of designs in the time it used to take to try one.
Functional and Rapid Prototyping
Don’t settle for fragile prototypes. Bring your designs to life with the industry’s best materials, then start testing and iterating immediately.
Scale to Production
Seamlessly transition into production while still being able to revise your designs immediately and without retooling. Scaling has already been done by leading brands like Adidas, Specialized, and fizik.
Find the perfect design for your application, not a mold
Undercuts and Undrafted Walls
Moldability constraints don’t apply here. Enjoy the freedom of designing with undercuts and perfectly straight walls without sacrificing manufacturability.
Performance-oriented Lattices
Lattices allow you to specify your required characteristics at every millimeter. Determine your product’s ideal mechanical response and leverage Carbon Design Engine™ software to generate the right lattice for it.
Consolidated Parts
A single printed part frequently offers better mechanical performance than an assembled one. Streamline production with reduced SKUs and less labor by consolidating assemblies.
Discover new aesthetics
Customization
With no tooling costs, you’re free to make every unit unique. Offer personalized designs, or build entire products around individuals.
Surface Design and Textures
Enhance your parts by applying textures to complex curved surfaces like grips and enclosures with Carbon design software.
Try to complete the delivery in just a few steps
Send Details
Step 1: Start by filling out the form with your specific project requirements and contact information. This helps us understand your needs and how to contact you to chat further.
Contact an Engineer
Step 2: After reviewing your request, a dedicated engineer will contact you. This step ensures that we clearly understand your expectations and requirements, allowing us to tailor our approach specifically to your project needs.
Sign the contract and start production
Step 3: Once all details have been agreed, we will proceed to sign a contract agreement. This formalizes our commitment and outlines the scope, timeline and terms of the project. Production begins immediately after the contract is signed and adheres to the highest quality standards.
Receiving Your Product
Step 4: Upon completion, your product will undergo extensive quality control before being shipped to you. We ensure that the final product meets all of your specifications and is delivered within the stipulated time frame, ready for use or deployment.