The requirements of any industry for end-use parts produced by 3D printing are very different. While some require outstanding colors, others must rely on specific functional properties. DyeMansion is now stepping on the gas to meet these different demands with the launch of their brand-new X Colors series for end-use products in the automotive and consumer segments.

Under the premise “X Colors for X Industries”, the Automotive X Colors and Neon X Colors will be followed by more special solutions in the future. “Some of our earliest customers who made use of DyeMansion Print-to-Product technologies for serial production are from the Automotive and Lifestyle industries,” said Kai Witter, Chief Customer Officer at DyeMansion. While working closely with our customers, joint strategies are always about creating even more value to their businesses. So, I feel very delighted to now offer additional value for creating products. Automotive and Neon ColorsX are only the beginning of providing more specific industry offers”,

Meeting light and heat resistance standards

3D printed parts that are in operation in the interior of a car must meet many requirements. Besides the reproducibility of color, their resistance to heat and light, as well as good scratch resistance and rub fastness, are key factors for success. In order to meet these demands, DyeMansion’s Automotive ColorsX is characterized by significantly improved light and heat resistance. The first of its kind is a strong black and enables unprecedented possibilities for the use of 3D printed polyamide components as interior parts.

“Even finest textures, such as leather patterns, can be processed with our new Automotive BlackX by the usual DeepDye Coloring (DDC) process in the DM60 while retaining all details,” said Dr. Alena Folger, R&D Chemist at DyeMansion. Like any other of our colors, Automotive BlackX can be used with our contact-free color cartridges. As black is the most important color for automotive interiors, it was chosen to represent the new color range of Automotive X Colors. However, this does not imply that the positive effects achieved are limited to black. More colors can be developed individually on request.”

Automotive BlackX was developed according to the hot irradiation standards of ISO EN 105 B06 method 3 in three successive cycles. The testing results for EOS PA1101, EOS PA2200 and PA12 HP 3D HDR are captured in a technical whitepaper, which can be requested directly from DyeMansion and first parts are on display during Rapid.

With DM Black 01, DyeMansion’s basic black, a deep black tone is achieved that is already perfectly tuned for most applications like eyewear or medical devices and offers a lightfastness which is by far sufficient compared to other dyeing methods on the market. In contrast, the new Automotive BlackX offers a slightly less saturated black tone, which is characterized by its excellent resistance to light and heat.

Neon X Colors: vivid and luminous

Besides the new tailored solution for a more stable black, DyeMansion is stepping on the gas when it comes to unseen vivid colors for Lifestyle products. The new Neon X Colors opens up an even broader range of possibilities for footwear, sportswear and any other lifestyle applications that would like to stand out in the crowd.

The Neon X Colors are being rolled out with the four different colors GreenX, YellowX, OrangeX and PinkX. The luminosity of our neon colors spices up any application and its appearance under black light is straight in your face. Both, Neon and Automotive X Colors are compatible with DyeMansion’s two surfacing options PolyShot Surfacing (PSS) and VaporFuse Surfacing (VFS).

Further, DyeMansion provides custom color development for both X Colors lines. For the Neon colors, there applies only one limitation, which is white base material. With the launch of the DyeMansion’s X Colors series, the coloring process which is established since 2015 and used by more than 600 customers worldwide finally got a name as well: DeepDye Coloring (DDC). It is characterized by its geometry-independent use as well as the limitless choice of custom colors and the immediate availability of more than 170 RAL colors. The DDC process works completely clean and contact-free and can be controlled and traced easily thanks to integrated RFID technology. Especially in combination with the widely used PolyShot Surfacing it provides a cost-efficient end-use part finish.