Tough ESD

Tough ESD builds on Mechnano’s industry disrupting Formula1 resin—the first static dissipative photopolymer in AM using dCNTs. While the original Formula1 is ideal for electronics manufacturing processes that require rigidity, Tough ESD is the answer for parts that will undergo a higher level of abuse where breakage would occur with more rigid solutions.

Tough ESD’s increased impact resistance and elongation at break open the door to new applications for AM—parts that require not only ESD and toughness, but fine features and smooth surface finish, which are characteristics out of reach for current filament and laser sintering options. As these are addressed via expensive and time-consuming machining or mold tooling today, the ability to iterate, customize, and confirm design improvements in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost makes Tough ESD an excellent fit for many relevant applications including ESD tooling, assembly aids, enclosures, and nozzles.

MechT can be functionalized to achieve a wide range of material property improvements. At Mechnano, we add MechT to Masterbatches to ease its incorporation into various AM materials for property enhancement.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Safe Materials
The electrical charge accumulation on the surface of an object is referred to as static electricity. When two surfaces come into contact, electrons move from one object to the other, causing electrostatic discharge. ESD safe materials prevent discharge from contact by directing electrical charges to ground in a controlled manner over their surface or volume. They are specially formulated to reduce the risk of a fire or explosion, repel dust, and protect sensitive electronic components.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) for Fabrication of ESD Safe Components
Static electricity can cause explosions or destroy sensitive electronics, therefore industries such as Energy and Electronics Manufacturing take great care to eliminate ESD damage. Fabrication of ESD safe manufacturing aids with fine features is challenging due to extremely long turnaround times and the cost of design alterations.

Mechnano’s products offer AM solutions for the fabrication of highly detailed ESD-safe components. With the power of MechT, Additive Manufacturing is now a viable and quick alternative to the time-consuming and costly process of machining ESD-safe parts.

Examples of ESD Applications:

  • Electronic Housings
  • Electrical Connectors
  • PCB Carriers
  • Soldering Fixtures
  • Conformal Coating Masks
  • ESD Hand Tools

Benefits of Tough ESD:

  • Isotropic and precise surface & volume resistance
  • Excellent surface finish
  • High tolerance fabrication
  • Absence of carbon sloughing
  • Advantages of fabricating ESD parts with AM:
    • design freedom,
    • reduced cost and lead time of NPD cycles,
    • less expensive and faster production runs.

Additional Resources

Tough ESD

Black, tough resin, smooth surface finish, no carbon sloughing

Mechanical Properties (Post-Cured)
Tensile Strength: 38 MPa
Tensile Modulus: 751 MPa
Yield Strength: 27 MPa
Elongation at Break: 44%

Flexural Properties (Post-Cured)
Flexural Stress @5% Strain: 28 MPa
Flexural Modulus: 910 MPa

Impact Properties (Post-Cured)
Notched IZOD: 50 J/m

Electrical Properties (Post-Cured)
Surface Resistance: 10⁶ Ω