HIPS 1.75mm Filament
Do you have a complicated design that you want to print using ABS, that will also involve support for overhanging parts?
Or maybe you’d like to stretch your wings a bit and try a material that’s stronger than either PLA or ABS, but is just as easy to use?
If so, then rigid.ink HIPS is just the material that you’ve been looking for.
HIPS, or high impact polystyrene, is a synthetic copolymer that combines the hardness of polystyrene with the elasticity of rubber to produce a material that is strong, durable, non-toxic and recyclable. It’s widely used commercially to manufacture a wide range of items from toys and appliances to product packaging and cases.
In 3D printing, HIPS filament 1.75mm makes an excellent soluble support material in designs that incorporate overhangs. A printer simply lays down HIPS to a specified height and then lays another selected printing material down on the layer of HIPS. The HIPS filament acts to support the overhanging material and prevents the deforming, warping and collapse that would occur if there was no support.
Removing the support once printing is complete couldn’t be easier. Once your object has cooled, you simply submerge it in Limonene (a relatively benign solvent that is derived from the skin of lemons). In about 24 hours, the Limonene will have completely dissolved all of the HIPS. Your printed object will have crisp, clean angles, corners and overhangs without having to resort to knives, sanding or scraping.
It’s always important to remember to keep an eye on the printing temperatures of your support material and your printing material. If the two vary significantly, you run the risk that one material will warp and deform the other material. That’s why HIPS support material works really well when ABS is being used as the print material. The two have nearly identical printing temperatures. This means they will lie together cleanly without any warping or deformation whatsoever.
HIPS also makes an excellent printing material in its own right. It’s specs demonstrate that its more than capable of working in a wide variety of applications. For example, it has a specific gravity of 1.05 g/cm³. This is comparable to the density of ABS.
With a Rockwell hardness of R95 HIPS is comparable to ABS, and is actually slightly more than PLA.
Finally, It has a maximum tensile strength of 5801 psi which is again right up there with the maximum tensile strength of ABS (6500 psi).
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We do not hold Food Safety Certificates. Some of the raw materials used to produce our filaments are food safe accordingly to European regulations, but our filament in it's final form is not officially approved. Neither is the 3D printing process and all the components of 3D printers.