MAASS today announced the sale of their Shimmy MMSLA (Multi-Material Stereolithography) 3D Printer, marking their transition from internal development to a commercial product by introducing a groundbreaking platform for multi-material additive manufacturing research and development.
Image Credit: MAASS
"Huge strides have been made in resin printing,but absolutely nothing for printing with more than just one" said JF Brandon, CEO of MAASS. "The Shimmy MMSLA represents that shift by enabling unprecedented control over multiple materials at the microscale, opening new possibilities for integrated electronics, smart materials, and next-generation manufacturing processes."
Breakthrough Multi-Material Technology
MMSLA introduces several technological innovations that address long-standing challenges in additive manufacturing:
- Dual-vat system enabling simultaneous printing of two distinct materials
- Resolution capabilities ranging from 0.5 to 50 microns
- Integrated cleaning system that prevents cross-contamination between materials
- Support for high-conductivity and dissolvable support materials
- Build volume of 78 mm x 51 mm x 141 mm optimized for R&D applications
Enabling Next-Generation Applications
The system's unique capabilities make it particularly valuable for several emerging applications:
- 3D printed electronics with 2-mil (50 micron) conductive traces
- Complex non-planar circuit designs
- Dissolvable support structures for ultra-high-quality surface finishes
- Research and development of smart materials
- Rapid prototyping of multi-functional devices
Strategic Focus on R&D and Future Manufacturing
While the initial release targets the research and development market, MAASS's technology platform is designed to scale for future manufacturing applications. The company's roadmap includes developing higher-throughput systems based on the same core technology for mass production of multi-material parts.
A Winning Team
MAASS was developed internally by Nectar Labs, a boutique Research and Design lab. JFBrandon is a partner at Nectarwith Nicholas Coluccino, and together led the team from conceptto reality in less than 18 months. Nectar has developed software and hardware products for majorentities like Forest Stewardship Council and Heifer International. JF Brandon isan accomplished entrepreneur in the additive manufacturing space. Brandon's track record includes key roles insuccessful ventures like GrabCAD and BotFactory, and his innovations have been recognized through major awards including the $50,000 Change theCourse Competition and special mention from Autodesk/Future of Manufacturing.