This year, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) introduced the UL Blue Card program, a new certification designed for additive manufacturing materials. But what does this development mean for the 3D printing industry and your business? Let’s dive into the details and explore its significance.
Deciphering the UL Blue Card
The UL Blue Card program might sound intriguing, but it’s not an actual blue card that UL hands out. Instead, it’s a new type of material data sheet used by UL to certify specific additive plastics by brand. Think of it as an extension of the existing yellow card system that UL has been using for certifying plastics in general for years.
The blue card includes critical material properties such as the UL 94 flame class, hot wire ignition resistance, dielectric strength, recommended layer thickness, post-processing methods, and more. These properties help in understanding the characteristics of 3D printing materials.
The Current State of the Blue Card
As of early 2021, the UL Blue Card program may not hold significant meaning for the 3D printing community. This is primarily due to two key factors:
First, UL has only certified a limited number of filaments under the blue card system. Second, UL certification doesn’t immediately establish a material as an official standard within the 3D printing industry. These certifications are part of a long-term strategy to build public confidence.
What Does It Mean for You?
The introduction of the blue card system doesn’t diminish the quality of the filaments you currently use. It’s essentially a third-party initiative aimed at generating revenue from filament certifications. While it may offer benefits in the future, it’s not a game-changer at this point.
For a wide variety of materials like PEEK, CF HDN, PVDF, and others, it may take a while before they receive UL Blue Card certifications, if they ever do. Manufacturers have to pay for the certification of their materials, and niche materials may not be a priority for certification.
Making Informed Decisions
At Vision Miner, we specialize in functional high-temperature, chemically resistant plastics, and 3D printers. We provide a wealth of data sheets publicly available on our website, allowing you to understand how specific materials react under various conditions and stresses.
If you have questions about material selection for your application and budget, our engineers are ready to assist you. We have a collection of informative videos about each material we offer, and we’re continually adding more to our channels.
In conclusion, while the UL Blue Card program may have potential in the future, its limited scope as of now doesn’t make it a reliable basis for material purchasing decisions. We recommend relying on the detailed data and expertise available at Vision Miner to make informed choices for your 3D printing needs.
Have more questions or specific topics you’d like us to cover in future videos? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for watching, and we look forward to helping you with your 3D printing journey. Have a fantastic day!