What is Z-HIPS?

What plastic, specifically? Is there a MSDS on it? I would like to know to evaluate strength, solvent resistance, etc. compared to the other Z filaments. The only information I can find is that it is a "thermoplastic polymer" which is kind of like saying it is plastic  :huh: .

Wow, I see some new materials listed. I'm very curious about the wood material, I already print some on my Up Plus. Looks great and has very low shrink. I hope the color of Z-Wood will be good.

Release date is soon, any idea how soon? :)

While I appreciate the response, the information listed in the announcement and on the summary page is pretty much devoid of any information. That is where I got the idea that it was a "thermoplastic". Is there any material used in any FDM printer that isn't "thermoplastic"? It's a thermoplastic process, no? It would be nice to learn what family of plastics it belongs to, ABS, acetal, polyethylene, PVC, PEEK, PC, PVC, PET, Ultem, Torlon, Nylon, PE, I'm sure I missed a few Ps there somewhere. It can't be a secret, the stuff is out there and not at all difficult to analyze at least that far. Any competitor interested in it already has that information - why not share it with customers? 

While I appreciate the response, the information listed in the announcement and on the summary page is pretty much devoid of any information. That is where I got the idea that it was a "thermoplastic". Is there any material used in any FDM printer that isn't "thermoplastic"? It's a thermoplastic process, no? It would be nice to learn what family of plastics it belongs to, ABS, acetal, polyethylene, PVC, PEEK, PC, PVC, PET, Ultem, Torlon, Nylon, PE, I'm sure I missed a few Ps there somewhere. It can't be a secret, the stuff is out there and not at all difficult to analyze at least that far. Any competitor interested in it already has that information - why not share it with customers? 

He wrote that MSDS and MDS will be available soon, so I dont understand your point o view. Don't be lazy and use this link

I've been assuming that Z-HIPS is high-impact polystyrene since the initials correspond and HIPS filament is available from others.  There should be quite a bit of generic data for it available on the web.

Mike

Don't be lazy and use this link

Snort!

He wrote that MSDS and MDS will be available soon, so I dont understand your point o view. Don't be lazy and use this link

Did you try your link? Nothing except hips (the body part) for the first four pages of results. I am lazy enough not to look beyond that  :) .

My point is that if it is high impact polystyrene it would be pretty easy to say that. "Soon" in this business could be anything from an hour to a year. I am not trying to be difficult, just trying to get some information about a product that is for sale, from the people selling it. 

I’m pretty sure they won’t give an exact date or even a rough guess. They have done that in the past and people have gotten angry if they were late. Just be sure it’s coming. HIPS is High Impact Poly Styrene.

Did you try your link? Nothing except hips (the body part) for the first four pages of results. I am lazy enough not to look beyond that  :) .

You only needed to add the word "filament" to that link and the 1st hit would have given you the answer.  Effective Google searching often takes a bit of effort.

Mike

I'm not new to Google, but I am new to 3D printing. ZHIPS gets you nothing of value. It helps to know the secret handshake. I really should have guessed that the PS was polystyrene (but I was not aware of polystyrene being used for FDM). Nevertheless, usually a manufacturer can tell you what a raw material they are selling is made from if you ask, which is why I did. Sorry if it was out of line. I don't blame them at all for not committing to a date for documentation, it's a startup, I've been there. A simple reply like "HIPS=hi impact polystyrene" would have been fine, and would have closed the thread.

Welcome to 3D printing. HIPS is just a general description. Some HIPS is used for soluble support. Pretty sure Z-HIPS wouldn't work for that.. I don't think you can close a thread on here.. :D

Any competitor interested in it already has that information - why not share it with customers?

Z-HIPS is resistive even for acetone I don’t think it dissolve in lemon water and it do not warp as hips which I got from reprap shops, moldflow software showing for me 209 kinds of HIPS every with different properties and this is just basic database speaking that hips is just hips showing your lack of knowledge about thermoplastics

I don't claim to be an expert in thermoplastics. I depend on manufacturer's information for this. If there are 209 basic kinds of HIPS then there is even more reason for the manufacturer of this particular one to describe its properties. Perhaps it is not even high impact polystyrene - they have been silent on this. Almost every source of information for chemical resistance shows polystyrene as not at all resistant to acetone. 

I am a little surprised at the angst and drama in response to a simple request for information about a product for sale, from the company selling it. 

This is an extremely competitive and fast-moving business, and coincidentally one in which a large portion of participants don't believe in IP rights and think that "ideas and information should be free". Zortrax is pretty careful and secretive with their IP and trade secrets and I don't blame them one bit.

On the other hand, I agree that user documentation is not optional, and I'm sure more will be forthcoming, as we're seeing with ongoing additions to the printer docs. It's a small company with ambitious plans and quite a few irons in the fire, and one with high standards. Patience is my recommendation.

I don't claim to be an expert in thermoplastics. I depend on manufacturer's information for this. If there are 209 basic kinds of HIPS then there is even more reason for the manufacturer of this particular one to describe its properties. Perhaps it is not even high impact polystyrene - they have been silent on this. Almost every source of information for chemical resistance shows polystyrene as not at all resistant to acetone. 

I am a little surprised at the angst and drama in response to a simple request for information about a product for sale, from the company selling it. 

Told you that you can't close a thread on here... LOL!!! :D :blink:

I don't claim to be an expert in thermoplastics. I depend on manufacturer's information for this. If there are 209 basic kinds of HIPS then there is even more reason for the manufacturer of this particular one to describe its properties. Perhaps it is not even high impact polystyrene - they have been silent on this. Almost every source of information for chemical resistance shows polystyrene as not at all resistant to acetone. 

 

I am a little surprised at the angst and drama in response to a simple request for information about a product for sale, from the company selling it.

currently only SSYS and Zortrax offers any documentation about they materials and for sure more will coming anyway for me more informations give few prints done with new material then I understand real properties of it. If they named it HIPS if this looks as HIPS then probably it is HIPS or you need they showed for you invoices with trade name/ingredients. But coming to the source of problem please explain what informations do you need ?

You are apparently correct in that my expectations from the industry are too high. When I buy aluminum to machine something I get a certification with test results for that material lot giving exact chemical composition, yield and tensile strengths as tested. This is for material which costs less/kg than even cheap FDM filament. 

I do not need to know the trade secrets, but realistically, since the material is available to buy and pretty much any test lab can tell me exactly what is in it within a few hours of receipt, there aren't many secrets. And yes, I am familiar with patent protection and its weaknesses in certain jurisdictions. 

What I would like to know is what is the base polymer (that tells me a little bit about the basic characteristics such as bondability, solvent resistance, UV resistance). I would like to know (at least the relative) tensile or flexural strength, Young's modulus, UV and solvent resistance. "Low, medium, high" are better than nothing but not quantitatively  descriptive. How about "1 through 10" instead? This is mostly in the MDS and MSDS for ZABS and ZULTRAT which have been published. In my first post I was merely asking for the base polymer of HIPS. You say it looks and feels like polystyrene, and yet it does not dissolve in acetone like every polystyrene I have seen. 

I know this information has not been important in a fledgling industry who's output has historically been dominated by figurines and chotskies, but it is growing up a bit and I am encouraging the documentation to grow with it. 

None of this is meant to disparage Zortrax, who in my opinion have the best product in its class - that's why I bought it. I encourage them to be even better.

Being proactive, I have printed I-beam sections of ZABS and ZULTRAT, and will do likewise with ZHIPS when it arrives in a day or two. I intend to test them for E and tensile strength.