Clear Material Helps Design Filter System for Clean Water
Clean drinking water isn’t something most people in industrialized countries even think about, but for those in developing countries without proper filtration systems, water can be a matter of life or death. That’s why Water Missions International (watermissions.org) made it their goal to create a water filtration system that was more efficient than the one they had been deploying.
A key requirement in their filtration system was material that can handle exposure to running water and high pressures. So wanting to prototype the system as close to real-life as possible, WMI chose WaterShed XC 11122, a stereolithography resin from DSM Somos® (dsm.com). It is a clear resin that provides low water absorption and resists high temperatures. What’s more, it meets ISO 10933 standards for use in medical device applications.
This fully functional water filtration system has also withstood rigorous evaluation. Tests included running the pump at 90 psi, with flow rates up to 15 gallons per minute. In addition, the backwash components were cycled 7,500 times—an equivalent of 20 years of operation—with no failures or detectable wear.
The system they developed is based on injection molded polycarbonate and ABS components and costs about $45 per unit—as compared with the previous system, that is composed of stainless steel brackets and PVC pipes at $750 per unit.
