Printable View
Fairly new to the scene. I wanted to know what the extent of materials used are and what some of the more durable ones are. I've seen basic polymer in my classes and have read about Carbon Fiber and Kevlar, but am curious as to how strong and tough some things can really be made. Thanks.
Just do a google for 3d printer filament comparison. Here is a good site for info https://www.matterhackers.com/3d-pri...lament-compare
Because of the way 3d printing lays the plastic down, if you print in the right orientation, printed objects can actually stronger than injected while using less material.
In the last 12 months or so there have also been a number of super tough new filaments. The problem is that the cost is often related to strength :-)
PEEK for example - the genuine superman of plastics is in the order of $5-600 per kg.
Something like ninjateks Armadilo - a rigid polyurethane - is a lot cheaper and seriously tough.
Some of a printed objects strength is down to design, some is down to print orientation and some is down to material.
3d printing is as much - if not more - of an art than a science.
Hmmm interesting first point. I brought up "stronger" materials because a project I worked on kept cracking with basic plastic or polymer that a team mate used. I was trying to figure out what would have been better for next year's project. We were making locking blocks that housed polymer claws/hands with threads to bolt onto a metal chasis and they kept bending/busting. Sorry if that was a mouthful of infoQuote:
Originally Posted by curious aardvark
Wow thanks. This stuff has really come a long way since I first saw one years ago. I had no idea how many filaments and materials there are to be had.Quote:
Originally Posted by airscapes
For very strong filaments, the Taulman ones are great. Filaments have been tested on strength and some come out stronger than the carbon fiber / Mark Forged materials, including PC.
On the other side, there are now sculptable filaments such as Thibra.
Kai Parthy is another name to watch.
Some 3D printers can print metal. I've seen some that use aluminum and silver and etcQuote:
Originally Posted by APOModern
Got any examples?Quote:
Originally Posted by AlecBeach
fdm printers CAN NOT print metal.
Lets get that straight.
For $100,000 you can buy a system that uses metal powder bound by a small amount of plastic to print an object.
That object is - carefully - transferred to a washer that removes most of the binding plastic. This is then - even more carefully - transferred to an oven that cooks it to around 1800c and effectively sinters the print into solid metal. The washer alone is around $30,000 !
I don't know why.
The system was developed by Markforge and stolen (an opinion) by desktop metal.
Law suits are in progress.
Essentially the brother of the desktop metal ceo was working at markforge when they developed the technology that desktop metal subsequently claimed as their own. The two systems are virtually identical. Draw your own conclusions.
There are also systems in place that use metal powders that have resins jetted directly onto the metal layer and the part is then washed and sintered in a similiar manner.
Had a virtual reality tour around a factory that uses this method at tct last year. Was pretty impressive.
What you can get, are plastic filaments that Use very fine metal powders as a colourant.
They are visually effective. But generally the more foreign bodies you insert into plastic - the weaker it gets.
Full on metal printers start around the ?150,000 mark. Most use powdered metals and fuse layers with lasers or electron beams. Other systems exist that can bolt onto cnc machines and robotic arms that use a plasma arc and nitrogen flow and 'blow' the metal powder onto an object.
They cost so much because you have to totally remove oxygen out of the equation, otherwise your metal burns rather than melts.
Also the very fine metal powders involved have to be contained - you do NOT want to breathe that stuff in !
So metal printers come with sealed environments and industrial level filtration systems.
Metal printing is fascinating.
But not affordable yet.
That said - the automotive and aerospace industry use a lot of hi-spec custom parts and that's where 99% of the market currently is.
There are some really strong materials around - but strength will cost.
Can you show samples?Quote:
Originally Posted by AlecBeach
CA, you always leave out the bit about printing in metal clays, then firing in a reduction furnace. Which we have been doing since 2014 at least. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by curious aardvark
honestly, that one's completely passed me by.
Got any info, videos etc ?
Posted reply to APOModern
Im talking bout those industrial ones. I'll never be able to get my hands on one. I know some of the plastics from 3D printers are really good. When people think "Plastic" they think cheap.
Thank you for your information!
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is the most common 3D printing material used for making durable parts. ABS is strong and ductile material as compared to the other.
We print in PEEK every day, and can print filaments up to 450C.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyether_ether_ketone