3D Printing Materials Page 5

We eat, sleep, breath and dream 3D printers. We're also well aware that we're not the norm and some people are just starting to learn about our obsession. As the printers gain popularity and start getting talked about more and more, we've noticed that there are a few misconceptions about the technology. Rather than turning a blind eye, we're taking a page out of the MythBusters' playbook and setting the record straight.

Magic is in the air this holiday season at TriMech with all of the new toys we’ve been getting here in our print lab lately. Since we’ve been given the gift of an incredible new Stratasys J750, I decided that it would be great to get into the holiday spirit and create a miniature winter scene to share with some of my clients and co-workers that don’t get to experience all of the charm and joy that snow brings this time of year.

When it comes to selecting a high-strength material, Stratasys offers many different materials to choose from depending on your specific requirements. One of the strongest available materials is ULTEM 1010, a high-performance industrial-grade thermoplastic noted for its high strength, stiffness, and broad chemical resistance. With the recent addition of the Antero 800NA material, you may be wondering which material is right for your specific application. In this post we’re going to discuss some of the key differences between ULTEM 1010 and Antero 800NA and take a closer look at this new material.

3D printing in color has been around longer than you think. Do you need a prototype printed in yellow ABS? No problem, load a yellow spool of filament in your 3D printer and voilà! You have yourself a yellow part. How about blue? We have you covered, just toss some blue photopolymer in your SLA vat and BAM! A blue part can be printed. How about a part with multiple colors? No problem. Break out the trusty sandpaper and good old-fashion elbow grease, maybe some primer, then either spray or hand paint your model until your heart is content.

Oh… you were hoping to have full color printed parts straight off the printer? Why didn’t you say so? Let me introduce you to Stratasys PolyJet technology.

FDM parts are probably the most popular type of 3D printed parts. The FDM (fused deposition modeling) process is “melting” a solid thermoplastic filament, like a hot glue gun. If you plan on testing your parts in a strenuous process, FDM may be the best choice. These materials specialize in high tensile strength and resistance to high temperatures.

Color for FDM parts are available in a relatively wide range of colors in the most common materials like ABS and ASA. And if you can't get the exact color directly from the filament you're using, there are a variety of other methods you can use. 

Stratasys has released new 3D printing materials that bring even more power to your creativity. These new PolyJet materials allow you to prototype in such a way that others will ask "Is this the final product?". New materials include Agilus30™ White, VeroFlexVivid™ and VeroCyanV™. It is no surprise that the J735 and J750 continues to evolve with every update.

Transparent material (VeroClear™ RGD810™) is a rigid, nearly colorless material featuring proven dimensional stability for general purpose, fine-detail model building and visual simulation of transparent thermoplastics such as PMMA.

Today, quadcopters, more commonly referred to as "Drones," have evolved into many different categories. From Scenic Quads that are GPS controlled, used to capture amazing scenery and widely used for movie/video photography to a $5 toy for an indoor flying session, drones have become instinctively popular. Now with the advancement in 3D printing materials such as thermoplastics in the Stratasys FDM family, for years we have been replacing traditional manufacturing tools and end-use parts.

Thermoplastic Polyurethane 92A (TPU 92A) is a type of elastomer material - a polymer with elastic properties. The main differentiator between elastomers and rigid, or semi-rigid, polymers is resilience; TPU can stretch or compress significantly and not lose its shape. This material is renowned for high elongation, superior toughness and extreme durability. 

One of the advantages of having a Stratasys 3D printer is the plethora of materials available. But, it is a double-edge sword because it can be overwhelming when trying to pick the right thermoplastic or photopolymer material for your design. 

Antero 800NA is a PEKK-based FDM thermoplastic. It combines FDM’s design freedom and ease of use with the excellent strength, toughness and wear-resistant properties of PEKK material. Appropriate applications include aircraft components exposed to jet fuel, oil and hydraulic fluid, spacecraft parts that demand low outgassing and chemical-resistant industrial parts.