TriMech Blog

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.

I LOVE HALLOWEEN, I am a giant child! So, I decided to play around with some of the different technologies that we offer here at TriMech.

Stratasys' GrabCAD Print is a sophisticated 3D printing app that allows designers and engineers to prepare, schedule and monitor 3D printing jobs. Since its release, GrabCAD has continued to make exciting updates to this software; and we will be updating you every other month on its new features – as we transition out of summer and into fall we have seen some minor and major updates in GrabCAD Print with version 1.22 and 1.23.

Stratasys printers offer a wide range of material options across their FDM product line. These materials are all true thermoplastics that are common to many traditional forms of fabrication (i.e. ABS, PC, Nylon, Ultem). The majority of FDM printed parts are used for prototyping, jig, fixtures, tooling and end-use applications. In these settings, it's common for the 3D printed parts to come in contact with various chemicals. This means when deciding which material is the best fit for an application it's important to not just look at the strength of a particular material (tensile strength, impact-resistance, elongation at break, etc.), but we must also look at how a material can hold up to potential chemical exposure.

TriMech is fortunate to work with clients from Maine to Florida and out to Arkansas, offering a range of engineering solutions. This week's client story showcases a global packaging solutions provider and their use of Stratasys FDM technology. 

3D printing is progressively changing the way products are designed, prototyped and you guessed it - packaged! For example, one of our longtime clients is a global packaging solutions provider who produces packaging products for virtually every industry. Their corporate office uses Stratasys 3D printing equipment to advance their development and testing of thermoformed packaging products.

FDM Nylon 12CF is a chopped carbon fiber-filled polyamide 12 material that is available for 3D printing on compatible Stratasys Fortus production systems. The material is 35% carbon-fiber by weight and has a high strength-to-weight ratio with a tensile strength on par with high-performance FDM material.
 

3D printing has come a long way from where it started. It has made so many advances that it can even help save people's lives. Currently, Stratasys offers (3) different materials that have either been tested by the raw material manufacturer, or by Stratasys, and have some level of compliance.

3D printing processes are easy to implement and offer a wide variety of materials to support a part’s requirements while eliminating cost, lead time and design barriers to adopting manufacturing aids on the shop floor. 3D printed jigs and fixtures open up new possibilities for manufacturing-floor productivity, with fast and nearly labor-free production that doesn't require the overhead of highly skilled CAM programmers and machinists.

In May 2016, Stratasys released GrabCad Print, a sophisticated 3D printing app that allows designers and engineers to prepare, schedule and monitor 3D printing jobs. Since its release, GrabCAD has continued to make exciting updates to this software; and we will be updating you every other month on its new features - July 2018 sees the launch of GrabCAD Print 1.20.

In most cases, when working with prototypes for consumer goods, product development engineers want a print that will most closely represent the final production part. The ability to print new iterations on the fly, as multiple changes typically take place, is crucial. This is where 3D printing comes in handy. Keep reading to learn the advantages of both PolyJet and FDM technologies when it comes to consumer goods.