Materials are the key to the growth and development of 3D printing technology. As the technology is adopted by a larger section of the industry the need to materials will only increase and it will be the factor determining the proliferation of the 3D printing technology.

Here, through this article we talk about the popular filaments (materials) available in FDM 3D printing technology.

PLA 3D Printing Filament

Polylactic Acid (PLA) is one of the most commonly used 3D printing filament mostly by enthusiasts, hobbyists and students. It is made from plant-based starches and so it is a bio-degradable material. Moreover it is easy to print with, it is affordable and easy post-process. All these characteristics make PLA the most favoured choice among users to make prototypes.

But PLA is not suitable for end-use applications as it does not offer enough mechanical strength. This fact limits its use to prototypes, educational models, gifting, cosplay & props and architecture. But now-a-days it is gaining immense popularity for the manufacture of prosthetics due to its apparent benefits.

However, PLA is not suitable for parts with continuous exposure to heat as it has low heat resistance compared to other filaments.

ABS 3D Printing Filament

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a popular material used in industrial applications. A lot of everyday use items are actually made from ABS material. Products like wall sockets, kitchen appliance casings, computer keyboards, Lego bricks, and other casings are made by injection molding of ABS.

Due to these wide usage the material is easily accepted in industries and hence a lot of industries use 3D printed ABS products as well.

ABS is a versatile thermoplastic. It has high temperature resistance, excellent mechanical properties & impact resistance, offers a high-degree of surface quality and even exhibits good electrical insulation properties.

These properties help ABS to be one of the world’s most widely used 3D printing filament in FDM 3D printing.

ABS 3D printing filament can also be post-processed in various ways and can be turned into a glossy product which expands its application base. However, 3D printing of ABS releases toxic fumes which can lead to breathing problems and so the printing should be carried out in a well-ventilated environment.

ABS 3D printing filament is prone to warping and cracking at edges, so a heat bed is essential to print with ABS. This helps in keeping the printed layer hot avoiding the temperature difference thereby having a stable print experience.

PET 3D Printing Filament

PET is popularly used in mineral water bottles and is a very well-known material. PET is a transparent & strong and highly durable filament. PET 3D printing filament is popularly used in the PETG for while 3D printing. This is achieved by addition of glycol. Glycol helps the PET material become brittle and eliminates the hazing effect seen during printing. This helps in achieving a comfortable grip on the product but this also renders it susceptible to damage due to UV light.

Similarly, PET is combined with various other chemicals to modify its properties and produce a strong material which suits the specific application.

HIPS & PVA 3D Printing Filament

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) & Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) 3D printing filaments, both, are widely used as support materials for 3D printing. Both these filaments are soluble in nature and hence they make a perfect support material. HIPS dissolves in a chemical called as Limonene while PVA is a water soluble filament.

HIPS can also be used as a separate 3D printing filament as it exhibits high impact resistance and good durability. But mostly it is used only as a support material in combination with ABS.

PVA also can be used as an individual 3D printing material but it also is used in combination with PLA as a support material.

Flexible 3D Printing Filament

ThermoPlastic Elastomer (TPE) & ThermoPlastic Polyurethane (TPU) are two elastomers which are used as flexible 3D printing filaments.

Both, TPE & TPU are quite similar to each other but TPU is more rigid than TPE. These elastomers offer high elasticity and flexibility like rubber. The printed part can be deformed by twisting & bending but it returns to its original shape once the force is removed.  

Both these filaments are quite difficult to print with and so the print speeds are kept extremely low.

PEEK/PAEK 3D Printing Filament

PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone), PolyArylEtherKetone (PAEK) & PEKK (PolyEtherKetoneKetone) are organic thermoplastic polymers which exhibits some of the best properties than any other thermoplastic material. All three materials have similar properties with each material being slightly different to improve certain property.  It has unique properties which are aspired by prominent industries like Automotive, Aerospace, Oil and Gas & medical.

Due to their superior properties, these 3D printing filaments have the potential to replace metal prototypes in a variety of applications.

3D printing with all these materials various according to different factors. Every filament requires different operating temperatures, different build plate surface and build plate temperature, some of them require fully enclosed printing while some require an altogether different nozzle. All this is not available in a single 3D printer and so users may require help form established 3D printing service bureaus

Service bureaus have multiple 3D printers which suit the particular material and so they are in a good position to fulfil the customers requirements.

It is a technology which offers the highest resolution from amongst the other technologies and is one of the fastest growing technology. The DLP technology has vast applications which mostly center around aesthetics, healthcare, & jewelry although it has expanded its horizons in other applications as well.

 Here, through this article we will show you some of the popular applications of the DLP 3D printing technology

Jewelry Applications

Jewelry has been one of the earliest adopter of the DLP 3D printing technology. Jewelers all around the world understood the potential of the technology and leveraged it to develop unique & customized jewelry pieces.

By directly creating wax pieces of the design, a tedious first step of creating a mold can be eliminated and thereby time and money can be saved.

The jewelry market is growing rapidly and is now being used by smaller jewelers and even random individuals by getting their designs 3D printed from service bureaus.

Dentistry Applications

Apart from jewelry, dentists have widely popularized the 3D printing technology. The DLP 3D printing technology is perfectly suited to this application and can generate faster results while printing surgical guides, crowns & bridges, and orthodontic devices. All these products, previously, took weeks and even months to be developed to suit the patient and some still had minor problems but now with the 3D printing technology, the products are accurate to as low as 25 microns and even less.

Such precision was not achieved previously and this sets the DLP 3D printing technology apart and most capable of use complex manufacturability.

Bio-compatible Applications

For dentists to use the technology it is important for the products to be bio-compatible. When a surgical guide is logged in a patient’s mouth, or even aligners, the patient saliva comes in contact with the extraneous part and so it is mandatory to use only such materials which will not cause harm to the patient.

For this reason, material scientists have developed bio-compatible resins which do not negatively affect the patient while the procedure is being carried out. These bio-compatible resins and the subsequent parts can also be installed in the body like dentures (prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth).

Medical Devices

Apart from FDM technology, the DLP 3D printing technology is also largely used for recreating medical models and even precision medical devices. Models like the bones, DNA study samples, dental models, muscle models, etc. And medical devices majorly for the hearing aid industry.

Entertainment Industry Models

Entertainment industry which mostly requires models in limited quantities can benefit a lot from DLP 3D printing technology. It has the capability to rapidly create scaled-models, props, stop-motion animation models, costume add-ons, etc.

The reason DLP technology is used in the entertainment industry is because it has the capability to print finer features which results in a smooth surface finish. The layer lines are almost invisible and with a minor surface finishing operation, these layers can be rubbed off.

Gifting

As the technology is used for aesthetic model making, it also has huge applications in the gifting industry. Models are 3D printed and appropriately post-processed to make them visually appealing. These models are then used as gifting items.

Apart from the above mentioned applications, DLP 3D printing technology is also used in consumer goods industry, educational products, aerospace, automotive, etc. Though the DLP 3d printing technology is used widely is a lot of sectors, it is a complex and sometime even a costly technology for new starters. So, it is important that suitable and reliable service bureaus are identified to get the best product output.

Discover innovative 3D printing applications at OrangeCube3D

2004 saw the rise of this technology and since then it has spread across various sectors and its application shave encompassed various sectors.

Here, through this article we will explain some of the popular applications of this technology.

Popular Applications of FDM 3D Printing Technology

Prototypes

This is one of the earliest application of the FDM 3D printing technology. It is a well-known fact that the 3D printing technology was invented with the basic premise of rapidly manufacturing prototypes and hence for a long time 3D printing was also known as Rapid Prototyping.

And so, one of the most popular applications of the FDM technology still remains prototyping. According to a report by Sculpteo (The Start of 3D Printing 2019), an online 3D printing service provider from France, Proof of concept and Prototyping still remains one of the most dominating application of 3D printing.

FDM offers a very easy, affordable and quick alternative to manufacturing prototypes.

Prosthetics

One of the most rapidly growing application of FDM 3D printing is the field of prosthetics. Since traditional prosthetics are heavy, costly and take a long time to be manufactured, 3D printed prosthetics are largely seen as the disrupters, especially FDM 3D printed prosthetic arms.

A lot of companies manufacture such cost-effective and still functional prosthetics for kids.

Gifting

As mentioned FDM is one of the most democratized 3D printing technology and so it helps hobbyists and enthusiasts to rapidly develop new products. They can easily design, iterate, redesign and print a part according to their needs and requirements. Riding the wave of customization, gifting industry is also using 3D printing technology to manufacture gifting items. FDM 3D printing technology perfectly suits the scheme of things as it offer dimensionally accurate, strong and affordable option for gifting products.

Additionally, the FDM 3D printed parts can also be post-processed in multiple ways which helps in creating aesthetically appealing products.

Industrial applications

It is a common misconception that FDM 3D printing technology can only manufacture gifting products and prototypes. It is an established fact that FDM produces strong and functional products which can be installed in end-use applications.

Parts from desktop FDM 3D printers are sometimes not as strong but industrial 3D printers are capable of producing end-use application parts which can be used in aerospace, automotive, manufacturing and medical applications.

Architecture

There was a time when architectural models of residential complexes, power plants, stadiums and the like were made by using multiple materials like wood, polystyrene, acrylic, etc. These were not only costlier to make but were also difficult to transport in addition to the long manufacturing lead time.

With the availability of FDM 3D printing technology, the architectural models can now be rapidly printed, transported easily in pieces and easily assembled on location. Additionally, they resemble the original structure to the point.

Pre-surgical models

FDM 3D printing technology has been instrumental in helping numerous doctors all across the globe to plan surgeries better by providing them organs which are an exact replica of the specific patient in question. They are accurate in structure, are made hollow or solid according to the requirement, and printed rapidly in a few hours.

This has improved the planning & quality of surgeries, reduced the time required for surgery and even helped in better operation experience for the patients.

Household Items

The FDM 3D printing has not only helped industries and engineers but also influenced regular households by giving them a machine which can be used in their homes to create tools and products needed at home.

By rapidly manufacturing replacement products like buttons, hooks, clips, shower heads, customized luxury items like mobile covers, lamps, and simple goods like pen holders, planters, stackable drawers, keychains, etc. the 3D printing can help the household a lot.

Props & Cosplay

3D printing allows for manufacturing detailed models fairly easily. Earlier it was difficult to manufacture cosplay products but FDM 3D printing has helped fans to recreate popular items from their favorite games, TV shows, movies and more.

Artists, enthusiasts and hobbyists have used 3D printing to create such models.

3D printing service bureaus have been largely instrumental in helping people leverage the benefits of the 3D printing technology. Service bureaus are centers where creative artists & engineers come together to provide masses the necessary services and products they need by not only helping them print the product they desire but also conceptualize, design, and later post-process them.

For more real-world examples and professional 3D printing, check out OrangeCube3D