Technologies & Materials
Which 3D Printing Technology is Right for You?
Whether you’ve just heard of 3D printing, or have been using 3D printed parts for years, choosing the right technology and material for your part is critical to your project being a success.
We can help you decide which of our state-of-the-art technologies and materials will best fit your needs.
Why 3D Print?
Shorten Development Cycles
Eliminate the lead times of outsourcing and iterate on your designs more often. Get functional prototypes in front of customers faster than ever before, shortening the back and forth between customer and design. Get to market first and maximize your product’s potential.
Achieve Complex Geometries
3D printing has significantly less limitations than you encounter in “traditional” manufacturing. Give your designs freedom! Create organic shapes & complex geometries normally impossible to produce with other methods.
Materials Cost + Labor Cost = Reduction of Printing Costs of up to 40%
3D printers offer a massive range of material options that can meet your mechanical needs at a fraction of the cost of metals. 3D printers run all 4 shifts, and they don’t get hurt. Realize huge savings over traditional manufacturing with a material for nearly every application.
Print Larger Parts
A wide range of build volumes gives you the ability to print prototypes at full scale to final production. Print faster with a variety of layer heights and infill patterns to ensure your parts are produced quickly, without sacrificing functionality.
Simplify Prototype-to-Product Journey
Bring your product development cycle in house and eliminate the challenges of extended lead times and minimum order quantities. Iterate faster and be more flexible to the needs of your customers. Get your products to market weeks or months earlier than you ever thought possible.
FDM – Stratasys and MakerBot
Uses
FDM 3D Printing is the most widely used method of 3D printing in the world. It is mainly used for prototypes, tooling, and manufacturing aids, but stronger materials have made 3D printing viable for end-use parts for many companies.
What is ABS?
This very common consumer plastic is used for everything from Legos to your headphones, and most other consumer products.
What is ASA?
This material is our go-to for most parts and is a lot like ABS, but a little stronger with a nicer surface finish.
FDM Materials
ABS: This very common consumer plastic is used for everything from Legos to your headphones.
ASA: This material is our go-to for most parts and is a lot like ABS, but a little stronger with a nicer surface finish.
- ABS-M30
- ASA
- TPU 92A
- PC-Abs
- PLA
Nylon: Flexible, durable, and great chemical resistance.
PolyCarbonate: Strong, rigid, and temperature resistant.
- ABS-ESD7
- ABS-M30i
- ABSi
- Nylon 12
- Nylon 6
- PC
- PC-ISO
Ultem1010 and Ultem9085: Super strong, with high temperature and chemical resistance. Great for composite tooling and end-use parts.
Nylon12-CF: Ultra-rigid carbon-fiber filled Nylon is used for metal-replacement for tooling and end-use parts.
Antero800na – PEKK: Material with high strength, rigidity, chemical and temperature resistance. In addition, Antero800na has ultra-low outgassing and is Flame-Smoke Toxicity (FST) certified, making it great for optics, aerospace and other industrial applications.
- Antero 800NA
- ST-130
- ULTEM 1010
- ULTEM 9085
PolyJet by Stratasys
Uses
Polyjet 3D printing is great for prototypes that need the best surface finish possible with a smooth layer-less look. Models that need various colors, transparency, and rubber-like features are a great fit.
How it works
Stratasys PolyJet technology works similar to inkjet printing that you might be familiar with from the printer at your home or office. The main difference being instead of jetting drops of ink onto paper, PolyJet printers jet liquid photopolymers onto a build tray. The layer of photopolymers are UV cured and hardened into the programmed shape.
PolyJet Materials
- High Temperature (RGD525)
- Vero Opaque
- Vero Vivid Colors
- VeroClear (RGD810)
- Transparent (RGD720)
- VeroFlex
- VeroFlex Vivid
- Agilus30
- Tango & TangoPlus
- Simulated Polypropylene (Rigur and Durus)
- Digital ABS Plus
- Digital Materials
Metal Printing by Desktop Metal
Uses
Desktop Metal is ideal for complex, high-performance metal parts. This metal 3D printing system delivers the speed, quality, and cost-per-part to compete with traditional manufacturing processes.
How it works
Desktop Metal allows users to create lightweight parts through the use of closed cell infill and hollow cavities. Previously unavailable with other technologies, high-resolution nozzles allow for greater detail and improved dimensional accuracy.
The Process
1. Print
2. Debind
2. Sinter
DesktopMetal Materials
ALLOY STEEL
4140 (Chrome Moly)
4605 (FN02)