According to Statista, it is projected that the global production of thermoplastics will amount to 445.25 million metric tons in 2025. Annual production volumes are expected to continue rising in the following decades, rising to approximately 590 million metric tons by 2050. This would be an increase of more than 30 percent compared with 2025. Between 2010 and 2020, the global production of plastics has increased from 270 million metric tons to almost 370 million metric tons. With a growing adaptation of plastic raw material 3D printing for mainstream industrial production, a big chunk of the market share of plastics is likely to go to this technology.
In case you are new to 3D printing, the technology works by building objects using an additive process. This is the reason it is also called as ‘additive manufacturing’ (AM). To build a 3D object, a CAD model of the object is virtually sliced using appropriate 3D print preparation software. This information is then used by the 3D Printer to deposit material in order to build each slice in a layer-by-layer fashion until the part is complete. While FDM is a popular 3D technology, other technologies include Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Digital Light Process (DLP), Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), PolyJet, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM). Each 3D printing process has its merits and demerits, and manufacturers choose a process as per their requirements. There is no dearth of raw material available for 3Dprinting either; and each passing day brings in yet another material. From wood to plastic and from metal to food, 3D printing is very popular because of the versatility of the raw material available. 3D Printers are improving as well, and there exist printers today that can print composite material. All these advantages give 3D Printers an edge over traditional manufacturing. As printer costs become affordable, and as industries adopt technologies like IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), 3D Printers will play a crucial role in manufacturing in the ensuing years.
3D Printers – Selective Absorption Fusion Technology
3D Printers are now firmly entrenched in the arsenal of progressive companies that want to retain their competitive edge. Today, additive manufacturing is a full-fledged tool that can be used by enterprises to hold on to market leadership by expediting R&D, or to diversify into different sectors by leveraging the potential of versatile 3D Printers. Faster, more precise printer heads, faster powder deposition rates, improved CAD software that can generate complex geometries and the availability of a wide range of 3D printing material has allowed rapid prototyping to establish itself as a serious manufacturing aid. Nevertheless, manufacturers are continuously on the lookout of technologies that will help them achieve results faster. One such development is the Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF™) technology from Stratasys.
Stratasys is one of the pioneers of 3D printing. The publicly listed company was started by Scott Crump– along with his wife - way back in 1989, after he invented the technology known today as Fused Deposition Modeling, or FDM. FDM works by building parts layer by layer from the bottom up, by heating and depositing thermoplastic filament, directly from 3D CAD files. It is easy and simple to use for the end user, and supports production-grade thermoplastics.Since thermoplastics (a subclass of polymers) are mechanically and environmentally stable, they are a popular choice to manufacture plastic parts. The same tried and tested thermoplastics are employed by FDM technology.In fact, the demand for plastic parts from varied industrial manufacturing sectors has started picking up (after a slight downturn due to the pandemic of 2020), and FDM 3D printing is growing in popularity.
Working of SAF
Coming back to SAF, the technology involves the use of a infrared-sensitive high absorbing fluid (HAF) to fuse particles of polymer powder together in discreet layers in order to build the object / parts. The SAF process selectively jets the HAF binder on to a bed of polymer powder. This is done by passing industrial piezoelectric print heads across the build area, and then using an infrared lamp to melt the HAF-infused areas. The powder particles fuse together to form solid layers.The sequence is repeated until all the layers of the object / partare completed. As per Stratasys, this technology will allow manufacturers to provide production consistency, competitive cost per part, as well as complete control over the production of thousands of parts.The specialty of SAF technology is that while being fast enough for volume production, the process does not need any support structures and each layer can be produced quite quickly with the rapid material deposition and heating steps.
Key benefits of SAF
[Source: https://www.stratasys.com/en/guide-to-3d-printing/technologies-and-materials/saf-technology/]
Software Support
GrabCAD, which is Stratasys' default 3D printing software, is available for the H350. This ensures that the end-to-end workflow from digital design to physical part across the manufacturing enterprise is easy, accessible, affordable and connected. The latest version of GrabCAD software provides advanced print capabilities that give users the ability to stack and nest parts automatically or manually to maximize packing density and print hundreds to thousands of parts in a single build volume. GrabCAD for H350 also allows access to some additional core applications like GrabCAD Print Mobile, GrabCAD Shop, reporting and analytics, etc.
To summarize, The SAF technology is a unique process introduced by Stratasys, who is the market leader in FDM technology. The technology offers faster and economic printing without compromising on print quality. Coupled with GrabCAD, the H350 Printer, which is based on the SAF technology, looks all set to be a path breaking 3D Printer.