Knowledge Base

Advances in 3D Printing Material

3D Printing Material

3D printing, also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, is a method of manufacturing a part by adding or curing layers of material one above another with the help of CAD model. It involves the use of materials like plastics, metal, wood, biomaterial, or concrete, to achieve the desired form. There are many advantages associated with 3D printing that have enhanced its popularity. A few of the advantages of 3D Printers include a high level of flexibility to manufacture complex parts as per customization that make it a favourite manufacturing. Medical industry uses AM for customization of prosthetics, surgical planning models, guides for maxillofacial surgeries are a few instances where the customization provided by 3D printing provides is a boon to the patients. - Thanks to R&D and innovations from industry leaders like Stratasys the canvas of raw material keeps on expanding. More and more manufacturers are turning to rapid prototyping as a viable production tool.

Raw Material
The development in technologies has helped industries to introduce new material on a rapid phase. Combination of new high performance material and the ability to create complex objects has helped AM to make inroads in all the manufacturing sectors. Today’s 3D printing material includes everything from plastics, metals, composites and concrete to even food. Since the topic of 3D printing 3D material is vast, we will cover it in more than one article. In particular, we will try to focus on innovative 3D printing raw material that will challenge traditional manufacturing processes.

The global 3D printing materials market is expected to cross US$ 5.1 billion (more than Rs. 3800 crores in Indian currency) by the end of 2031, growing at an anticipated rate of an impressive 14.0% CAGR over the forecast period. Rapid adoption of technologically advanced manufacturing equipment across various sectors is driving sales of 3D Printers worldwide, which is expected to boost the market in the forthcoming years.

[Source: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3d-printing-materials-market-expected-to-cross-us-5-1-bn-by-the-end-of-2031#ixzz7TWVOATRI]

It is evident from the figures that there is a huge potential for 3D printing material that can challenge traditional manufacturing processes, and as more and more manufacturers enter the fray, the competition for providing innovative and advanced material will only intensify.

But let us start at the beginning...

Plastics and Polymer Filaments
Plastics have been used in manufacturing for more than a hundred years now. They are a family of polymers with long repetitive molecules that primarily consist of a carbon chain. Due to their ability to react repeatedly with themselves and other compounds, they remain one of the most versatile materials in use today.Polymer filaments are used in 3D printing that work on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology. ABS, PLA and Nylon are the most common plastic 3D printing material.

  • ABS:Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is tough, impact and water resistant material. It's also easy to shape, but tough to break due to its high melting point.  ABS does require more effort to print as it ismore heat resistant and prone to warping. ABS is particularly suitable for full functional applications because its properties correspond to 80% of those used with injected production material. This is the most widely material for 3D printing.
  • PLA: PLA (Poly lactic acid) is a thermoplastic polyester that is made from biodegradable material like corn starch or sugarcane. It’s commonly used to make food packaging and biodegradable medical devices and implants. PLA is great for 3D printing because it’s easy to work with, environmentally friendly, available in a variety of colors, and can be used as either a resin or filament.
  • Nylon& Nylon CF: Nylon is a synthetic thermoplastic linear polyamide. It works well in filament form because of its flexibility. Nylon makes it possible to produce complex designs that feature intricate details. It is primarily used as filaments in FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) or FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) 3D Printers. It, has excellent tenacity, and high abrasion resistance. Nylon when added with chopped composite fibres produces one of the strongest thermoplastics in the FDM material portfolio. It has the highest flexural strength of any FDM thermoplastic, resulting in the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio. This has helped manufacturing industries to convert the traditional aluminum fixtures to Nylon CF fixtures thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and time.

Metals and Metal Alloys

While plastics and polymers were one of the first 3D printing materials, metals have been gaining in popularity as raw material. Metal parts find application in consumer and manufactured products, transportation, aerospace, marine, agriculture and many other fields. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) are two metal additive manufacturing processes that belong to the powder bed fusion 3D printing family.

Metal printed parts have higher strength and hardness and are often more flexible than parts that are manufactured using a traditional method.

Some of the more commonly metals in 3D printing include:

  • Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys: Aluminium has good mechanical and thermal properties, is lightweight and good electrical conductivity. It is ideal for manufacturing parts where weight is a constraint, e.g. airframe parts.
  • Steel: The perennial favourite as far as longevity and strength is concerned; steel can be used for 3D printing as well. It is extremely hard, offers good corrosion resistance, and has excellent mechanical properties. It is used for functional end parts.
  • Titanium: Titanium is a silver coloured metal having low density and high strength. It is corrosion resistant and popular with the aerospace and marine industries, who utilize titanium alloys because of their strength and good resistance properties. Titanium has also gained popularity as a 3D printing material because it is biocompatible and suitable for dental implants.
  • Bronze: Bronzes are copper based alloys. Major alloying elements in bronze are often, but not always, Zinc and Tin. Bronze used for giving an antique look to decorative items. In industries, bronze 3D printing is done to manufacture pump impellors and marine propellers.

Apart from these popular metals and alloys, many other metals like gold, silver, copper, etc. can be used in 3D Printers.

The choice of material depends on the properties of the final product, and of course the cost of printing. Each material possesses different properties, and not all printers are suitable for all materials. In this article, we have merely covered the basic 3D printing material.There have been many advances in 3D printing technologies and raw materials that will cover in subsequent articles.  Stay tuned!