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Evonik Launches FDM PEEK Filament for Implants

PEEK polyether ether ketone is a high-performance thermoplastic with high continuous service temperatures, strength, and low flame smoke and toxicity. Due to this, it is an oft sought material by engineers in applications such as automotive under the hood parts or aerospace parts. But, PEEK is considered to be a wonder material by many not just because it meets a lot of high tech engineering requirements. One can also use PEEK in the body for implants. Several spinal screws, suture anchors, orthopedic implants, and other long term in the body implant products have come to the market recently and in things as diverse as CMF and spine, PEEK is in high demand.

Generally, PEEK implants are made through CNC or if they are printed they are made with SLS (powder bed fusion, sintering). SLS is a tried and true technology that has won approvals for surgical guides and implants. SLS’s high productivity, reliability, and predictability make it a good technology to manufacture things with, especially if they are small and require precision. SLS PEEK powders are expensive however. With SLS a laser, sinters some lose polymer powder on a bed of spread out powder. A new layer is then spread out and the process repeats itself. Unsintered powder acts as a support material and once a big block or cake has been built this is removed from the printer and parts are sieved out and brushed out to remove the loose powder. This remaining powder can then to a certain extent be mixed in with new virgin powder and used again. The recycling rate depends on the powder and the build.

Essentially, if a printer uses a metric tonne of powder a month we end up recycling a third per build and ultimately end up throwing away half a tonne of powder for every 500 Kg’s of built parts. Nota Bene: this is just a general example meant to make people understand the economics of SLS a bit better, with different materials and parts, spot, spacing etc. you’ll get different results. This is still way more efficient than cutting away material for CNC for example, but is quite a waste. If you’re paying $100 a kilo for PA, then this is quite expensive on a monthly basis. And this is for a medium machine working at full production. $50,000 per machine per month, ouch. Imagine you’ve got ten or more.

But, PEEK powder is way way more expensive than that. You’ll be paying five to nine times more per Kilo for PEEK depending on the certification. And it gets worse, because the recycling rate of PEEK powder in SLS machines is effectively 0. We toss out all of it. All of it. Everything that is not a built part is thrown away. So depending on the utilization, specific grade, and machine; you’re tossing out a pair of Ferrari’s per month in powder, per machine. Imagine you’re an entrepreneur with your own service bureau and you walk by some bins every day with 4 911’s worth of powder in them, that you will then toss out that day, that’s got to hurt.

This explains the rationale for Evonik’s launch today of a PEEK Filament for implants. 3D4Makers, 3DXtech, Appium, and other firms have offered PEEK filament for a number of years now. Solvay has a healthcare grade PEEK filament that you can buy as well which is ISO 10993 and suitable for limited contact applications for 24 hours and less. PEEK leader Victrex has sold medical PEEK for implantology to a select few also. Alternative materials such as PEKK from Arkema are available but often not with the certifications and approvals to use long term in the body. Now Evonik has an FDM grade suitable for implants specifically.

Polymer companies are reticent to allow for the use of polymers in the body long term because of the suitability of the material for that purpose and also legal liability. DowCorning a huge joint venture went bankrupt over liability related to breast implants that “never represented more than 1 percent of our business” and yet forced the company to set aside $2.35 billion for claimants. Many polymer firms, therefore, consider possible medical implant polymer revenue not sufficient for a possible headshot for their firm.

In this case, Evonik has done its homework on its ASTM F2026 compliant PEEK filament. The business case is clear, with FDM you print only the material that you use (plus extra possible support). This means that you will end up using a lot less material per part than if you fill a full SLS machine. Especially with larger implants, FDM does have an advantage in time in the machine and time to part as well. Besides Kumovis and Vshaper, there has been little development of medical part-specific high-temperature printers for FDM. I think that this can be a fantastically profitable niche that would be difficult from which to dislodge a reliable supplier from. Evonik’s launch of this FDM material can serve as an impetus for the development of more medially capable high-temperature FDM printers that one would need in order to use the filament.

With a surgical implant PEEK material the VESTAKEEP i4 3DF, 1.75 mm, on 250 or 500 gram spools is based on VESTAKEEP i4 G with good “biocompatibility, biostability, x-ray transparency, and easy handling.” X-Ray transparency is a great advantage of polymer medical implants since it allows doctors to check if the implant is placed correctly after implantation and lets them do CT scans especially those with contrast die, after or even during implantation or scans which can let them adequately see bone or tissue healing progress. In CT’s and MRI’s metal implants cause artefacts on some scans, or may block surgeons from seeing important details through shadows or opacity. Magnetic implants and MRI’s are also not an awesome combo.

Marc Knebel, of Evonik Medical Devices & Systems,

“For modern medical technology, the development of our first 3D-printable implant material opens up new opportunities for customizing patient treatments. Orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery are examples of areas where this could be applied. Innovative high-performance materials like Evonik’s VESTAKEEP PEEK—along with highly complex hardware and software, and the perfect match between materials and machines—form the basis for a sustainable 3D-printing revolution in medical technology. Therefore, we will successively expand our product portfolio of 3D printable biomaterials.”

In order to make you less gun shy on taking the leap for PEEK Evonik has released a testing grade,

“The term refers to a class of material having the exact same product properties as the implant grade, but without the documentation needed for approval in medical technology applications. This offers a cost-effective way of adapting the processing characteristics of the high-performance plastic to a given 3D printer.”

This is a great idea that other companies should look into adopting as well as it would make research and product development into high-performance polymers much more cost-effective.

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Whiteclouds uses a Printfarm of 75 Creality 3D Printers to Make Large Format 3D Prints

For a number of years now I’ve been advocating for the use of clusters of desktop 3D printers to manufacture. Whereas desktop machines years ago were not mature enough now and open cluster of FDM or SLA 3D printers could provide you with a cost-effective manufacturing solution. Not as accurate as industrial printers and lacking their reliability and repeatability the open systems would have a much lower part cost. At the same time, with no restrictions on materials you would have wider options in terms of materials and lower costs there as well. I’d always envisioned that systems such as Formlabs printers, Ultimakers and Prusa Originals would be used in this way. After all, a $1000 to $4000 investment per printer would be a worthwhile investment and pay itself back in higher reliability and longevity. I was completely dumbfounded when WhiteClouds contacted me to disclose that they have a print farm of 75 Creality systems.

I completely believe that clusters and farms of low-cost systems are the future for manufacturing for certain families of parts (B-side automotive above 10CM across for example), but not that low cost surely? We reviewed the Creality Cr10 V2 and were pleasantly surprised that it offered a lot of bang for the buck. But, the idea of using over 70 of the systems for production didn’t occur to me. WhiteClouds does do this and the firm also uses them to make some of the world’s largest 3D prints.

Started in 2013, WhiteClouds, has quite a specialization in large outdoor, trade show and entertainment models. The company marries artisans such as air brush artists, carpenters and painters with 3D printing to create large 3D printed items for many industries. The company has worked for some of the world’s largest computer games studios, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls, Disney, Ford, Hasbro, Lowe’s, Marvel, Mayor League Baseball, Stanford and Walmart to create large 3D printed structures. Right now the company has released a 6 meter tall humanoid structure for a client.

The company has 40 industrial 3D printers from the likes of Stratasys and 3D Systems and now has 75 Creality systems that print PLA. We interviewed WhiteClouds CEO Jerry Ropelato to find out more.  Asked how he controls the systems, he says that, “We use the standard software that comes with the printers along with some in-house proprietary software to better manage the systems.” Jerry and his team “tested and researched the best low-cost printers and found Creality to be the best.”

I wanted to know if more expensive printers aren’t better?

“That was our original thinking when we started the company.  Early-on in our company, we spent millions purchasing high-end 3D production printers.  What we learned is that customers are willing to pay high dollars for prototypes, but very little else.  With the high-costs associated with consumables, equipment costs, maintenance costs, machine longevity, environment setup requirements found in production 3D printers, they can be 100 to 1,000 times more costly when compared to low-end 3D Printers.”

It is important to note that when switching to production, costs are supposed to dramatically fall and this is something other 3D printing firms are also finding out. Prototyping is a nice warm bath but its chilly out there on the factory floor. What about the quality of these low-cost systems?

“The quality and reliability has improved dramatically over the last few years in the low-end 3D printers and we are moving more and more to using these types of 3D printers. Cost is such a big issue in 3D printing that I do believe a lot of companies will look are more cost-effective solutions.”

Overall I think that this is a telling development. It is notable that all of the major players left the low-cost 3D printing market because they didn’t want to join “a race to the bottom.” In the spirit of the Innovator’s Dilemma good enough $200 systems have been sold in their tens of thousands and now are moving into higher cost territory. It seems that desktop OEMs are now in danger of being disrupted themselves.  If WhiteClouds’ experience leads to them expanding then perhaps more players in the market will look to lower-cost desktop systems for actual manufacturing applications.

PS, I know this is like our third Creality post in a week. This is a coincidence.

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CREALITY to Release CR-5 Pro 3D Printer Delivering Industrial Accuracy on the Desktop

Creality has announced the launch of a new FFF desktop 3D printer: the CR-5 Pro. With enhanced improvements of hardware, the CR-5 Pro is designed to be a consumer-friendly machine that incorporates a number of important features, making it fit for families, schools, and individual makers alike.

“We are noticing a growing demand for better print quality and more supportive printing materials from consumers, so the CR-5 Pro is here to meet the challenge of making professional-quality 3D printing more accessible. Users will get exact end-use parts from the CR-5 Pro, without sacrificing affordability.” said Creality R&D Engineer Andrew Deng.

The CR-5 Pro is composed of a cartesian axis system, more rigid and accurate than a delta or polar configuration. With an appearance totally different from its predecessor, the CR-5, the enclosed structure of the CR-5 Pro is more formidable with an all-metal, white chamber. Transparent acrylic plates are added on the front, right and left sides, convenient for monitoring real-time printing and helpful for maintaining a constant temperature within the print area. A top enclosure is optional for a DIY upgrade to make the machine completely sealed. Utilizing a single Bowden extrusion system as the filament feeding mechanism, the CR-5 Pro ensures highly stable filament transmission through a PTFE tube to the nozzle in the hot-end, allowing users to increase print speed and precision, without being burdened by a heavy hot-end. Moreover, the hot-end has been upgraded with a newly designed nozzle structure with a powerful cooling fan, which makes it possible to 3D print more flexible filaments such as TPU as well as difficult materials such as ABS. 

Furthermore, the electrical components on the CR-5 Pro include a silent motherboard with an ATMEL 2560 master chip to guarantee smooth motion, effective heat dissipation, and precise voltage control. The quality 24V/350W MeanWell power supply supports voltage adjustment between 115V and 230V, allowing for rapid heating and electrical safety at the same time. The CR-5 Pro leaves users with a silent and safe printing experience.

Operating in a print area of 300*225*380MM, the CR-5 Pro reaches print precision up to 100 microns and XY axis positioning precision of up to 0.012mm, which means there is nothing but flawless smoothness and exacting details on the print surface. The Carborundum glass platform installed on the CR-5 Pro enables final prints to better adhere to the print bed and to be removed with ease, producing final prints without any defects even at its bottom layer. CR-5 Pro can be relied upon to 3D print aesthetically pleasing 3D models for hobbyists as well as professional-grade end-use parts for engineers, artists and researchers.

Other smart supportive features making the CR-5 Pro more attractive include the filament run-out sensor, pause and resume printing mode, and a LED light reminder, leaving users with little hassle during printing process.

The CR-5 Pro will be released next week,  at an affordable price. Reflecting Creality’s pioneering 3D printing industry spirit, the CR-5 pro is sure to build on Creality’s reputation of making 3D printing more reliable and accessible.

About Creality

CREALITY 3D has accumulated more than 5 years of experience in 3D printer research, production, and trading since its establishment in 2014. Our factory is certificated with BSCI and ISO, covers an area of 20,000 square meters, achieving an annual production capacity of over 500,000 pieces. Consisting of professional researchers and skilled engineers, our R&D team has been constantly striving for quality and excellence. Our products, all certified CE, FCC, ROHS, have exported to more than 100 countries including but not limited to France, USA, Australia, Russia, Britain, Germany, Singapore, Egypt, and India, bringing convenience to all walks of life.

For more information, please access to CREALITY official website: http://www.creality.com

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Michael Gorski of Filament Innovations On FDM for Manufacturing

I kept hearing from people about Michael Gorski and Filament Innovations. I was repeatably told that in Pennsylvania a small firm was making open FDM systems made for manufacturing. I’ve predicted for a number of years now that the small scale open desktop FDM systems, first not suitable for much of anything, would morph into the manufacturing systems of the future over time. I really think that for large objects such as car bumpers or dashboards medium format FDM will be the technology of choice while for many smaller parts clusters of FDM printers will be the norm. Open FDM just gives you tough, dimensionally accurate parts at low cost without a lock in with a materials vendor or an OEM. For many industries at volume I think that open FDM is the manufacturing solution of the future. For that to happen we need intelligent clusters of machines (which Ultimaker and Prusa seem to be working on) and much more reliable medium format machines with high throughput, yield, and repeatability. The latter challenge is what Filament Innovations is taking on.

 

What is Filament Innovations? 

Filament Innovations is a family-owned FDM 3D Printer manufacturer located near Allentown, Pennsylvania. We focus on selling FDM printers to businesses across America. We specialize in advanced 3D Printers that are both robust and affordable for all size businesses. We really pride ourselves on the level of quality and craftsmanship that goes into each 3D Printer we build. We often tell our customers that we are the “hot rod shop” of 3D Printers as we can custom build a printer to suit a customer’s needs.

When and why did you start it? 

The company was started in October 2015; when we launched we were not building printers, but selling our own private line of filament. As FDM 3D Printing grew, we saw the hardware market get split into two segments – the “race to the bottom” imported printer and the expensive larger format printers, costing over $50,000. Many business owners who wanted to adopt FDM 3D Printing were scared of the lack of after-sales support and reliability from the imported machines, or did not have $50,000 on hand for a capital investment to buy a more well-known machine. With that in mind, we quickly saw market opportunity for a large scale, American built, and high quality FDM unit in the $15,000 – $20,000 range. 

Tell us about your Icarus printer? 

Our BFP-ICARUS 3D Printer is the backbone of the company. Our business model is simple, make the best printer we can with no cheap add-ons and sell it for one flat, shipped price with as many USA components as possible. At $15,000 shipped via LTL Freight, our BFP-ICARUS is a leader in the FDM market in terms of quality and craftsmanship. Our linear motion system is a full ballscrew design with HiWin linear rails and TBI ballscrews, running on custom made NEMA 23 motors. Our extrusion system is produced by Dyze Designs, with their PRO series hotend and extruder combination, which comes equipped with a PT100 sensor and Tungsten Carbide nozzle. Every printer is factory equipped with a Gecko print plate, allowing customers to print common filaments and have them release easily with the removable print plate. The entire frame of the printer is wrapped in quarter inch Optix USA Made acrylic which stiffens the entire body of the unit so you don’t have to worry about any frame slag or shaking. The build area satisfies customers’ needs at 470x381x915 (mm).

What kind of customers buy it?

We love selling printers to industries that put them to work and use them on a daily basis. The majority of our customers are in the Prosthetics and Orthotics industry where they print customized below the knee check sockets for patients. Since every prosthetic socket is unique, this is a great application for our BFP-ICARUS units. Beyond the O&P market, we also work with the US Army Research lab and the Navy, specifically NAWC (Naval Air Warfare Center). We are continuing to grow our relationship with other defense departments and are in the planning phase of putting more BFP-ICARUS units into defense work soon. 

What makes it different?

What makes the BFP-ICARUS different in terms of being an FDM Printer, and Filament Innovations different in terms of being a FDM manufacturer, is how we do business in the industry. At Filament Innovations we are not selling you a product and then moving on to the next customer, we are creating a partnership to bring FDM 3D Printing into their company. Businesses can be hesitant to buy an FDM 3D Printer because they do not know what they need it for, how to run it, or how to service it. We get to know each customer and their business individually and help them understand how FDM 3D Printing can help their business. For example, when you buy a BFP-ICARUS unit, we schedule a two to three hour video chat with you on the day you receive it (Skype, FaceTime, etc). On that chat, we walk around the printer with you and go over its basic operations and how to maintain it. We really go the extra mile in terms of customer service and that is why our customer’s come back to use for future printers. Plus, as a fun “wow” moment for the customer, we laser etch their logo right next to ours on every machine that goes out the door. This gives our customer’s a personal touch that provides them confidence in their decision of partnering with Filament Innovations.

 How capable is it? 

The unit is extremely capable in terms of what it can do as the unit is enclosed, the Dyze PRO series hotend can go to 450C with ease, and the unit comes with all the bells and whistles you would want (auto bed leveling, independent Z motor bed leveling, WiFi, etc). The one unique selling points that really impresses our customers is its upgradability for the extrusion systems. Filament Innovations may have one of the best relationships in the history of FDM with Dyze Designs. We have made every BFP-ICARUS unit upgradable to accommodate Dyze’s 2.85mm high flow Typhoon system and the Pulsar pellet extrusion system. This means customers can buy one 3D Printer, and upgrade that one unit to a high-flow filament or pellet extrusion system once these systems come to market. For example, in the prosthetics industry, a below the knee socket is a large, relatively basic, but unique shape that needs to be printed quickly. Customers who choose to buy their BFP-ICARUS now can get their feet wet with 3D Printing and then buy the upgrade kits to retro-fit their 3D Printer as Dyze Designs releases these new systems. We designed our BFP-ICARUS platform with ballscrews for a reason, it can handle the additional weight of these extrusion systems out of the gate, which means customers do not need to buy an additional printer. This is just another example of how we are putting the customer’s needs first and not forcing them to buy an entirely new printer.   

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3DPOD Episode 16: 3D Printing Trends for 2020, with Xometry’s Greg Paulsen

Today Xometry’s Greg Paulsen is back and we geek out some more on 3D printing. We look at some anticipated trends in 3D printing for the next few years this time. Software is an integral part of the 3D printing experience and of getting the right parts made. Will we see more monitoring and control software in 3D printing? What new processes are we excited about? Are there new technologies coming to market at all? Which of these technologies excite us? What will the hurdles be and will they find adoption? Are there any materials that will make us all happy? Give the podcast a listen and tell us what you think! 6

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Price, Performance, Potential – Closing the Gap in 3D Printing

MakerBot, a global leader in the 3D printing industry, can be seen within the rapid prototyping processes of several industry powerhouses, such as Lockheed Martin and KUKA Robotics. Recently, MakerBot’s experts became concerned by the disparity between desktop and industrial solutions, and the impact this was having on the adoption of 3D printing. In this feature, Dave Veisz, VP of Engineering at MakerBot, discusses this technology gap and what the industry is doing to overcome it.

Rapid prototyping is a staple of every designer and engineer’s workflow—essential for testing new concepts, verifying designs, and meeting increasingly aggressive time-to-market goals. Regardless of the industry or product, all engineers must consider the speed, accessibility, cost, and output of these additive manufacturing equipment. Additive manufacturing technology, in its many forms, has been synonymous with rapid prototyping, and its prevalence has only increased as the technologies have improved.

However, a significant gap between desktop and industrial 3D printing solutions still remains—both in technical capability and in accessibility within organizations. Many larger organizations have been using some form of in-house 3D printing successfully for years, while smaller businesses have been more hesitant to adopt in-house 3D printing solutions without first understanding the cost and benefits.

Many design engineers struggle to see how 3D printing, and in particular, desktop 3D printing, can fit into their business operations. Some ask themselves, “why break from trusted workflows?” Some may shy away from desktop solutions due to previously poor user experiences or concerns around the quality and accuracy of the 3D printed part when compared to the dimensions of the CAD file. Other common apprehensions surround how much manipulation of the geometry or parameter adjustment is needed to achieve successful printing. To date, most desktop solutions cannot offer reliability and precision that is comparable to more expensive, larger industrial machines. As a result, many smaller businesses wouldn’t even consider any form of in-house 3D printing as a viable option.

Desktop vs Industrial 3D Printing Limitations

Generally, one of the first issues we’ve seen potential users grapple with is a reluctance to break away from an established workflow pattern. This can be for any number of reasons, including issues of performance or integration. A lot of industries have suffered in the past with poor performance from desktop 3D printers, and difficult to use software for print preparation. For engineering managers, this is the crux of the issue; if engineers are wasting time solving the problems of a desktop machine and learning complex software, then this is time lost in designing and creating products.

Another key concern for many designers and engineers is the worry that a prototype produced on a desktop 3D printer is insufficient for their needs. For those creating prototypes to be used for injection molded parts, for example, the 3D printed parts must be generated to similar dimensional accuracy to the production manufacturing method. In addition, the material must function similar to the end use material if you want to test snap fits, install threaded inserts, or mimic other commonly designed features. Despite advancements in recent years, current desktop 3D printers cannot offer the dimensional accuracy of a higher-end machine. This is primarily attributed to the limited control of the key environmental variables within a desktop solution. Put simply, prototypes produced on desktop 3D printers do not offer robust or advanced enough properties for certain—most, even—types of product design testing.

Finally, the biggest hurdle is ensuring that rapid prototyping remains rapid. Outsourcing prototyping requirements does present a number of benefits; however, these are often outweighed by the associated waiting time—which can take weeks for a single part. Relying on external suppliers can add considerable time to the process, impacting a product’s go-to-market timeline. Here is where in-house 3D printing excels; with manufacturers across the world often reporting dramatic reductions in both time and cost when switching to in-house 3D printing. However, neither desktop 3D printing’s build speed or quality can compare to industrial 3D printing.

When we consider industrial 3D printing, there are a significant number of benefits for design engineers. The issues of speed and performance of the 3D printed prototype are often eliminated with a higher-end machine. Industrial 3D printers are able to deliver high-quality, repeatable results nearly every time. Prototypes can be produced in engineering-grade thermoplastics tailored to the varying and specific requirements of industries such as automotive, aerospace and rail. Often, customers report dramatic savings in both cost and time when switching to an industrial-level machine.

However, industrial 3D printing is not without its limitations. Industrial machines are expensive, complex and often unintuitive, creating challenges for a designer’s workflow. Designers typically do not have direct access to such a machine, so they must submit a work order and wait in a queue. Often, the economics of investing in such a machine does not make sense. Not only because of the high-level of investment required for the hardware and consumables, but also the training of staff or altogether hiring a new machine operator. Given these issues, design engineers are often left with a performance gap between the solutions they can afford and the solutions they need.

The Potential of Performance 3D Printing

For us, these were clear challenges holding back the adoption of 3D printing in the professional market. Many of our conversations with customers inspired us to develop the new METHOD 3D Printer, which we believe addresses the aforementioned gap to create a new category – Performance 3D Printing. In essence, Performance 3D Printing combines technologies often found in an industrial machine with the accessibility, ease-of-use and price-point of a desktop 3D printer. By leveraging the long-held expertise in FDM from our parent company Stratasys®, we have been able to incorporate industrial capabilities, such as advanced materials, high-speed dual extrusion, a circulating heated chamber and moisture-sealed bays, to offer designers and engineers far more control of their prints. In addition, print speeds have improved significantly with Performance 3D Printing. Our tests showed that build speeds have doubled compared to current desktop 3D printing speeds.

Successful product design requires input from many sources. By bringing affordable and reliable industrial-grade 3D printing in-house and providing direct access to engineers and designers, they can review, test and approve designs far earlier and more frequently in the production process. Simultaneously, by creating a machine that delivers both reliability and accessibility, the costs and barriers of training specified technicians typically seen with larger industrial 3D printers are altogether eliminated.

By combining the inherent benefits of desktop solutions, such as ease-of-use and affordability, with industrial-level capabilities, 3D printing is now much more accessible to a smaller organization. As a result, these businesses can dramatically improve their design and iteration process, enabling them to increase innovation and bring better products to market faster than ever before.

Request a high performance 3D printed sample and see why engineers choose METHOD.

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3D Printing Metal End-use Part Applications

This article describes the ideal use-cases for each process & comparison with other solutions to help you identify opportunities using 3D Hubs in your organization for metal 3d printing service.

Definition: End-use part is any good that is either sold as a product or placed in service within a company’s internal operations.

There are 6 processes to consider:

  1. FDM / FFF (plastics)
  2. SLA / DLP (plastics)
  3. SLS / MJF (plastics)
  4. SLM / DMLS (metals)
  5. Metal FFF (metals)
  6. Binder Jetting (metals)

In part 1 we talked about plastic parts, in part 2 we discuss only metals. 

4. SLM/DMLS

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) are metal powder bed fusion 3D Hubs printing processes that are most commonly used today as they are especially suitable for high-end applications since they offer advanced material properties and superb design freedom.

While both utilize high laser power to bond together metal powder particles to form a part– layer-by-layer, SLM will achieve a full melt, while — due to the very high temperatures — DMLS will cause the metal particles to fuse together at a molecular level. 

The majority of metal alloys are compatible with the DMLS method, wherein SLM, only certain (pure) metal materials may be used.

Still, the differences between these two 3D Hubs printing technologies are so slim; they can be treated as the same for designing purposes. 

In this section, we will take a closer look at the technical characteristics, manufacturing process, and the limitations and benefits of these two, very similar techniques.

How it works: SLM/DMLS 3D Hubs printing process basic steps:

  • First, the build chamber is filled with inert gas then heated to the optimum print temperature.
  • A thin layer (typically 50 μm) of metal powder is spread over the build platform.
  • Next, the laser scans the cross-section of the part, selectively bonding the metal particles.
  • Thus, the build platform moves down a layer when the entire area is scanned, and the process repeats until the build is complete.
  • After the printing process is complete, the build must first cool down before the loose powder is extracted.

This step is only the beginning of the SLM/DMLS 3D printing manufacturing process. Once the print is complete, several compulsory and/or optional post-processing steps are also required before the parts will be ready for use. 

Compulsory post-processing steps include

  • Stress relief: Before continuing with any other operation, the internal stresses that develop during printing, due to the very high processing temperatures, need to be relieved through a thermal cycle.
  • Removal of the parts: In SLM/DMLS the parts are welded onto the build platform and EDM wire cutting or a band saw are used.
  • Removal of the support: To mitigate the distortion and warping that occurs during printing, support in SLM/DMLS is required. Support is CNC machined or removed manually.

Additional post-processing steps are often required to meet engineering specifications that may include:

  • CNC machining: When tolerances are tighter than the standard ± 0.1 mm that’s required, machining is employed as a finishing step. Only the slight material is removed this way.
  • Heat treatments: Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) or heat treatments can be used to improve the material properties of the part.
  • Smoothing/Polishing: Certain application requires a smoother surface than the standard RA 10 μm of as-printed SLM/DMLS. CNC machining and Vibro, chemical, or manual polishing are available solutions.

How it works: Laser source bonds metal powder particles

Strengths:

  • Geometric freedom
  • High accuracy & fine details
  • High-performance materials

Materials:

  • Stainless Steel
  • Aluminum
  • Titanium
  • Superalloys

Use case #1 – Optimized brackets

DMLS / SLM is used to create lightweight parts through advanced CAD processes, such as topology optimization. They are of particular interest in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Use case #2 – Internal geometries

A far more common use of DMLS / SLM is the creation of parts with internal channels. These find applications in the manufacturing industry (for example injection molding tooling with internal channels for cooling) or for heat exchangers.

Pro tip: Make sure that no support structures are needed to manufacture the internal channels, as they will be impossible to remove.

5. Metal FFF: What is metal extrusion?

Metal Extrusion is a low-cost metal 3D printing process alternative that is most suitable for prototyping purposes or for one-off custom parts.

It is a variation of the classic FDM method for plastics. In 2018, the first Metal Extrusion 3D printers were released also known as an Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) and Bound Metal Deposition (BMD).

A part is built layer-by-layer, like FDM, by extruding material through a nozzle, but the material is not plastic, unlike FDM but is a metal powder held together with a polymer binder. The result of the printing step is a “green” part that needs to be sintered and de-bonded to become fully metal.

Here, we examine the characteristics and key limitations and benefits of this additive process to help you understand how you can use it more effectively.

How does metal extrusion work?

Metal Extrusion consists of a three-stage process involving a printing stage, a de-binding stage, and a sintering stage. 

The Printing Stage…

  • Raw material in a rod or filament form, which basically consists of metal particles that are bound together by wax and/or polymer.
  • This filament or rod is extruded through a heated nozzle and then deposited– layer-by-layer to build a designed part based on the CAD model.
  • While, if necessary, support structures are built. The interface between the part and the support is printed with ceramic support material that can easily be removed later manually.

When printing is complete, the “green” resulting part must be post-processed using similar steps like Binder Jetting, in order to become metal. The “green” part is washed first for several hours in a solution to remove almost all of the binders. Then it is sintered inside a furnace so that the metal particles are bonded together to form the fully-metal part.

During the sintering process, the dimensions of the parts are reduced by about 20 percent. to compensate for this, the parts are printed larger. Like the Binder Jetting process, the shrinkage isn’t homogenous, meaning that trial and error will be required to get accurate results for particular designs.

How it works: Metal/binder is extruded through a nozzle to print the part, which is then thermally sintered.

Strengths:

  • Does not require industrial facilities
  • Based on MIM
  • Complex metal parts

Materials:

  • Stainless steel
  • Tool steel

Main use: For internal operations

An alternative to CNC, Sand casting

Quantity: 1-50 parts

Use case #1 – CNC part replacements

Metal Extrusion is excellent for functional CNC prototyping and small productions of metal parts that would otherwise require a 5-axis CNC machining to produce.

6. Metal Binder Jetting

Metal Binder Jetting is increasing in popularity rapidly. What makes it especially suitable for small to medium production runs, is its unique characteristics.

In this section, we will dive deeper within the steps used in the Binder Jetting to learn the basic characteristics of metal parts production.

What is Metal Binder Jetting?

Metal Binder Jetting is a process of building parts by placing a binding agent on a slightly thin layer of powder in through inkjet nozzles. Originally, it was used to develop full-color models and prototypes from sandstone. A variation of the technique is becoming more popular lately, because of its batch production capabilities.

In metal Binder Jetting printing, the printing step is done at room temperature, which means the thermal effects, such as, internal stresses and warping aren’t a problem, like in SLM/ DMLS, and therefore, supports are not needed. To create a fully metal part, an additional post-processing step is required.

How does Metal Binder Jetting work?

Metal Binder Jetting involves two-stages; a printing stage and a post-processing stage.

The printing process works like this…

  • A thin layer (typically 50 μm) of metal powder is spread out over the build platform.
  • A carriage that has inkjet nozzles will pass over the bed while selectively depositing binding agent droplets of wax and polymer to bond together the metal powder particles.
  • When done, the build platform will move down, then the process will repeat until the entire build is complete.

The result of this printing process is a part of the “green” state. To create fully metal parts and remove the binding agent, a post-processing step is necessary.

This post-processing stage requires two variations: Infiltration and Sintering.

How it works: Binder is jetted onto metal powder particles to create the part, which is then thermally sintered

Strengths:

  • Great design freedom
  • Based on MIM
  • Batch production

Materials:

  • Stainless steel 
  • Tool steel

Main use: Low-run metal production

An alternative to Metal Injection Molding, Die casting

Use case – Low-run production

Binder Jetting is the only metal 3D printing technology today that can be used cost-effectively for low-to-medium batch production of metal parts that are smaller than a tennis ball.

Why engineers use 3D Hubs for 3D printing

Instant quoting & DFM feedback

Build and edit your quote online. Review your parts for manufacturability and assess the cost of different materials, processes and lead times for your project in real-time. Explore our 3d printing service for every type of additive manufacturing project. 

Readily available capacity

Benefit from our network of 250 manufacturing partners to access instantly available capacity. Our manufacturing partners are both local and overseas.

Quality & reliability

Dedicated 3D Hubs team to ensure your parts consistently meet your quality expectations. We also offer phone, email and chat support for any concerns or questions you may have.

The post 3D Printing Metal End-use Part Applications appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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Makerbot Launches Method X Brings Real ABS 3D Printing to Manufacturing

MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing, announces the launch of METHOD X, a manufacturing workstation engineered to challenge traditional manufacturing with real ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) material, a 100°C chamber, and Stratasys SR-30 soluble supports to deliver exceptional dimensional accuracy and precision for complex, durable parts. METHOD X is capable of printing real ABS that can withstand up to 15°C higher temperatures, is up to 26% more rigid, and up to 12% stronger than modified ABS formulations used on desktop 3D printer competitors.1 Real ABS parts printed on METHOD X have no warping or cracking that typically occurs when printing modified ABS on desktop platforms without heated chambers.

Desktop 3D printer manufacturers attempt to get around part deformation that occurs, due to the high shrinkage rate of the material, by using a heated build plate in combination with altered ABS formulations that are easier to print but compromise thermal and mechanical properties. MakerBot Precision ABS has a heat deflection temperature of up to 15°C higher than competitors’ ABS, which are modified to make material printable without a heated chamber. With METHOD X, the 100°C Circulating Heated Chamber significantly reduces part deformation while increasing part durability and surface finish.

The MakerBot METHOD X combines industry expertise and technologies from Stratasys® (Nasdaq: SSYS)—the worldwide leader in industrial 3D printing—with MakerBot’s accessibility and ease of use to provide professionals with an industrial 3D printer at a disruptive price point.

MakerBot ABS for METHOD has excellent thermal and mechanical properties similar to ABS materials used for injection molding applications—making it ideal for a wide range of applications, including end-use parts, manufacturing tools, and functional prototypes. A 100°C Circulating Heated Chamber provides a stable print environment for superior Z-layer bonding—resulting in high-strength parts with superior surface finish. With the MakerBot METHOD X, engineers can design, test, and produce models and custom end-use parts with durable, production-grade ABS for their manufacturing needs.

Also new is the availability of Stratasys SR-30 material for easy and fast support removal. METHOD X is the only 3D printer in its price class that uses SR-30—enabling unlimited design freedom and the ability to print unrestricted geometries, such as large overhangs, cavities, and shelled parts. The combination of SR-30 and MakerBot ABS is designed to provide outstanding surface finish and print precision.

“When we initially launched METHOD, we broke the price-to-performance barrier by delivering a 3D printer that was designed to bridge the technology gap between industrial and desktop 3D printers. This made industrial 3D printing accessible to professionals for the first time. Since then, we have shipped hundreds of printers and received positive feedback from a number of our customers on the precision and reliability of the machine,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot. “With METHOD X, we are taking a step further to revolutionize manufacturing. METHOD X was created for engineers who need true ABS for production-ready parts that are dimensionally-accurate with no geometric restrictions. METHOD X delivers industrial-level 3D printing without compromising on ABS material properties and automation in a new price category.”

Engineered as an automated, tinker-free industrial 3D printing system, METHOD X includes industrial features such as Dry-Sealed Material Bays, Dual Performance Extruders, Soluble Supports, and an Ultra-Rigid Metal Frame. METHOD X’s automation and industrial technologies create a controlled printing environment so professionals can design, test, and iterate faster. The lengthened thermal core in the performance extruders are up to 50% longer than a standard hot end to enable faster extrusion, resulting in up to 2X faster print speeds than desktop 3D printers.2

These key technologies—combined with MakerBot ABS for METHOD—are designed to help engineers achieve dimensionally-accurate, production-grade parts at a significantly lower cost than traditional manufacturing processes. Engineers can print repeatable and consistent parts, such as jigs, fixtures, and end-effectors, with a measurable dimensional accuracy of ± 0.2mm (± 0.007in).3

METHOD X can be used with MakerBot’s lines of Precision and Specialty Materials, including MakerBot PLA, MakerBot TOUGH, MakerBot PETG, MakerBot PVA, MakerBot ABS, and SR-30, with more to come.

MakerBot METHOD X’s automated and advanced features provide users with a seamless workflow to help them optimize their design and production processes. The MakerBot METHOD X is one of the most intelligent 3D printers on the market, with 21 onboard sensors that help users monitor, enhance, and print their projects, including RFID chips, temperature sensing, humidity control, material detection, and more. The METHOD platform provides a seamless CAD to part workflow, with Solidworks, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Inventor plug-ins and support for over 30 types of CAD files, helping users turn their CAD files to parts quicker.

The METHOD platform has been tested by MakerBot for over 300,000 hours of system reliability, subsystem, and print quality testing.4

Shipping of METHOD X is expected to begin at the end of August 2019. To learn more about the MakerBot METHOD X, visit www.makerbot.com/method.

1 Based on internal testing of injection molded specimens of METHOD X ABS compared to ABS from a leading desktop 3D printer competitor. Tensile strength testing was performed according to ASTM D638 and HDT B testing according to ASTM D648.
2 Compared to popular desktop 3D printers when using the same layer height and infill density settings. Speed advantage dependent upon object geometry and material.
3 0.2 mm or ± 0.002 mm per mm of travel (whichever is greater). Based on internal testing of selected geometries.
4 Combined total test hours of METHOD and METHOD X (full system and subsystem testing) expected to be completed around shipping of METHOD X.

About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is a global leader in the 3D printing industry. The company helps create the innovators of today and the businesses and learning institutions of the future. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, MakerBot strives to redefine the standards for 3D printing for reliability, accessibility, precision, and ease-of-use. Through this dedication, MakerBot has one of the largest install bases in the industry and also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing community in the world.

We believe there’s an innovator in everyone, so we make the 3D printing tools that make your ideas matter. Discover innovation with MakerBot 3D printing.

To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ and/or MakerBot’s beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the MakerBot METHOD X and its features and Stratasys’ and MakerBot’s expectations on timing of shipping the MakerBot METHOD X are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys’ and MakerBot’s businesses, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the MakerBot METHOD X and its features to be the same as Stratasys and MakerBot do; the risk that unforeseen technical difficulties will delay the shipping of the MakerBot METHOD X; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 7, 2019. Stratasys (or MakerBot) is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.

The post Makerbot Launches Method X Brings Real ABS 3D Printing to Manufacturing appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

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Smooth operation eliminates FDM stair-stepping in University of Hamburg study

Researchers at the University of Hamburg in Germany, have proposed a novel way of slicing 3D printed objects to create smoother results. By 3D printing nonplanar layers close to the horizontal, this slicing method removes the stair-stepping effect typical to FDM surfaces. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, objects 3D printed this way have shown […]
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Electronic Alchemy develops multi-material electronics 3D printer for NASA

3D printer manufacturer Electronic Alchemy has developed a system capable of additive manufacturing fully functional electronics. Named eForge, NASA intends to use the system during planetary space missions to 3D print chemical sensors on demand. Following the launch of eForge, the company is also now designing a device to recycle 3D printed electronics, further reducing […]