PLA and ABS are the most widely used FDM 3d printing materials in the World. Designers and hobbyists are all interested in knowing which material is better than the other. Which material do you think is better among the two? The answer of course is not so black and white. It depends on the application. We’ll cover all the differentiating aspects of ABS vs PLA in great detail throughout this article.
3d printing is dramatically changing the way we manufacture products. End-use parts production using 3d printing is already the fastest growing area in the manufacturing industry. Industrial 3d printing is about to reach its tipping point and will soon go on to revolutionize the economy. With the addition of numerous new materials and hardware options available, 3d printing is on its way to disrupting the manufacturing industry. Let us have a look at the 5 ways 3d printing is already in use today and disrupting industries…
Nylon is one of the most popular materials in the 3d printing industry. It is also known as Polyamide and is usually found in the variants PA 11 and PA 12. Nylon filament offers great toughness and flexibility. Many nylon copolymers also exist which modify the strength and rigidity of the material to meet specific application requirements. The most suitable technology for 3d printing Nylon is SLS. Nylon PA 11 is more flexible while PA 12 provides great mechanical properties making it ideal for functional prototypes.
Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFM), is a 3d printing process that produces durable objects out of the same plastic that we see in everyday products. Furthermore, FDM processes industrial-grade thermoplastic materials. That’s what makes resulting parts so tough and durable when properly processed. FDM 3d printing is the most cost-effective way of producing thermoplastic parts and prototypes.
When polylactic acid (PLA) is annealed under properly controlled conditions, it provides a significantly stiffer and stronger part with increased heat deflection temperatures. Strength is found to increase by up to 40% and stiffness can be shown to increase up to 25%. Parts made from annealed PLA outperform polycarbonate (PC) and SLS nylon PA2200 in XY axis strength. Furthermore, annealed PLA parts have demonstrated heat deflection temperatures of up to 180°C, equal to that of Ultem. This enhanced strength along with a higher glass transition temperature, allows for a much broader set of practical applications.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering, also known as DMLS, is an additive manufacturing technology that uses a precise, high wattage laser to weld metals and alloys on the micro scale. This process is able to create metal parts directly from 3D CAD data in layers without the need for traditional tooling. DMLS 3D printing is an excellent choice for producing functional metal prototypes and dense metal parts in a short time, with high precision. This process is particularly useful for complex part designs, light weighting, and producing functional custom metal parts in low volumes.
By introducing 24/7 on site pickup for local 3D printing services, we can now provide rapid prototyping with unprecedented speed and convenience. This eliminates the need to wait for your 3D prints to be shipped or picked up during core business hours. With 24/7 on site pickup, accessing our local 3D printing services for truly rapid prototyping is nearly as convenient as having the printers in your own facility. In fact – in many ways it is more convenient for rapid prototyping, as you are able to focus on design optimization as opposed to operating and maintaining 3D printers.
SLA was was invented way back in 1986 and was the technology used to manufacture the very first 3D printed parts. The SLA method utilizes a vat photopolymerization process and the materials used in SLA are mostly thermoset polymers that come in a liquid form. This 3D printing method provides extremely high detail without introducing excessive costs. As with any manufacturing method, designers must take advantage of the benefits and limitations of the SLA manufacturing process in order to achieve the best results. Read this article to learn more about SLA 3D printing and common SLA applications.
SD3D is now offering CNC machining services! This article provides a basic overview of the CNC process and common applications. CNC machines are being used in all major industries today especially for the cutting of metal parts and producing simple prototypes. CNCs can work on a wide variety of materials including metal, wood, plastic and more.
3D printing has very quickly become an integral part of many major companies. It can prove to be extremely useful especially when it comes to producing prototypes, validating designs and performing functional tests. Stakeholders can be easily given an understanding of the concept by letting them interact with 3d printed prototypes. Meanwhile, 3D printing can also be used by various industries for end-use applications and bringing new products to market. The most important question for companies considering 3D printing as a solution today is whether they should outsource their projects to a professional 3D printing service bureau or get an in-house 3D printer.
