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top ranking Chinese Prototyping Companies

IN3DTEC — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:36:29 +0000

Top Ranking Chinese Prototyping Companies: Leading the Way in Innovation

In recent years, China has emerged as a global powerhouse in the field of manufacturing and prototyping. With its robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and technological advancements, the country has become a hotbed for innovation and a preferred destination for companies seeking high-quality prototyping services. In this blog, we will explore the top ranking Chinese prototyping companies that are revolutionizing the industry and driving forward the future of product development.

1. Craftfac

Craftfac serves a diverse range of industries, including automotive, electronics, home appliances, telecommunications, and industrial equipment. Their end-to-end solutions, from design assistance to production, make them suitable for companies in need of a comprehensive prototyping service. The company offers both low-manufacturing and mass production services. Craftfac has invested in advanced prototyping facilities. Other services offered include CNC machining and surface finishing. You can also seek their project management services.

Recommendation reason: Experienced CNC machining and affordable injection molding services

2. IN3DTEC

IN3DTEC is one of the leading prototype companies in the world. IN3DTEC renowned for its expertise in precision prototyping and product development. They leverage advanced technologies like 3D printing, CNC machining, vacuum casting, sheet metal fabrication, and rapid tooling to create highly accurate prototypes. With a focus on quality control and attention to detail, IN3DTEC ensures that their prototypes meet the highest standards.

They have successfully collaborated with numerous international clients across various industries, making them a trusted partner for prototyping needs.

In 2022, the company launched an Instant Quoting System for 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting, enabling users to obtain instant online quotes and processing in a matter of seconds. The platform system and digitalized management of the manufacturing process have gained favor among many users.

Recommendation reason: One-stop online processing and manufacturing service, fast turn-around and affordable price.

3. Sunpe

Sunpe Prototyping caters to a wide range of industries, including transportation, electronics, consumer goods, and aerospace. Their expertise in CNC machining, and sheet metal fabrication allows them to serve diverse sectors with precision and efficiency.

Recommendation reason: High-quality injection molding processing services

4. Prototech Asia

Prototech Asia specializes in low-volume manufacturing and rapid prototyping. The company has several years in the prototyping industry. Some of the prototyping services offered are CNC machining, plastic injection, and vacuum casting.

Recommendation reason: ABS CNC Machining

5. Starrapid

Star rapid Prototyping offers plastic injection manufacturing and rapid prototyping services. The company has over 10 years of experience in prototyping. Their ability to produce functional prototypes using various materials and technologies makes them a preferred choice for clients.

Recommendation reason: Plastic Injection Molding

6. Kaiao

Kaiao Manufacturing is a Chinese prototyping company with a strong focus on providing end-to-end solutions. They offer a comprehensive range of services, including design assistance, prototype development, tooling, and production. Equipped with advanced manufacturing equipment and a skilled workforce, Kaiao Manufacturing can handle projects of varying complexity. Their commitment to cost-efficiency and timely delivery has made them a preferred partner for clients seeking a reliable prototyping solution.

Recommend Reason: Design Ability & Rapid Tooling

It’s important to note that while these companies have expertise in specific industries, they are often flexible and adaptable to serve clients from various sectors. Their capabilities and experience allow them to meet the unique prototyping needs of different industries effectively.

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An Overview of Stereolithography (SLA) Materials

IN3DTEC — Sun, 15 May 2022 07:04:54 +0000

SLA Materials Overview – Stereolithography Explained

SLA uses a UV laser to cure liquid resin into hardened plastic in a process called photopolymerization. Different combinations of the monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, and various other additives that comprise a resin result in different material properties.

When talking about the pros, the materials exhibit properties like smoothness, and better surface finish. These are capable of producing finer features with great details.

Plus, they are highly stiff. On the flip side, these produce relatively brittle parts that lack flexibility. Plus, being photosensitive, these parts are not suitable for outdoor applications.

The exposure to UV rays could change their mechanical properties compromising their actual use. Moreover, these are prone to creep as well.

But as said before, the different resins showcase different properties. So, let us check in detail the various options and their unique properties.

First of all, the following table covers most of the materials for UV curing 3D printing, and only some of them are selected for introduction this time

Standard resin

Standard resins produce high stiffness, high resolution prints with a smooth injection molding-like finish. Their low-cost makes them ideal for prototyping applications.

Standard resins has high tensile strength but is very brittle (very low elongation at break), so it is not suitable for functional parts.

Tough resin

Tough resin is one of the many types of engineered resins that was developed for making parts susceptible to high stress. The material can withstand the high strain.

The material is like ABS filament used for FDM 3D printing. It exhibits a tensile strength of 55.7 MPa as well as modulus of elasticity is 2.7 GPa, very close combat with ABS.

You can use the material for creating sturdy parts that are resistant to shatter. These resins do a wonderful job when used for creating functional prototypes as well.

Talking about the limitations, the material cannot fit into applications that require parts with wall thickness less than 1mm. The parts are brittle too as it is common among all SLA materials.

Tough resins are great for creating parts that require mechanical assembly.

Durable Resin

The material is created to copy the properties of PP (Polypropylene) used in FDM 3D printing. The parts produced are resistant to wear and tear. And, the resin also provides flexibility to the parts produced through SLA 3D printing.

Because of its properties, the material is suitable for applications that require high flexibility. It also provides low friction as well as a smooth surface finish. The material is widely used for applications such as snap fits and ball joints and various others.

When talking about the disadvantage of the durable resin, the first thing that comes to mind is its incapability to produce parts with wall thickness less than 1 mm. It also has low tensile strength, even lower than touch resins.

Clear resin

Clear resin has similar mechanical properties to standard resin, but can be post-processed to near optical transparency or semi-transparency.

High Detail Resin

High Detail Resin is ideal for objects that’ll be displayed, such as prototypes, models, or figurines. Thanks to the combination of the material and the printing method, incredibly fine details and a smooth surface can be delivered, with this variety of resin offering a particularly high resolution that’s perfect for jewelry and miniature figurines.

Heat resistant resin

Heat resistant resin are ideal for applications that require high thermal stability and operate at high temperatures.

These resins have a heat deflection temperature between 110-250°C and are ideal for manufacturing heat resistant fixtures, mold prototypes, hot air and fluid flow equipment, and casting and thermoforming tooling.

Castable SLA Material

This material enables printed parts with sharp details and a smooth finish, and will burn out cleanly without leaving ashes or residue.

Castable resin allows the production of parts directly from a digital design to investment casting through a single 3D printed part. They are suitable for jewellery and other small and intricate components.

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White paper of HP Multi Jet Fusion

IN3DTEC — Sun, 15 May 2022 06:40:02 +0000

HP Multi Jet Fusion White Paper – Technology Overview

How does HP Multi Jet Fusion work?

Introduction

HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology is a powder-bed fusion 3D printing technology that allows for the production of accurate, functional prototypes and final parts, including color parts. In addition, HP MJF is a technology that does not require support structures, thus enabling the design of complex geometries without additional costs, which would be expensive or not even possible to produce with traditional manufacturing processes.

HP MJF 3D printing process

The HP MJF 3D printing process begins with a thin layer of uniformly pre-heated polymer powder particles that is spread across the build platform.

Then, to achieve part quality at a high speed and produce truly functional parts, HP MJF technology uses the HP multi-agent printing process. HP’s in-depth knowledge of 2D printing solutions and the capability of HP’s proprietary architecture makes it possible to
print millions of drops per second along each inch of the bed width, thus enabling extreme precision and dimensional accuracy.

HP Multi Jet Fusion’s multi-agent printing process can control the exact amount of each agent that is deposited in each voxel of the intended part. This printing process involves two different types of agents that are applied across the build platform: fusing agents
and detailing agents.

A fusing agent is applied where the particles are meant to fuse together in the powder in order to create the corresponding part cross section, leaving the rest of the powder unaltered. A detailing agent is applied to the edges of the part in order to modify the
fusing process and create fine detail and smooth surfaces.

Next, an energy source passes over the build platform, provoking a reaction between the agents and the material that causes the material to selectively fuse to form a complete layer, thus resulting in production throughput, material density similar to common Injection Molded plastics, and consistent mechanical properties in all directions.

The process is then repeated until a completely functional part has been formed.
The 3D printing process using HP MJF is summarized in the following figure:

Post processing for HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology

MJF is a new technology that delivers certain advantages over legacy print processes, but there are still post-processing steps that are required before items can be considered finished. Worth noting, however, is that the HP Jet Fusion 3D Processing Station has the option of “Fast Cooling,” which allows prints to be cooled down more quickly so that they may be removed for more immediate processing. In addition, the latest HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D Printing Solutions include a Natural Cooling Unit designed for economical continuous printing.

Within the processing station for the Jet Fusion 4200 and 5200 systems, there is a vacuum used to remove powder. Once removed from the processing station, bead blasting, airblasting or waterblasting is performed to clear any remaining powder, not unlike SLS.

Bead Blasting: This process consists of shooting an abrasive media, usually a bead (size and type results in different surface finishes), at high pressure at a printed part with compressed air, knocking loose unfused powder while also smoothing the finish of the part. This can be done manually or automatically, with manual bead blasting relying on a foot pedal-driven system for propelling the beads as opposed to an automated tumbler, turntable or conveyer. Manual may be preferred for fragile parts.

Water Jet Blasting: This process features the jetting of water and air onto a part to remove powder and can include the use of a blast media for preliminary surface finishing. Typically more expensive than bead blasting, this process is ideal for complex geometries and cavities automatically while also reducing surface roughness without the need for additional post processing (such as a vibratory system). No dust is produced, as well.

Airblasting: Air blasting is necessary after bead blasting, but not water jetting, and some bead blasting machines have air blasting capabilities. After bead blasting, air blasting must be used to remove the remaining powder from the surface of the printed part using a closed cabin air pressure machine with a minimum air pressure of three bar.

Secondary Post-Processing

After the necessary post-processing steps described above, parts may need further finishing to bring the part up to technical requirements. This includes methods for reducing surface roughness, as well as methods for changing the color or finish of the part, like dying, electroplating and painting.

Sanding: Post-processing techniques can range from manual to almost entirely automated. For example, a company may want to smooth their Multi Jet Fusion parts; this could be done with manual sanding, though it would take a long time and be cost-prohibitive. However, it may work for one-off objects or visual prototypes.
Vibratory Tumbling: “Vibratory tumbling is another method that can be used to smooth Multi Jet Fusion parts that is hands-off and largely automated,” she added. “Though it can take several hours, because the process does not require supervision and can process many parts at once it is very cost-effective. You can buy vibratory tumblers of different sizes, according to your particular specifications such as quantity and part size.”

Vibratory finishing can be performed as a wet or dry process. In wet vibratory tumbling, ceramic and plastic media are used and create a more polished finish, with less wear on the part, but produces waste from the liquid-abrasive media. The dry process is cleaner and wastes less, but may be more aggressive.

Chemical polishing: This process uses a chemical to smooth the surface of printed parts without impacting its mechanical properties, resulting in a controllable level of glossiness from matt to gloss to shiny.

Dying: In addition, not unlike other processes, MJF parts can be subject to any number of finishes. Though there is an MJF line dedicated to full-color 3D printing (HP Jet Fusion 580/380 series), these systems are currently designed for smaller batches. When coloring parts that haven’t been printed on those machines, dying can be performed, either manually in pots of hot water or using automated dying equipment.

Dyeing is the most common secondary post-processing technique of MJF users and may be best for parts that are visible or subject to wear, as the color penetrates the surface of the part. Dying white parts, rather than grey, offers a greater range of dying options. Manual dying, which usually involves leaving the part in an 80-100°C dye bath for about eight minutes, is comparatively inexpensive. Automated dying machines, however, may be more efficient, as they use specific programs for mixing the dye bath, as well as conditioning, dyeing, part rinsing, dye disposal, and cleaning.

Part with dying

Painting and Electroplating: Painting and plating are other options for coating Multi Jet Fusion parts. Performing surface smoothing first will help achieve the best results with the least additional effort. Since every industry has its own paint specifications, the best bet is to have samples done with existing paint suppliers. Hydrographs are another method of coating. An image or pattern is floated on water, and the part is dipped in it to transfer the pattern over. Given that a layer of material is applied in the process, hydrographs also result in a smoother surface.

Part with painting

Electroplating consists of dissolving a metal in a solution and attaching the metal particles to the surface of the printed part using an electric current. Before this process can be performed on a polyamide part, the part must be made electrically conductive through the use of electroless plating, gas activation, or a conductive coating.

Graphite Blasting: Graphite blasting uses the same process as bead blasting but aims for giving parts a uniform, metallic appearance, with glass beads and graphite projected at the part. This can also reduce friction between moving parts, though it is not recommended for final parts that are handled frequently.

MJF materials and selection guide

MJF materials

Polyamide family

Nylon PA12
PA 12 is a strong, multi-purpose thermoplastic for functional prototyping and ﬁnal parts. It is optimized for the MJF platform to deliver high-density parts with balanced property proﬁles. It is ideal for complex assemblies, housings, enclosures and connectors, and optimal for post ﬁnishing processes. PA 12 also has excellent chemical resistance to oils, greases, aliphatic hydrocarbons and alkalis.

Nylon PA12 with Glass Beads
Glass Beads are added to Nylon PA 12 to produce stiﬀ, functional parts. This material provides dimensional stability along with repeatability. It is ideal for applications requiring high stiﬀness like enclosures and houses, ﬁxtures and tooling.

Nylon PA11
Nylon PA11 is a material with excellent performance characteristics that mitigates many of the negatives inherent to other materials. With excellent impact and chemical resistance and an eco-friendly and bio-friendly proﬁle, here are six reasons to consider Nylon PA11 for your project.

ECO-FRIENDLY: This is a bioplastic polyamide powder made out of renewable resources that come from vegetable/castor oil.

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE: Chemically resistant to elements such as hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, fuels, alcohols, oils, fats, mineral bases, salts, and detergents.

IMPACT RESISTANCE: Since PA11 offers superior impact and abrasion resistance, parts will have a longer serviceable lifetime

HEAT DEFLECTION TEMP: With a HDT of 350 F, it will maintain optimal mechanical properties even in extreme environments

STRONG & FLEXIBLE: Known for its optimal mechanical properties. Ideal for prostheses, insoles, sporting goods, and more.

BIOCOMPATIBLE: Meets requirements of USP Class I – VI and US FDA guidance for Intact Skin Surface Devices.

Polyurethane family

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)

3D Printed elastomer parts can be used in place of traditionally molded rubber for just about any 3D printed application. And, now, with this specially optimized TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) elastomeric powder, designed for HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, we can further accelerate the already fast processing times of MJF printers.

Parts created from TPU offer excellent accuracy, unlimited design possibilities, high flexibility and shock absorption, and a well-balanced strength profile. And, with our in-house vapor smoothing technology, we can manufacture parts that are more flexible, stronger, water resistant, and with a surface finish more like that of injection molding.
Ideal Applications for 3D Printed TPU

-Gaskets, Seals, Connectors & Hoses
-Lattice Design Structures
-Robotics
-Automotive Instrument Panels, Shock Absorption
-Bellows & Ducting
-Isolation Dampers
-Harnesses & Fasteners
-Functional Prototypes
-Footwear & Sporting Goods
-Medical Components

Choosing the right material for mechanical requirements

STEP 1: Select a material with generic properties according to key attributes. In thermoplastics, the most commonly used properties are tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation, (but others may also be considered).

• Tensile strength measures the resistance of the material to breaking under tension.
• Tensile modulus measures the rigidity or resistance to elastic deformation.
• Elongation measures the deformation (elastic or plastic) that a part undergoes given a certain strain.

STEP 2: Once a material has been selected, the design of the part needs to be performed in line with HP Multi Jet Fusion design guidelines, allowing enough of a design margin (two or three times, depending on the property) to accommodate for all possible variations in the part itself or in the application-specific conditions.

STEP 3: Even after the design has been performed according to these principles, it is highly advisable to conduct a full application-specific qualification to ensure the precision of the design, obtain validation data that represent the application’s end-to-end performance, and characterize its variation over time or according to other production and application variation factors.

Design guideline

Cantilever
When printing a cantilever, the minimum wall thickness depends on the aspect ratio, which is the length divided by the width. For a cantilever with a width of less than 1 mm, the aspect ratio should be less than 1. There are no specific recommendations for widths of 1 mm or larger. For parts with a high aspect ratio, it is recommended to increase the wall thickness or to add ribs or fillets to reinforce the part.

Wall thickness
In general, the minimum recommended wall thickness is 0.3 mm for short walls oriented in the XY plane, and 0.5 mm for short walls oriented in the Z direction.

Connecting parts
Sometimes a pair of printed parts need to fit together to form the final application. To ensure correct assembly, the minimum gap between the interface areas of these parts should be at least 0.4 mm (±0.2 mm of tolerance for each part).

Moving parts
As a general rule, spacing and clearance between faces of printed as assemblies should be a minimum of 0.7 mm.

Thin and long parts
Long and thin parts have the potential to warp. Generally, any part that has an aspect ratio higher than 10:1 is susceptible to warpage.
– Increase the thickness of the part.
– Add ribs in the areas that may be aﬀected.
– Replace the solid volume with a lattice structure as in the “Lighter Design” shown.
– Reduce sharp transitions, as shown in the “Smooth Transition” shown.

What is the difference between MJF and SLS

Multi Jet Fusion’s biggest direct competitor in the powder bed 3D printing space is selective laser sintering (SLS). On a superficial glance, they are quite similar – both use a heated chamber in which individual material powder layers are fused together without the need for support.

But whereas MJF uses inkjet-dispensed agents and a heating element, SLS fuses the layers together with a directed laser beam. When we start looking at the more technical details, other major differences quickly pop up.

FEATURE RESOLUTION
MJF printers produce prints in layers 0.0003 inches (80 microns) thick, with a minimum feature size of 0.02 inches (0.5mm). This means it can produce finer surface detail than SLS, which has a feature size of 0.03 inches (0.75mm).
That said, Protolabs notes that SLS can provide better small feature accuracy than MJF.

WALL THICKNESS
MJF has a minimum wall thickness of 0.02 inches (50mm), while SLS can produce walls as thin as 0.04 inches (1mm). As such, if thinner walls are a requirement, MJF is the way to go.

PART SIZE
SLS comes on top in part size, with a maximum envelope of 19x19x17 inches against MJF’s 11.1×14.9×14.9 inches. With that said, Multi Jet Fusion should still provide plenty of print size for most 3D printed parts.

MATERIALS
As mentioned, Multi Jet Fusion is currently limited in suitable materials. SLS on the other hand has a much larger compatible materials catalogue, and is therefore the technology of choice if specialty materials are required.

That said, new materials for Multi Jet Fusion are in development as you read this article, so this situation may change at any moment. Additionally, MJF-printed parts provide higher tensile strength than SLS and have much more consistent mechanical properties.

This is where color also comes into play. SLS provides more consistent surface color without additional products, although MJF’s capability for full-color CMYK printing might offset the salt-and-pepper-like gray of the untreated print.

BUILD VOLUME
In build volume, there is no competition. MJF trounces on SLS in print times, making it possible to produce several high-quality prints in the time it takes for SLS to complete one print.

WHICH ONE WINS?
Although it’s not a silver bullet technology, most 3D printing companies have begun to recommend MJF over SLS. The ultimate choice, however, comes down the requirements of each individual project. You should therefore evaluate your needs before making the final decision.

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3D Printing in the Medical Industry

IN3DTEC — Sat, 14 May 2022 10:18:12 +0000

3D Printing in the Medical Industry – Innovation in Healthcare

In the past, 3D printing was used mainly by major manufacturers that could afford expensive printers and materials. Over the years, 3D printing technology has evolved and become more affordable, making it a viable option for a wide variety of industries. Medical professionals, in particular, are beginning to use 3D printing to improve their practices and offer more customized and affordable healthcare options for their patients.

Healthcare is one industry in which 3D printing has made a lasting impact. In 2018, the medical 3D printing market was valued at USD973 million and is expected to grow to almost USD3.7 billion by 2026. Medical applications for 3D printing are vast and will likely change the industry forever. Here are some of the most significant applications of 3D printing in the medical field.

Models for surgical planning and education

While much of the focus for 3D printing in the medical industry has been around implants and medical devices used by patients, one of the largest areas of application has concentrated on anatomical replicas. Historically, clinical training, education, and device testing have relied on the use of animal models, human cadavers, and mannequins for hands-on experience in a clinical simulation. These options have several deficiencies including limited supply, expense of handling and storage, the lack of pathology within the models, inconsistencies with human anatomy, and the inability to accurately represent tissue characteristics of living humans.

Physicians are now using models produced by AM from patient scan data to improve the diagnosis of illnesses, elucidate treatment decisions, plan, and, in some cases, even practice selected surgical interventions in advance of the actual treatments. The models help physicians understand patient anatomy that is difficult to visualize, especially when using minimally invasive techniques. Models also assist in accurately sizing medical devices. Physicians can also use the models to explain an upcoming surgery to patients and their families and to communicate the surgical steps to the clinical team.

To help reduce cost some facilities have developed procedures where surgeons practice and plan operations on low cost mannequins that are transplanted with with patient-specific AM models. This coupled with the fact that AM technologies are able to produce both hard and soft materials in a single part, allowing the accurate replication of human tissue, calcification, and bone, means that surgeons can now obtain an even better understanding of exactly how a procedure needs to be performed right down to the touch and feel of the different parts of a patient’s anatomy.

Creating tissues and organoids

Thanks to a process called bioprinting, medical 3D printers are now able to print functional tissue. Rather than using metal or plastic, bioprinters can create models with living cells. Soon, 3D printers in the medical field will be able to create tissue to help with skin grafting and reconstructive surgery. Labs are also starting to experiment with printing liver and intestinal tissue to help manage certain diseases.

In a more miraculous form of bioprinting, experts are using 3D printing to create functional human organs. So far, researchers have been able to replicate a working lung and an artificial heart. It won’t be long before patients won’t need to wait on transplant lists or spend inordinate amounts of money to get the organs they need.

Surgical instruments

Forceps, retractors, medical clamps, needle drivers, hemostats and scalpel handles are among the wide range of surgical tools that have been produced using 3D printing technology.

Because these tools are not as complex — or as invasive in their function — as human organs, additive manufacturing of surgical instruments is subject to significantly fewer regulatory hurdles and practical barriers, and as such has already been used far more widely in the healthcare sector.

The key benefit 3D printing holds in manufacturing these instruments is the fact that specific modifications can be made to designs, often based on feedback from surgeons after they have used a prototype.

The speed at which designs can be improved and printed also means alterations can be done rapidly — sometimes on the same day.

Implants

AM’s ability to produce fine mesh or lattice structures on the surface of surgical implants can promote better osseointegration and reduce rejection rates. Biocompatible materials such as titanium and cobalt– chrome alloys are available for applications in maxillofacial (jaw and face) surgery and orthopedics. The superior surface geometry produced by AM has been shown to improve implant survival rate by a factor of 2 when compared to traditional products. The porosity of these AM products coupled with the high level of customization and ability to manufacture them from traditional medical materials has resulted in AM implants becoming one of the fastest growing segments of the AM medical industry.

External prostheses

Prostheses made using traditional manufacturing methods are expensive and not necessarily adapted to a patient’s unique morphology. If a patient does need a custom prosthesis, the costs can skyrocket, and it would take some time for the order to be fulfilled.

Prostheses, by definition, need to be custom-made for the patient. After all, no two people are exactly alike or have the exact same injuries. Doctors can use 3D modeling software to help create detailed, three-dimensional images of prostheses that they can collaborate with each other – and perhaps more importantly, with the patient – to ensure a proper fit.

Then, using 3D printing, they can create customized prostheses that are perfectly suited to fit their patients’ exact needs in a timely, cost-effective manner.

With the incredible things happening with 3D printing in the medical industry, including detailed 3D models, customized tools, prosthetics, bone reconstruction, and synthetic organs, there’s no doubt that this is the future of healthcare.

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PA12, best material for prototyping and production by 3D printing

IN3DTEC — Sat, 14 May 2022 07:43:27 +0000

PA12 – The Best Material for 3D Printing Prototypes & Production

What is PA 12?

One of the most useful kinds of plastics is nylon polymer. There are many different kinds of nylon polymers, and Polyamide 12 (PA 12), unsurprisingly, is a nylon polymer with 12 carbon atoms in it. This also explains its other commonly used name, nylon 12.

It’s a synthetic thermoplastic polymer. Thermoplastic materials become liquid at their melting point. For PA 12 the melting point is around 176 degrees celsius, the lowest of all Nylon polymers. There is some advantage to that. The lower the melting point, the easier it is to “print” the material. It helps the build not cool down too fast. Cooling too fast could cause warping.

What are the benefits of 3D printed PA 12?

Detailed parts
PA 12 is great for printing complex and detailed parts. This is mainly because there are no support structures needed during 3D printing. Support structures interfere with design freedom and are hard to remove, especially on small detailed surfaces. For PA 12, as long as the minimum wall-thickness of 0.8 mm is met, your options are virtually limitless.

PA 12 is really strong
This polymer is especially known for its resistance to cracking when under stress. Before it breaks it would bend, making this material really flexible. It’s tensile strength is 48MPa, flexural strength 41MPa and elongation at break is 18%.

Chemical resistance
PA 12 has outstanding chemical resistance to aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils, greases, ketones, and alkalies. Plus, it barely absorbs moisture.

Stability over longer periods of time
The material is especially stable over longer periods of time. We already mentioned some reasons but there’s more: like it being insensitive to cracking, it’s strength even below zero temperatures, hardness, resistance to abrasion and of course it being very chemically resistant. PA 12 also absorbs very little moisture. Because of that parts made from PA 12 are dimensionally very stable even when humidity levels fluctuate. It’s therefore ideal for applications where safety, durability or reliability over time is critical.

Combined with the enhanced design freedom inherent in 3D printing, PA 12 can be used for consumer goods, medical, industrial, aerospace, and other high-performance applications.

What about the Nylon PA 12 3D printing process?

PA12 parts could be built through MJF and SLS 3D printing technologies.
Both technologies are belong to the powder bed fusion family. Both processes build parts by thermally fusing (or sintering) polymer powder particles layer by layer.

The main difference between these two technologies is their heat source. SLS uses a laser to scan and sinter across each cross-section. MJF, on the other hand, dispenses an ink (fusing agent) on the powder for absorbing infrared light. The printer then passes an infrared energy source over the build platform to fuse the inked areas.

SLS printing is able to produce larger parts (up to 600 x 350 x 560 mm) than MJF printing (up to 380 x 284 x 380 mm). On the other hand, MJF can print features as small as 0.5 mm, while SLS can print a minimum feature size of 0.8 mm.

What surface quality can you get with SLS and MJF 3D printing?

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Whats the benefits of metal 3D Printing?

IN3DTEC — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:27:04 +0000

What Are the Benefits of Metal 3D Printing?

Benefits of metal 3d printing

Aluminum, Stainless Steel 316L, Maraging Steel (MS1), Titanium(Ti64)

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What is the performance of metal 3D printed parts compared with traditional processed ones? What materials are available in metal 3d printing? In which industries are metal printing can be used? How to design products based on its printing performance?

With the development of laser-based powder bed fusion, the first technology for metal Additive Manufacturing was established. Today we know more than 18 different metal 3D printing processes, so it is necessary to understand its performance and possibilities before choosing one.

Table of contents

It takes around 10 minutes to read.

>>Types of metal printing
>> Case Studies
>> Supported materials
>> Mechanical performance、Tolerance & smoothness
>> Surface finishes
>> Benefits & Limitations
>> Free design tips

>> Types of metal 3D Printing

Category	Technology & Definition	Photo
Powder	Selective Laser Metal Sintering （SLM, or DMLS)
	Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion
	Binder Jetting
	Powder Metallurgy Jetting
	Powder Feed Laser Energy Deposition
	Cold spray
Wire	Wire Arc / Plasma Arc Energy Deposition
	Liquid Metal Printing
Sheets	Ultrasonic Welding
Rods	Friction Deposition
Dispersion	Nanoparticle Jetting
Filament	Metal Filament Fused Deposition Modeling
Pellet	Metal Pellet Fused Deposition Modeling

Image Courtesy of AM POWDER INSIGHT DE

Among the above technologies, every technology has its advantages, so it is hard to say which one is good or bad. The most popular technologies are Binder jetting, DMLS, EBM, and SLM, free from residual stresses and internal imperfections.

>>Case Studies

Automotive
Metal printed cooling jacket, Material in Alsi10Mg with sand blasting and heat-treatment

Aerospace
Turbine

Medical
Surgical Implant, Medical-Ti64, Design by Sachith Fernando, Ataintl, printed at IN3DTEC factory

Jewelry
Titanium, SS316, Al10SiMg, Designed by Rawan Alderjem, Printed at IN3DTEC factory

Tooling
Stainless Steel 316

>> Supported materials

So far, there are almost more than 15 materials are available in the market, such as Aluminum-AlSi10Mg, Bronze, Copper, Maraging Steel(18Ni300), Stainless Steel(420, 316L, 15-5PH, 17-4PH), Inocel(718, IN625, GH3536), Titanium-Ti6Al4V, Silver, and more.

Please visit the below link to check the available materials’ TDS from IN3DTEC.
https://www.in3dtec.com/material-data-sheets/

>>Mechanical performance、Tolerance & Smoothness

	AlSi10Mg-AL	SS 316L	Maraging Steel-18Ni300	Titanium-Ti64
Mechanical Properties(As printed)
Density (g/cm3)	≥2.65	≥7.9	≥8.0	≥4.4
Tensile strength Mpa	430±30	637±50	1150±100	1150±70
Yield Strength Mpa	270	550±50	1050±100	1000±50
HRC	140±20 HV5/15	215±10 HV5/15	35±3HRC	360±30 HV5/15
Elongation after Fracture（%）	3±1	34±5	12±3	8±2
Mechanical Properties(Heat Treated)
Density (g/cm3)	≥2.65	≥7.9	≥8.0	≥4.4
Tensile Strength Mpa	350±50	600±50	1950±100	1050±70
Yield Strength	240±30	500±50	1900±100	950±50
HRC	75±20 HV5/15	190±10 HV5/15	53±3HRC	330±30 HV5/15
Elongation after Fracture（%）	6±1	45±5	4±2	12±2

Roughness as built: Ra7-9
Tolerance:Length within 100mm +/- 0,1mm; length >100mm, 100*0.1%mm

CNC Machining: When tighter tolerances than the standard ± 0.1 mm are required, machining is employed as a finishing step.

Heat-treatment: To improve the material properties of the part.
Polishing: Certain applications require a smoother surface than the standard RA 7 μm of as-printed.

>> Surface finishes

CNC Machining: For tighter tolerance than +-0.1m are required.
Sand-Blasting: To remove the visible layers on the surface
Electropolishing: To make a super smooth surface
Regular/Normal polish: By hand, to get a Roughness like machined parts

Anodizing, Plating: For parts that can be polished well, make a uniform or protection surface coating.

>> Benefits and limitations

Benefits:
+ Free-design your parts in a complex structure
+ Good accuracy and fine details
+ Various materials
+ Time and cost save for low-volume parts

Limitations:
– Cost is higher than CNC for simple parts
– Support structures should be paid more attention to
– Roughness is higher than CNC

> Free Design Tips

Position	Tips
a	Minimum wall thickness 0.5mm
b	Fonts minimum thickness 0.5mm
c	Fonts height or depth 0.5mm
d	Minimum hole diameter 0.8 mm
e	Minimum Gap 0.5mm

Thread: Tapping the thread by CNC after the printing is recommended
Assemble gap: 0.15mm at each side is necessary for parts to need assembly

The post Whats the benefits of metal 3D Printing? appeared first on IN3DTEC | Prototyping & On-demand manufacturing services.

What is PEEK in 3D printing?

IN3DTEC — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:28:13 +0000

What is PEEK in 3D Printing? Properties & Applications

What is vacuum casting?

Materials: ABS, PA, PC, PMMA(Acrylic), PP, TPU/Rubber

All uploads are secure and confidential

This article aims to help users understand the process and advantages of vacuum casting, then choose more suitable materials when developing new products. As usual, the article is divided into the following sections.

Table of contents

It takes about 5 minutes to read this article

>>What is vacuum casting?
>>How does vacuum casting work?
>>Materials
>>Geometric complexity, accuracy, roughness, cost
>>Why and when vacuum casting?
>> How to choose the right technology among injection molding, 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting?

>> What is vacuum casting?

Vacuum casting is a copying technique used for the production of small series of functional & high-quality end-use plastic parts. It is a casting process for plastics using a vacuum to draw the liquid material into the mold, then put it into an oven for getting the final solid parts.

>> How does vacuum casting work?

>> Materials?

Vacuum casting is mainly used for producing plastics, the materials including ABS, PC, PP, NYLON, and TPU/PU/Rubber.

Please click HERE to view the technical data-sheet of these materials.

>>Geometric complexity，accuracy，roughness， cost

Complexity

Vacuum casting has advantages in creating parts with high geometric complexity. Its is not sensitive to the complexity of the structure, Allow designers to have unlimited spatial imagination.

Complexity, From high to low

3D Printing > Vacuum casting > CNC Machining > =Injection Molding

Accuracy

ABS, PC, PP, NYLON with a tolerance of +/-0.1mm
TPU/PU/RUBBER with a tolerance of +/-0.3mm

Roughness or Smoothness

From high to low
Injection Molding >= Vacuum casting > CNC Machining > 3D Printing

Cost

Let’s take the part below/image an example,

Material: ABS
Quantity: 20 pieces

Cost from cheap to expensive
3D Printing (USD8/piece)

>> Why and when choosing the vacuum casting?

When we talk about vacuum casting, we usually compare it with injection molding. So, let’s distinguish the difference between them first.

Cost difference， Let’s take the mobile phone case as an example, the mold of the vacuum casting is only tens of dollars, while injection molding costs thousands of dollars. On the other hand, the production fee of vacuum casting is tens of dollars per unit, while injection molding only costs 1 or 2 dollars.

In brief, vacuum casting has a lower front-end cost and a higher unit price, while injection molding requires a higher front-end cost, but the unit price is significantly lower。

Compared with 3D Printing（3DP), what’s the advantage of vacuum casting? Base on the same material, vacuum casting has higher smoothness, durable, and accuracy, and it has not limitation to the color as well.

How does it compare to CNC? It is difficult to say which one is better, but if we consider the complexity of the prototype, production efficiency, and cost, vacuum casting will have more advantages. While the CNC has more material options, the material performance is better.

Being able to make soft materials quickly is one of the biggest advantages of vacuum casting. It supports materials from Shore 30A to Shore 95A, from Shore 10D to Shore 90D, in any customized Pantone No.

In conclusion, vacuum casting is not in conflict with and can’t replace other technologies, Instead, it is a supplement way, providing more flexible solutions for manufacturing.

>> How to choose the right technology among injection molding, 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting?

3D Printing(3DP), CNC Machining(CNC), Vacuum Casting( VC), Injection Molding(IM)

High Geometric structure: 3DP & VC are better
Dimensional accuracy: CNC & VC are better
Mechanical properties in all 3 dimensions: CNC & VC are better.
Lead time: CNC with 6-8 days, VC with 6-8 days, IM with 35 days, 3DP as fast as one day,
Cost: Complex geometry or lightweight parts, 3DP and VC have more advantages.
Quantity: 3DP, CNC, and VC are suitable for low-volume parts, IM is more suitable for large volume parts.

The post What is PEEK in 3D printing? appeared first on IN3DTEC | Prototyping & On-demand manufacturing services.

What is the surface finishes in 3D Printing?

IN3DTEC — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 09:29:23 +0000

Surface Finishes in 3D Printing – What You Should Know

The post What is the surface finishes in 3D Printing? appeared first on IN3DTEC | Prototyping & On-demand manufacturing services.

CNC Milling: All you need to know…

IN3DTEC — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 09:02:36 +0000

CNC Milling: All You Need to Know

The post CNC Milling: All you need to know… appeared first on IN3DTEC | Prototyping & On-demand manufacturing services.

How about CNC Machining VS 3D Printing?

IN3DTEC — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 08:48:08 +0000

CNC Machining vs. 3D Printing – Which Is Better?

CNC Machining Service VS 3D Printing

Select the right technology to save your time and cost

All uploads are secure and confidential

Table of contents

>> Introduction
>> Materials
>> Geometric Complexity Accuracy, Cost, Quality
>> Post-processing
>> How to choose the right technology?
>> Price comparison

>> Introduction

CNC is one of the most popular methods of manufacturing for both small one-off jobs and medium to high volume production. It offers excellent repeatability, high accuracy, and a wide range of materials and surface finishes.

3D printing, involves parts being created layer-by-layer using materials such as plastic filaments (FDM), resins (SLA/DLP/LCD), plastic or metal powders (SLS/DMLS/MJF/SLM). Using a source of energy such as a laser or heated extruder, layers of these materials are solidified to form the finished part. It is becoming a tool for helping designers, product developers to get parts fast and easy.

The key difference between 3D printing and CNC machining is that 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing, whilst CNC machining is subtractive. This means CNC machining starts with a block of material (called a blank), and cuts away material to create the finished part. To do this, cutters and spinning tools are used to shape the piece. Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D Printing processes build parts by adding material one layer at a time. AM processes require no special tooling or fixtures.

>>CNC & 3D Printing available materials

CNC is mainly used for machining metals. It can also be used for machining thermoplastics, acrylics, softwoods and hardwoods, modeling foams and machining wax.

3D Printing is predominately used with plastics and extending to more metals in recent years, it also supports some customized materials, such as PEEK+ Carbon or glass fiber, Cast-able, Flame retardant, ESD materials.

The chart below is a comparison of CNC and 3D printing materials.

>>Geometric Complexity Accuracy，Cost，Quality

3D printing is well-known for its advantages in creating parts with high geometric complexity. Though CNC can produce complexity part by using 4 or 5 axis CNC systems, it still has some limitations, cause the jigs & fixtures should be customized, some internal channels can’t be reached, very thin walls easily broken by CNC.

3D printing is not sensitive to the complexity of the structure, Allow designers to have unlimited spatial imagination.

Please refer to the table below for a more detailed comparison

>>Post processing

To achieve a improve functionality or aesthetics of the manufactured parts, the users need to know some common post-processing techniques, we are hereby listing some processes below:

CNC: Anodizing, Bead blasting, Nitride, Oxide, Powder coating

3D printing: Dyeing, Painting, Media blasting, Sanding, and hand polish, Metal plating

Please refer to the table below for a more detailed comparison

>>How to Choose the right technology?

High Geometric structure: 3D Printing is better
Dimensional accuracy: CNC is better
Mechanical properties in all 3 dimensions: CNC is better
Lead time: CNC need around 6-8 days, 3D printing can as fast as one day
Cost: 3D printing is generally cheaper than CNC
Resolution: In general CNC is better than 3D Printing
Smoothness: CNC is better
Quantity: In general, Both of CNC and 3D Printing are more suitable for parts under 1000 pieces, which we call them low-volume production

>>Price comparison

For your better vision of the price difference between CNC and 3D Printing, we are hereby taking a sample below as an example:

Part name: Bicycle Stopwatch Holder
Volume: 80mm x 45mm x 20mm
File download link: Click HERE

Cost analysis
ABS PC Nylon Aluminum

CNC: $21 $21 $21 $37

3DP: $5 $6 $7 $35

Kind reminder: The price is based on 10 pieces each, there is always a MOQ for each technology. For 3DP(3D printing), ABS & PC are based on FDM, Nylon is based on MJF or SLS, Aluminum is based on DMLS.

The post How about CNC Machining VS 3D Printing? appeared first on IN3DTEC | Prototyping & On-demand manufacturing services.

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