FDM 3D PRINTING

APPLICATIONS OF PLA:

• It is used for compost bags, food packaging, disposable tableware, and loose fill packaging.
• As a fibre or nonwoven fabric, PLA is used for upholstery, disposable clothing, feminine hygiene products and nappies.
• Safe for use in applications

ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTED PLA PLASTIC

• Environmentally friendly (if disposed of correctly)
• Easy to 3D print
• Comes with a wide range of composite and colour options to provide different properties and appearances
• Can be solvent welded (such as with dichloromethane)

APPLICATIONS OF ABS PLASTIC:

• Machine housings, guards, and covers
• Instrument panels
• Models and prototypes
• Point-of-purchase displays
• Storage cases and display bases
• Thermoformed displays, trays, and tote bins

ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTED ABS PLASTIC

• Outstanding impact resistance
• Easy to thermoform.
• Easy to machine
• Easy to bond with adhesives.
• Strong and stiff
• Low cost

PETG:

• Signs
• Sign and graphic holders
• POP displays and store fixtures
• Product and tabletop displays
• Thermoformed trays
• Prototypes and models

ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTED PETG

• Outstanding deep draw thermoforming
• Good impact resistance
• Chemical resistant
• Easy to fabricate and machine.
• Good clarity
• Orthotic and prosthetic devices
• Machine guards and housings

TPU 95:

• functional prototyping
• industrial coatings
• end-use parts production such as grips, guides, hinges, sleeves, snap-fits, and cases.
• Some reported use cases by the industry include custom tooling by the automotive industry (Volkswagen Autoeuropa), in which the softer TPU prevents any damage to car parts, and also spare parts production for packaging machinery (Heineken).

ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTED TPU 95

• When printed in 100% infill, the material has a 96A hardness, which is comparable to semi-rigid plastics at the high end of the Shore A hardness scale. When 3D printed in this condition, the parts also display a rubber-like elasticity of up to 560% elongation at break, which is how much the material can be stretched about its initial form before breaking. However, these properties can be modified depending on the part’s orientation, infill percentage, and wall thickness values used for 3D printing, which provides users with a high degree of customization.

PEEK:

• Semiconductor machinery components
• Aerospace parts
• Bushings, bearings, seals, and back-up rings
• Pump and valve components
• Vacuum wand handles
• Down hole electrical connectors
• Medical instrument parts
• Food processing machinery components

ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTED PEEK

• Strong and stiff
• Chemical resistant, hydrolysis resistant, autoclavable
• Easy to machine and fabricate
• Good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures
• UL 94 V-0 flammability rating (0.059″ thickness)
• Very low smoke and toxic gas emissions when exposed to flame

Nylon:

• Bearings and bushings
• Gears
• Wear pads
• Packaging machinery parts
• Food processing machinery parts
• Wheels
• Rollers
• Seals and gaskets

ADVANTAGES OF 3D Nylon

• Excellent bearing and wear properties
• Strong and stiff
• Good chemical resistance
• Easy to machine
• Easy to fabricate
• Reduced noise, weight, and wear of
• mating parts

Carbon fiber:

• Aerospace, road and marine transport, sporting goods.
• Missiles, aircraft brakes, aerospace antenna and support structure, large telescopes, optical benches, waveguides for stable high-frequency (GHz) precision measurement frames.
• Audio equipment, loudspeakers for Hi-fi equipment, pickup arms, robot arms.
• Automobile hoods, novel tooling, casings and bases for electronic equipments, EMI and RF shielding, brushes.
• Medical applications in prostheses, surgery and x-ray equipment, implants, and tendon/ligament repair.
• Textile machinery, genera engineering.
• Chemical industry; nuclear field; valves, seals, and pump components in process plants.
• Large generator retaining rings, radiological equipment.
• Physical strength, specific toughness, light weight.

ADVANTAGES OF 3D  Carbon fiber

• Good vibration damping,strength, and toughness.
• High dimensional stability, lowcoefficient of thermal expansion, and low abrasion.
• Electrical conductivity.
• Biological inertness and x-raypermeability.
• Fatigue resistance,self-lubrication, high damping.
• Electromagnetic properties.
• Chemical inertness, highcorrosion resistance.