3D Printed Plastics for Manufacturing:

Technologie & Materialen onder de loep

Dr. Toon Roels, R&D Central Production

Content
3DP technologies: key aspects
Available Materials & functionality
3DP Plastic part vs. Conventionally processed
Suitability of Technologies for Manufacturing

The Technologies- key aspects

LIQUID

SOLID

BED based

Selective
deposition

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
(stereo/SL(A))

POLYJET

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
(Sinter/ (S)LS)

FUSED
DEPOSITION
MODELLING (FDM)

PROCESS

DEDICATED MIXTURE

LIQUID

BED based

BATH

Selective
deposition
DROPLET

LIGHT

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
POLYJET
(SLA) POLYMERISATION

SPECIAL THERMOSET
EPOXY/ACRYLATE

SOLID

Protogen
Tusk 2700 XC
Tusksolidgrey 3000
Xtreme
....

ACRYLATE
Tangoblack
Verowhite
DM98XXX
.....

Stereo: Modulus vs HDT

Perform
TuskSolidGrey3000
Poly 1500 Tusk &
Protogen

Stereo

Stereo & Polyjet: Modulus vs HDT

Stereo

Polyjet

3DP Material Performance piramid

Heat resistance
Chemical resistance

Overall robustness
(impact, tear..)
FDM
Constant properties over
time

Sinter

Stereo/Polyjet

PROCESS

BED based

Selective
deposition

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
(SLA)

POLYJET

DEDICATED MIXTURE

LIQUID

SPECIAL THERMOSET
POLYMER

SOLID

POWDER

HEAT

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
(SLS)

FILAMENT

FUSED
DEPOSITION
MODELLING

MELTING/ RESOLIDIFICATION
THERMOPLASTIC

SEMI-CRYSTALLINE

AMORPHOUS

Fused Deposition Modeling= extrusion

of filament

FDM: Product range

wide range products available: from engineering
to high performance polymers
5 ABS types
Modulus/ (Biocomp)
ABS ESD: antistatic

2 PC types
Modulus/ (Biocomp)

PC/ABS blend
2 high performance plastics:
PEI: ULTEM 9085
(PPSF)

FDM: Modulus vs HDT

(PPSF)

F
D
M

Ultem 9085= PEI

PC
PC/ABS
ABS

FDM

Ultem 9085

UL 94 V0 certified (1,5 mm)

Suited for aerospace industry

low smoke
low smoke toxicity

General performance

ULTEM Sabic origin

PolyEtherimide
High thermal resistance (HDT 153C)& chemical
resistance
High strenght (tensile 72, flex 122 Mpa)
Colour: Tan & now also BLACK
Inherent flame resistant

FDM: Modulus vs HDT

F
D
M

Professional printers

Low end printers

FDM

Laser Sintering: Modulus vs HDT

PA- Alu filled

PA- GF
PA
TPU
92A

Sinter

Available PA grades for LASER

SINTERING
Standard PA:
very general purpose PA12

Glass filled PA (PAGF): higher stiffness &

therefore higher thermal stability but less elastic
Alu-filled PA higher stiffness & therefore higher
thermal stability but less elastic, basic conductivity,
metal look
UPON special request:
2 FR grades
C fibre filled grade
Solutions for foodsafety/ biocomp

NEW 2013: TPU added to Materialise

sinter range
Thermoplastic Polyurethane derived from A 92
DESMOPAN
DYNAMIC APPLICATIONS: ELASTICITY &
FATIGUE RESISTANCE, RECOVERY
Abrasion Resistant
Broad T range (-40 to +70C /max 100C)
Tear resistance
freedom of design= Material3

Overview properties: stiffness vs Heat

resistance (HDT)

F
D
M

Stereo

Polyjet

Sinter

FDM

3DP Material Performance piramid

Heat resistance
Chemical resistance

Overall robustness
(impact,..)
FDM
Constant properties over
time

Sinter

Stereo/Polyjet

Solutions to escape from the

performance limitations of the
liquid 3DP technologies
Metalplating: + 100um of metal
Into Higher performance Plastics: Vacuum
Casting:
Stereo Master
Silicone mould
20-25 copies/mould via Vacuum Casting PU process

> 20 materials
Rubberlike, Low, High modulus
T range 60-110C
Highly durable

The Technologies- key aspects

LIQUID

SOLID

BED based

Selective
deposition

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
(stereo/SL(A))

POLYJET

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
(Sinter/ (S)LS)

FUSED
DEPOSITION
MODELLING (FDM)

3DP vs Conventional: other strange

effects

Pressureless Risk for POROSITY

Layerwise ANISOTROPY

3DP vs. Conventional Plastic processing

NO PRESSURE

Risk for POROSITY

POROSITY

LIQUID

BED based

Selective
deposition

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
(SLA)

POLYJET

POWDER

SOLID

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
(SLS)

NO
POROSITY

FILAMENT

FUSED
DEPOSITION
MODELLING)

SOME
POROSITY

Liquid technologies (stereo + polyjet):

no porosity
Excellent surface Quality
Transparency possible
Liquid tightness/ gas tightness given

Porosity in FDM and Sinter

Typical porosity FDM : 5-10%

SLS Porosity: 2-5-10-12%

Medium dependent on:

Process parameters
Material type

Highly dependent on
part geometry
process parameters
Material type

POROSITY in Sinter and FDM

CONSEQUENCE
No transparancy
possible
Small loss in mech
properties

SOLUTION
NO solution
Process for
minimum porosity
Post process:

Surface Quality
affected

GAS/ liquid tightness

difficult to achieve

Smoothing, coatings
sealants,
impregnation

Take into account in

DESIGN phase

3DP vs. Conventional Plastic processing

LAYERS

Layerwise character gives anisotropy=

properties are dependent on building
direction

ANISOTROPY
BED based

Selective
deposition

POLYMERISATION

LIQUID

STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
(SLA)

POLYJET

LOW
ANISOTROPY
POWDER

SOLID

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
(SLS)

MEDIUM
ANISOTROPY

FILAMENT

FUSED
DEPOSITION
MODELLING)

HIGH
ANISOTROPY

Anistropy- FDM Ultem

FDM Part Quality Manufactured with Ultem*9085

A. Bagsik1,2, V. Schppner1, E. Klemp2
1 Kunststofftechnik Paderborn (KTP),Universitt Paderborn, D-33102 Paderborn, Germany
2 Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC), Universitt Paderborn, D-33102 Paderborn,
Germany

CONFIDENTIAL 29

ANISOTROPY
CONSEQUENCE
Lower properties in
z-direction
Largely dependent
on WHICH properties

SOLUTION
NO 100% solution
Process for
minimum anisotropy
Building orientation
Process parameters

Take into account in

DESIGN phase

Summary

Pressureless Risk for POROSITY

FDM

Sinter

Stereo/Polyjet

Layerwise ANISOTROPY

Final Balance:
Suitability for Manufacturing
Material functionality
Post processing

High Functional/
Good Visual

SELECTIVE
LASER SINTERING
Fused Deposition Modelling
(LS)
(FDM

Use as master/
metalplate
Stereolithography
(SL)

Poly Jet

Visual Quality

32

Conclusions
1) There is a wide range of plastics for 3DP
available, covering thermosets & thermoplastics
2) Photopolymerisation techs (SL & Polyjet) offer
best surface quality and no porosity, but overall
functionality of materials is limited
3) FDM and Sinter use standard thermoplastic
materials, which have high functionality
4) The inherent consequence of the layerwise
deposition of powder and filament cause
anisotropy & (complex) porosity
5) Recipe for success: DESIGN for the technology
with knowledge of limitations & strenghts