3D Printing Materials

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have come up with a way of making 3D printed polymeric lattice parts 100-times stronger than before.  Compared to traditional heat treatments, which strengthen plastic printed objects at the cost of deformability, the CityU approach only partially carbonizes them, to make them more robust and twice as ductile. Using their process, the team say it could be possible to realize sophisticated 3D prints with mechanical properties tailored to specific applications, such as coronary stents or bio-implants. “We found a way to convert weak and brittle 3D printed photopolymers into ultra-tough 3D architectures comparable to metals and alloys just by heating them under the right conditions, which is surprising,” says CityU Professor Lu Yang. “Our work provides a low-cost, simple and scalable route for making lightweight, strong and ductile mechanical metamaterials with virtually any geometry.” Chasing the “holy grail” of materials According…    read more 

Resin printing system manufacturer Onulis has announced the launch of the WRAPCure, a dual-function device that automatically post-cures Digital Light Processing (DLP) printed parts and repurposes waste resin.  Onulis’ original WRAP product line automatically converts used UV resin into fully-cured plastic stock, resulting in materials that can be CNC machined, and are safe for disposal as standard household waste. As such, the machine is designed to offer a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to hazardous waste disposal methods. The new WRAPCure retains all of the sustainable waste printing features of the WRAP, but adds the ability for users to post-cure DLP parts as well.  Onulis’ WRAPCure in DLP post-cure mode. Photo via Onulis. Automating the curing workflow All DLP 3D printed parts must be post-cured to ensure desired mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy. However, when it comes to post-curing, Onulis says current options still “fall short” of user needs, hence it has…    read more 

Cornell University, alongside its start-up Dimensional Energy and Lithoz, has been awarded a grant to develop novel ceramics that could be used to 3D print parts of clean energy reactors.  Having raised $50,000 in funding, researchers at the firms are now aiming to come up with a new type of ceramic that’s better able to withstand the high temperatures of thermocatalytic reactors in operation. Using computer modeling and 3D printing, the team say it could be possible to layer the resulting material into structures, shaped specifically to improve both resilience and reactor CO2 conversion rates.   “Excellent thermal properties and corrosion resistance make ceramics attractive for these reactors, but significant design constraints limit their actual performance,” said Sadaf Sobhani, the Cornell University Assistant Professor leading the program. “The freedom of design and choice of materials enabled by ceramic additive manufacturing will narrow the theory-performance gap to hit desired milestones.” Dimensional Energy…    read more 

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a novel wood-based 3D printing material that can morph into pre-designed shapes.  Made from a mixture of wood flour and plant extracts, the eco-friendly feedstock is able to shapeshift due to the fiber orientations in its wood content, which cause it to warp as it dries. While the team developed their material a few years ago, they recently discovered that by controlling the way it’s laid down, they could time how its moisture content evaporates, in a way that allows it to form complex objects.  Thus far, the scientists have 3D printed their wood-infused ink into saddle, dome and helix-shaped models, but with further development, they say it could be used to create more intricate self-assembling objects such as household furniture.  Wood’s unique morphing potential  In the natural world, it’s well known that certain species of plant and animal life can…    read more 

Oryx Additive has announced the launch of a new chemical cleaning agent for removing support material from Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printed parts.  Developed in-house by the company’s team of US engineers, src1 is said to work efficiently and rapidly, dissolving support material at twice the speed of other cleaning agents. Oryx Additive says its product has the potential to “set a new standard for FDM post-printing,” particularly among 3D printing bureau, lab and industrial adopters.  “We listened to our customers, understood the needs for industrial additive manufacturing and found that current technology limits the ability to maximize support removal, and with this, src1 was born,” explained Keith Jeffcoat, CEO of Oryx Additive. “We’re happy to release another trusted product with solid results.” Introducing Support Removal Chemistry Oryx Additive’s Support Removal Chemistry or ‘src1’ cleaning agent has been developed from the ground up to allow users to dissolve the…    read more