All rapid prototyping technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages. Each technology can cover limited areas of application. It is therefore of crucial importance which requirements are placed on the component to be manufactured. Only when you have questioned this exactly can you determine the optimal technology for the creation of the component. Here is a brief overview of what distinguishes the individual 3D printing technologies from each other.
Click here to get more.
Advantages: mechanically resilient, no support structures are required, high component density, the most complex shapes possible, thermally and mechanically resilient, very fast manufacturing process.
Disadvantages: slightly rough surface, only single-color models are possible.
Material: Polyamide &#; PA12.
Advantages: Fast production, no support structures are required, full-color models can be displayed, the most complex shapes are possible.
Disadvantages: mechanically only partially resilient if the components are post-treated with composite materials, slightly rough surface such as sandblasted.
Material: specially treated homogeneous powder reinforced with composites.
Advantages: mechanically resilient, no support structures are required, flexible components, variety of materials, the most complex shapes possible, thermally resilient.
Disadvantages: slightly rough surface, slow manufacturing process, only single-color models are possible.
Material: Different polyamide mixtures. (PA, PA12MD, etc.)
Advantages: very detailed and fine surface, partially mechanically resilient, high manufacturing accuracy, transparent components are possible, the most complex shapes possible.
Disadvantages: Only UV-curable plastics/resins can be used, high manufacturing costs, only single-color models are possible, slow manufacturing process, not all materials are thermally resilient. Not all geometries can be produced without problems, as support structures have to be removed afterwards.
Material: Plastics and resins which harden under UV light or heat.
Advantages: inexpensive, resistant components are possible.
Disadvantages: Only surfaces with grooves are possible, average manufacturing accuracy, only single-color models are possible, supporting structures and reworking are necessary, very slow manufacturing process.
Material: Thermoplastics such as PVC and ABS.
Advantages: inexpensive, resistant components are possible.
Disadvantages: Only surfaces with grooves are possible, not multicolored, slow manufacturing process.
Material: Thermoplastics such as PVC and ABS.
Advantages: high accuracy, very smooth surfaces are possible, transparent components are possible, different material properties can be combined on one component. Flexible and also rubber-like components are possible. Stable or multicolored components are also possible. Very fast manufacturing process.
Disadvantages: the heat resistance of the components is limited for several materials. High manufacturing costs.
Material: various photopolymer materials which are hardened by UV light. Many different types of plastic and rubber can be simulated.
Advantages: high level of accuracy, smooth surfaces are possible, transparent and single-color models are possible, the most complex shapes are possible, cost-effective silicone rubber mold.
Disadvantages: rapid wear of the mold, the heat resistance of the components is limited due to the silicone mold. Only economically applicable for a certain number of components.
Material: two-component casting resins, wax materials.
Advantages: more homogeneous surface compared to cast parts, high stability, high component density, alternative to &#;MLS&#; &#; metallic laser sintering, metallic RP process suitable for offices.
Disadvantages: limited suitability for larger quantities, several process steps are necessary until the finished component
Material: stainless steel, alloy steel, aluminum alloys, tool steel, nickel, copper and much more
Advantages: Multicolored components can be produced with high resolution, cost-effectively and in an environmentally friendly manner.
Disadvantages: The components can only be loaded to a limited extent, display models are primarily produced using this process.
Materials: Standard DIN paper.
Advantages: low production costs.
Disadvantages: poor manufacturing and detail accuracy, monochrome, due to the limited areas of application, this technique is hardly used anymore.
Materials: paper, plastic, aluminum.
If you have further questions about the individual technologies or need support with a project, please feel free to contact us. We will help you in the best possible way, as we are the 3D printing service provider for all 3D printing topics in the rapid prototyping sector. We help you with product development, the selection of the most suitable manufacturing process and the manufacture of your components.
3D printing is a quick and low cost way to create prototypes, especially for plastic parts. If you are an inventor or startup looking to get a prototype made, you&#;ve probably come to the conclusion that you need a rapid prototyping service or a 3D printing company that can manufacture your prototype. Though this is the right approach to getting your first prototype made, but there are some drawbacks of 3D printing that you need to be aware of, if you are trying to bring a new product to market.
These drawbacks are not due to the 3D printing technology itself but due to the lack of awareness among first-time inventors or entrepreneurs on how to utilize this technology the correct way.
You need to think beyond your first prototype
Link to thingyfy
If you are trying to develop a consumer product that you intend to bring to market, then you will eventually need to manufacture thousands of units. But 3D printing as a process is not cost-effective beyond 10-50 parts.
Apart from that, the parts manufactured by 3D printing are weak and have poor surface finish as compared to injection molding which is used for manufacturing high volume consumer products. So eventually, when you are looking to scale up, you will most likely be using injection molding which has different design constraints than 3D printing.
Image: Injection molding process which is used for manufacturing of most consumer products.
The best way forward: Design the prototype keeping in mind the constraints of injection molding but use 3D printing to keep costs low
There are shapes like hollow features, large undercuts or deep, narrow sections that are either too expensive or just not possible to mold.
As a general rule, any shape that can be molded can also be 3D printed but the vice versa is not true. So if you are only designing for the 3D printing process, there is a high chance that you may need to re-design the whole product later when trying to scale up to injection molding.
The best way forward is to design for scalability from the start itself while utilizing the quick and low cost prototyping with the 3D printing process. This is possible by hiring professionals who know the design constraints of both 3D printing as well as injection molding, like we have here at Outdesign Co.
We regularly get inquiries from entrepreneurs who hired a 3D printing technician to design their product and later when they try to scale up, they find out that their product needs to be completely re-designed for injection molding.
If they had considered scalability of their design from the start itself, they would have saved the time and money required in a re-design.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit 3D Printing Services.