The Definitive Guide to 3D Printing: Changing the manufacturing status quo

Additive manufacturing came to the fore during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, when people around the world used 3D printers to produce a variety of much-needed personal protective equipment for emergency and medical staff.Now the flexibility and speed of the latest 3D printers is proving just as invaluable to manufacturing firms as they emerge from the pandemic. Mature technologiesMajor advances in 3D printing technology and materials are enabling the production of end-user parts at high volumes – part of a trend many in the sector are calling ‘Additive 2.0’.This year Stratasys introduced the largest expansion ever to its product range with four new 3D printers that each use a different printing technology. High-volume manufacturing The H350 uses a proprietary Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) technology powered by UK-based Xaar 3D, to enable the high level of production throughput necessary to 3D print thousands of parts competitively and reliably. SAF technology is the brainchild of Professor Neil Hopkinson, who developed the powder-bed fusion process that uses an infrared-absorbing fluid to help fuse the polymer powder. Crucially, it can also produce parts in the tens of thousands at a rate competitive with traditional subtractive technologies thanks to a technique called nesting. Nesting allows parts to be tightly packed together within the entire volume of the build chamber, maximising the utilisation of the space available.The H350 can produce parts in Nylon 11, with more materials to be announced soon.Origin OneAnother advanced proprietary technology, P3 (programmable photopolymerisation), underpins the Stratasys Origin One printer. The 3D printer can produce end-use parts in a range of open, certified third-party materials with industry-leading accuracy, detail, finish, repeatability, and time to part. P3 uses digital light to cure the plastic in an extremely precise way. One of the features of the Origin One that is proving most promising to engineers is its ability to print injection mouldings, which tend to be expensive and have a long lead time.Large parts in a single printStratasys’ technological roots are in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), a process it pioneered and has developed since the 1990s. The company’s FDM machines are now commonly used to produce high-grade thermoplastic end-user parts usually for functional applications such as tooling, ducting, brackets and clips.The company has not stopped developing FDM technology and its latest machine, the F770, features the largest fully heated build chamber on the market, accommodating a build volume of 1,000mm x 610mm x 610mm (372 litres).The F770 offers a cost-effective route into the 3D printing of prototypes, jigs and fixtures, and more for applications that require standard thermoplastics such as ABS-M30 (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate). Soluble support material also simplifies post processing.Another established offering from the company is PolyJet technology, which is used primarily for prototyping. Recent improvements to PolyJet’s colour, material and finish mean designers are producing prototypes of products that mimic the look and feel of the real thing.Stratasys also launched the Neo Series of 3D printers earlier this year after acquiring the company RPS. The Neo is designed and made in the UK, and boasts to be the market-leading stereolithography 3D printer, producing parts in a wide range of material properties such as chemical resistance, heat tolerance, flexibility, durability, and optical clarity. The reliable and proven Neo series of 3D printers build high-quality parts with superior surface quality, accuracy and detail.Competitive edgeWhen it comes to selecting a 3D printer over more traditional subtractive machines, Barker believes this year has seen additive gain a competitive edge in several areas.