The materials used by 3D printers kept improving since the early years of technology. Different varieties of materials can now be used in a number of regions. There are specific materials just designed for particular platforms while others can be used in more than one application. There are a few most popular materials that are used in different 3D printing sectors. They include:
- Plastics
- Metals
- Ceramics
- Paper
- Bio materials
- Food
How are they used in 3D printers?
Nylon is commonly a plastic that is used in form of powder form with the sintering procedure. It is used in professional 3D printers because of its high strength and flexibility. It is also durable and very reliable. Nylon is also a plastic that may be mixed with powdered aluminium to form Alumide, another sintering 3D printing substance.
Industrial 3D printers also use another popular form of plastic known as ABS. It is mostly used in the form of filament on FDM 3D printers that are of entry level. It is a plastic that has a lot of strength and has different varieties of colors. It is very popular because one can buy it in the form of filament.
Another plastic material used in professional 3D printing is PLA. It has gained popularity because it is bio-degradable. It can be used in resin form for the processes of DLP/SL. It may also be utilized in filament format for the process of FDM. It comes in several colors which include transparent. Transparent option has been very useful for a number of 3D printing applications. Its only problem is that its durability isn’t flexible compared to ABS.
Another plastic is LayWood. It is made purposely for extrusion 3D printing of entry level. It is also known as wood or polymer composite (WPC) and is in a filament form.
Several metals as well as composites of metal are being used in industrial 3D printers. The popularly used are cobalt and aluminium derivatives. The strongest metal which is commonly used in 3D printers is the powder form of stainless steel. It is used for the melting or sintering processes. Both silver and gold have also been described as materials which are able to be printed directly and are mostly used in the jewelry sector. They are both strong and are used in form of powder. Another metal that is very strong is titanium. It is also used in form of powder in industrial 3D printing.
Ceramics are among the few new materials in the 3D printing industry. They to go through similar procedures like any other parts of ceramic made using old production methods.
A copier paper that is A4 standard is also a 3D printing material. Designs built from paper are easy to recycle, environment-friendly and safe. They also require no other kind of post-process.
There are several researches being done for bio materials used in 3D printing. Some leading institutions are trying to come up with applications which can print human organs and external tissues that can be used to replace body parts.
In the food industry, a lot of research is also being done on industrial and commercial 3D printers that can print food substances.
