Know Your 3D Printing Materials with This Guide

3D printing cost has gone down over the years and so it has become more accessible. 3D modeling and 3D printing can be taken up by anyone with a little bit of training. 

Industries are increasingly availing 3D printing services to meet market demands for innovation and efficiency. 3D printing services in India have also joined this bandwagon. We explore the popular materials used in the 3D printing process.

Plastics

Different varieties of plastic are the most commonly used materials for 3D printing, with Nylon or Polyamide being the most preferred ones in powder form to be used in sintering process or in filament form if it is the FDM 3D printing process. The strength and flexibility of plastic materials make it a popular option among 3D printservice providers in Pune.

• ABS is a form of plastic used in FDM 3D printers in the form of filaments form. Strong and available in a variety of colours It is a particularly strong plastic and comes in a wide range of colours, ABS is one of the most popular plastics.
• The appeal of PLA plastic lies in its biodegradability. Used as resin for DLP/SL processes or as a filament in the FDM process, PLA also comes in range of colours, transparent being one of the unique ones! 
• Metal-plastics are a combination of thermoplastic with low amounts of metal such as copper, bronze, steel and iron. The resultant 3D printed objects have the visual properties of metal. This material is heavier than other plastic materials. 

Alumide

This is basically nylon combined with aluminum particles, with similar physical properties to nylon. Alumides are accurate, durable and very strong, ideally suited for polishing or coating.

Wood

Although 3D printed objects in wood can be cut, painted and are even aesthetically appealing just like real wood, they are not functionally similar to real wood.

Metals

• Aluminum: one of the lightest and versatile metals, aluminum has risen to become the most popular 3D printing material. 3D printed aluminum objects offer an expansive range of applications. Aluminum 3D printed components are both heat and stress- resistant which makes them ideal for prototyping functional models at very low costs.
• Cobalt Chromium: often referred to as a “super alloy”, this material has found popular applications especially in the medical and aerospace industries. Strong and durable, 3D printed cobalt chromium components are also resistant to high temperatures and corrosion.
• Copper and Bronze: these materials are most commonly used in lost wax casting process. Their high conductivity has made them ideal for applications in the domain of electrical engineering. They are also used extensively by artists, especially sculptors.
• Inconel: the second super alloy on this list, Inconel can withstand extreme environmental stress. This is a result of its composition of nickel and chrome which makes it resistant to high temperatures. Inconel has wide applications in the aerospace and defence industries, along with the oil and chemical industries. 
• Nickel: one of the strongest and most durable 3D printing materials, Nickel alloys have far-reaching technical applications.
• Precious Metals: gold, silver, and platinum are the most commonly 3D printed precious metals. Their applications can be found in the jewellery, medical and electronics industries. 3D printed metals are mostly made using the lost wax casting technique. 
• Titanium: another versatile materials that is at once lightweight as well as strong. These properties have made it suitable for applications in the medical field (e.g. prosthetics). Titanium is also widely applicable in the aerospace, automotive, and tooling industries. Titanium, in its powder form is highly reactive. Therefore, it is 3D printed in a vacuum or in an argon gas atmosphere.
• Stainless Steel: affordability is synonymous to this material. It is particularly strong, used across various industries. Stainless steel is also known to have exceptional elastic and magnetic properties.

Ceramics

3D printing online now offers you facilities such as custom ceramic coffee mugs. 3D printed ceramics are usually achieved using the FDM printing process and even the more advanced SLA in some cases. Ceramics are resistant to heat. 3D printed ceramics are very popular with artists, but they also find use in the home décor and dental industries.