24. 3. 2020

3D Printing Materials And Their Use Cases

If you know Anyonego for at least a little while, you´ll know that we speak and write a lot about materials for 3D printing and how we try to find the optimal mechanically resilient filament. It’s because there are a lot of options when it comes to plastics for additive manufacturing. So what exactly can be printed?

Simply put: 3D printers can work with materials that are in a liquid, powder form or in a solid form that is processed into semi-solid, and then these materials are shaped into a desired 3D geometry.

Let’s explain that. First, we´ll discover 3D printers that make parts using plastic base material (FDM, SLA and SLS).
Printers from this category use plastic in the form of wire (similar to lawn mower cable), resin (epoxy – like) or powder. Plastics like polypropylene (food containers), PET (plastic bottles), PC, ABS, PA and many, many more can be used for these processes.

Next chapter is 3D printers that can print metal in a powder state (similar to SLS). Some printers also use welding equipment.

The third category is reserved for printers that can create a house for the cost of a cheaper new car. Specialised Machines can also print food, such as caramel, chocolate, or even pizza.

Next time, we will take a look at how the technologies themselves differ.