Key Applications For Polymer Additive Manufacturing

In Technical Guides by AZOTH3D

Metals may be getting a lot of attention lately, but polymer materials are not taking a back seat in additive manufacturing. A number of applications are well suited for polymer additive manufacturing. Many polymer materials can be used instead of traditional metal or composite materials as they offer similar or longer life than those traditional materials. These polymer materials include ABS, Nylon, Delrin, Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, and many more.

The applications that are well-suited to additive manufacturing with polymers will have a few traits in common:

–Suitable parts will fit within a 300-millimeter (less than 12 in.) tubed envelope. Larger parts often do not offer enough of a financial advantage to consider. Also consider parts that can be built using the additive technologies of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Multi-jet fusion (MJF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SL), and Digital Light Processing (DLP) as these are among the more affordable additive technologies available.

–Suitable parts are usually cost competitive with traditional manufacturing methods so that switching over to additive saves cost and/or time.

–Suitable parts will have minimal post processing needs.

–Suitable parts will not have sharp overhangs or horizontal holes as these features significantly reduce post processing time and increase cost.

Other considerations when looking for parts that can be made with polymer materials in an additive process include:

Is the part a non-standard part? Almost any part that you cannot order from a manufacturer’s catalog can be a candidate for additive manufacturing, and potentially made from polymer materials. Often times, such parts are geometrically complex with long lead times to produce and that are needed in small quantities, including a quantity of one. These parts are often well suited to additive manufacturing. You may hear these parts referred to as “blueprint parts.” Such parts are considered custom and not generally available for easy replacement. Look for parts that would not be known by a common noun name, such as seals, part stops, nozzles, loaders, and so on as these are often easily purchased.

Is the part used for end-use part orientation or to check measurements? Often times parts undergoing some type of machining, assembly, or finishing process must be held or oriented in specific ways. That’s where fixturing comes in. In a portion of these applications, fixtures are needed to check the tolerance and fit of the parts. Such gaging fixtures are ideal for additive manufacturing with polymers. They are usually custom designed to fit the application and must be made fairly quickly to keep production going. Plus, these materials are tough to withstand multiple uses, while still delivering enough yield for proper ROI.

Will the part be attached to robotic tooling? Because additive manufacturing can handle a range of complex geometric shapes, a designer can create innovative and specific-function end-of-arm tooling, including gripper fingers. The polymer materials can deliver a range of toughness or hardness to handle products. For example, consider an end-of-arm tooling piece that moves hardened parts. Typically, the part moving details are made of aluminum. But the aluminum material can be replaced with a polymer material with metal dowel pins in the wear points. For this example, the cost dropped from $350 per set to $75 per set. Lead time dropped from seven weeks to one.

Has the part traditionally been assembled? A big advantage of additive manufacturing is the ability to build a part that once consisted of multiple parts or assemblies. Additive technology can handle features that can reduce the number of parts that traditional machining cannot. Such features include holes, access areas, internal channels, and so on.

Is the part involved in material handling applications? We’ve mentioned robotic grippers, but there are other examples of parts used to move end-use parts throughout the production process that are suitable candidates to be made with polymer material in an additive process. Low friction polymer materials for additive technology can be used to make innovative moving arms or durable stop blocks on conveyor systems, all at low cost and quickly.

Finally, keep in mind the savings in lead time through the use of polymer materials in additive manufacturing. The use of metal materials to make additive parts can take days, often a week to 10 days, because of post processing needs. Polymer parts, on the other hand, can be made in one day, at most two to three days. Polymers are core materials where you can have confidence that they will work on the first try.
Metals may be getting a lot of attention lately, but polymer materials are not taking a back seat in additive manufacturing. A number of applications are well suited for polymer additive manufacturing. Many polymer materials can be used instead of traditional metal or composite materials as they offer similar or longer life than those traditional materials. These polymer materials include ABS, Nylon, Delrin, Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, and many more.

The applications that are well-suited to additive manufacturing with polymers will have a few traits in common:

–Suitable parts will fit within a 300-millimeter (less than 12 in.) tubed envelope. Larger parts often do not offer enough of a financial advantage to consider. Also consider parts that can be built using the additive technologies of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Multi-jet fusion (MJF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SL), and Digital Light Processing (DLP) as these are among the more affordable additive technologies available.

–Suitable parts are usually cost competitive with traditional manufacturing methods so that switching over to additive saves cost and/or time.

–Suitable parts will have minimal post processing needs.

–Suitable parts will not have sharp overhangs or horizontal holes as these features significantly reduce post processing time and increase cost.

Other considerations when looking for parts that can be made with polymer materials in an additive process include:

Is the part a non-standard part? Almost any part that you cannot order from a manufacturer’s catalog can be a candidate for additive manufacturing, and potentially made from polymer materials. Often times, such parts are geometrically complex with long lead times to produce and that are needed in small quantities, including a quantity of one. These parts are often well suited to additive manufacturing. You may hear these parts referred to as “blueprint parts.” Such parts are considered custom and not generally available for easy replacement. Look for parts that would not be known by a common noun name, such as seals, part stops, nozzles, loaders, and so on as these are often easily purchased.

Is the part used for end-use part orientation or to check measurements? Often times parts undergoing some type of machining, assembly, or finishing process must be held or oriented in specific ways. That’s where fixturing comes in. In a portion of these applications, fixtures are needed to check the tolerance and fit of the parts. Such gaging fixtures are ideal for additive manufacturing with polymers. They are usually custom designed to fit the application and must be made fairly quickly to keep production going. Plus, these materials are tough to withstand multiple uses, while still delivering enough yield for proper ROI.

Will the part be attached to robotic tooling? Because additive manufacturing can handle a range of complex geometric shapes, a designer can create innovative and specific-function end-of-arm tooling, including gripper fingers. The polymer materials can deliver a range of toughness or hardness to handle products. For example, consider an end-of-arm tooling piece that moves hardened parts. Typically, the part moving details are made of aluminum. But the aluminum material can be replaced with a polymer material with metal dowel pins in the wear points. For this example, the cost dropped from $350 per set to $75 per set. Lead time dropped from seven weeks to one.

Has the part traditionally been assembled? A big advantage of additive manufacturing is the ability to build a part that once consisted of multiple parts or assemblies. Additive technology can handle features that can reduce the number of parts that traditional machining cannot. Such features include holes, access areas, internal channels, and so on.

Is the part involved in material handling applications? We’ve mentioned robotic grippers, but there are other examples of parts used to move end-use parts throughout the production process that are suitable candidates to be made with polymer material in an additive process. Low friction polymer materials for additive technology can be used to make innovative moving arms or durable stop blocks on conveyor systems, all at low cost and quickly.

Finally, keep in mind the savings in lead time through the use of polymer materials in additive manufacturing. The use of metal materials to make additive parts can take days, often a week to 10 days, because of post processing needs. Polymer parts, on the other hand, can be made in one day, at most two to three days. Polymers are core materials where you can have confidence that they will work on the first try.
Metals may be getting a lot of attention lately, but polymer materials are not taking a back seat in additive manufacturing. A number of applications are well suited for polymer additive manufacturing. Many polymer materials can be used instead of traditional metal or composite materials as they offer similar or longer life than those traditional materials. These polymer materials include ABS, Nylon, Delrin, Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, and many more.

The applications that are well-suited to additive manufacturing with polymers will have a few traits in common:

–Suitable parts will fit within a 300-millimeter (less than 12 in.) tubed envelope. Larger parts often do not offer enough of a financial advantage to consider. Also consider parts that can be built using the additive technologies of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Multi-jet fusion (MJF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SL), and Digital Light Processing (DLP) as these are among the more affordable additive technologies available.

–Suitable parts are usually cost competitive with traditional manufacturing methods so that switching over to additive saves cost and/or time.

–Suitable parts will have minimal post processing needs.

–Suitable parts will not have sharp overhangs or horizontal holes as these features significantly reduce post processing time and increase cost.

Other considerations when looking for parts that can be made with polymer materials in an additive process include:

Is the part a non-standard part? Almost any part that you cannot order from a manufacturer’s catalog can be a candidate for additive manufacturing, and potentially made from polymer materials. Often times, such parts are geometrically complex with long lead times to produce and that are needed in small quantities, including a quantity of one. These parts are often well suited to additive manufacturing. You may hear these parts referred to as “blueprint parts.” Such parts are considered custom and not generally available for easy replacement. Look for parts that would not be known by a common noun name, such as seals, part stops, nozzles, loaders, and so on as these are often easily purchased.

Is the part used for end-use part orientation or to check measurements? Often times parts undergoing some type of machining, assembly, or finishing process must be held or oriented in specific ways. That’s where fixturing comes in. In a portion of these applications, fixtures are needed to check the tolerance and fit of the parts. Such gaging fixtures are ideal for additive manufacturing with polymers. They are usually custom designed to fit the application and must be made fairly quickly to keep production going. Plus, these materials are tough to withstand multiple uses, while still delivering enough yield for proper ROI.

Will the part be attached to robotic tooling? Because additive manufacturing can handle a range of complex geometric shapes, a designer can create innovative and specific-function end-of-arm tooling, including gripper fingers. The polymer materials can deliver a range of toughness or hardness to handle products. For example, consider an end-of-arm tooling piece that moves hardened parts. Typically, the part moving details are made of aluminum. But the aluminum material can be replaced with a polymer material with metal dowel pins in the wear points. For this example, the cost dropped from $350 per set to $75 per set. Lead time dropped from seven weeks to one.

Has the part traditionally been assembled? A big advantage of additive manufacturing is the ability to build a part that once consisted of multiple parts or assemblies. Additive technology can handle features that can reduce the number of parts that traditional machining cannot. Such features include holes, access areas, internal channels, and so on.

Is the part involved in material handling applications? We’ve mentioned robotic grippers, but there are other examples of parts used to move end-use parts throughout the production process that are suitable candidates to be made with polymer material in an additive process. Low friction polymer materials for additive technology can be used to make innovative moving arms or durable stop blocks on conveyor systems, all at low cost and quickly.

Finally, keep in mind the savings in lead time through the use of polymer materials in additive manufacturing. The use of metal materials to make additive parts can take days, often a week to 10 days, because of post processing needs. Polymer parts, on the other hand, can be made in one day, at most two to three days. Polymers are core materials where you can have confidence that they will work on the first try.
Metals may be getting a lot of attention lately, but polymer materials are not taking a back seat in additive manufacturing. A number of applications are well suited for polymer additive manufacturing. Many polymer materials can be used instead of traditional metal or composite materials as they offer similar or longer life than those traditional materials. These polymer materials include ABS, Nylon, Delrin, Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, and many more.

The applications that are well-suited to additive manufacturing with polymers will have a few traits in common:

–Suitable parts will fit within a 300-millimeter (less than 12 in.) tubed envelope. Larger parts often do not offer enough of a financial advantage to consider. Also consider parts that can be built using the additive technologies of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Multi-jet fusion (MJF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SL), and Digital Light Processing (DLP) as these are among the more affordable additive technologies available.

–Suitable parts are usually cost competitive with traditional manufacturing methods so that switching over to additive saves cost and/or time.

–Suitable parts will have minimal post processing needs.

–Suitable parts will not have sharp overhangs or horizontal holes as these features significantly reduce post processing time and increase cost.

Other considerations when looking for parts that can be made with polymer materials in an additive process include:

Is the part a non-standard part? Almost any part that you cannot order from a manufacturer’s catalog can be a candidate for additive manufacturing, and potentially made from polymer materials. Often times, such parts are geometrically complex with long lead times to produce and that are needed in small quantities, including a quantity of one. These parts are often well suited to additive manufacturing. You may hear these parts referred to as “blueprint parts.” Such parts are considered custom and not generally available for easy replacement. Look for parts that would not be known by a common noun name, such as seals, part stops, nozzles, loaders, and so on as these are often easily purchased.

Is the part used for end-use part orientation or to check measurements? Often times parts undergoing some type of machining, assembly, or finishing process must be held or oriented in specific ways. That’s where fixturing comes in. In a portion of these applications, fixtures are needed to check the tolerance and fit of the parts. Such gaging fixtures are ideal for additive manufacturing with polymers. They are usually custom designed to fit the application and must be made fairly quickly to keep production going. Plus, these materials are tough to withstand multiple uses, while still delivering enough yield for proper ROI.

Will the part be attached to robotic tooling? Because additive manufacturing can handle a range of complex geometric shapes, a designer can create innovative and specific-function end-of-arm tooling, including gripper fingers. The polymer materials can deliver a range of toughness or hardness to handle products. For example, consider an end-of-arm tooling piece that moves hardened parts. Typically, the part moving details are made of aluminum. But the aluminum material can be replaced with a polymer material with metal dowel pins in the wear points. For this example, the cost dropped from $350 per set to $75 per set. Lead time dropped from seven weeks to one.

Has the part traditionally been assembled? A big advantage of additive manufacturing is the ability to build a part that once consisted of multiple parts or assemblies. Additive technology can handle features that can reduce the number of parts that traditional machining cannot. Such features include holes, access areas, internal channels, and so on.

Is the part involved in material handling applications? We’ve mentioned robotic grippers, but there are other examples of parts used to move end-use parts throughout the production process that are suitable candidates to be made with polymer material in an additive process. Low friction polymer materials for additive technology can be used to make innovative moving arms or durable stop blocks on conveyor systems, all at low cost and quickly.

Finally, keep in mind the savings in lead time through the use of polymer materials in additive manufacturing. The use of metal materials to make additive parts can take days, often a week to 10 days, because of post processing needs. Polymer parts, on the other hand, can be made in one day, at most two to three days. Polymers are core materials where you can have confidence that they will work on the first try.