Lets talk: 3D printing
example, Inventex can process PLA (polylactic acid), PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol), PC (polycarbonate), ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate), flexibles and more. The company can also produce PLA, PC, PETG and nylon infused with carbon fibres if required for extra strength. Get the green light “3D printing is fast, often uses plant-based materials, offers nearly zero waste, and we manufacture here in the UK to minimise carbon footprint,” says Jo. “We have sustainability at our core: we use recycled materials and actively recycle waste [upgrade items rescued from landfills] as part of an eco-conscious approach.” A large proportion of the company’s printing is FDM [fused deposition modelling], which builds objects layer by layer by feeding a spool of thermoplastic filament into the machine. The printer’s head extrudes melted material in thin strands, depositing them with precision, layer by layer, over a map of XYZ co-ordinates set out by the design. Once in place, the material
cools using integral fans and solidifies. Also available is resin printing in its various forms, including SLS [selective laser sintering) and SLA [stereolithography]. “Before we started this business, SLS and resin printing were around 90% of the industry because of its print quality,” explains Darren. “It offered an almost perfect copy of ABS [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene] and PA12 nylon, for example. FDM could not offer the same. However, filament has improved massively, today negating those issues. FDM machines also are much faster and produce cleaner, crisper parts. As a result, the gap between resin printers and FDM printers has closed significantly, yet the
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