The Benefits of 3D Printing with MJF PA12

As 3D printing project requirements for Shapeways customers have grown, advanced materials and Nylon 12 3D printing properties continue to evolve. MJF PA12 3D printing material offers excellent mechanical properties with few drawbacks. The benefits are expansive, including low porosity in 3D printing, leading to greater strength and durability in parts, high resolution and good density, and resistance to heat and impact. MJF PA12 also supports complex geometries and parts with thinner features.

Shapeways recommends this 3D printing material with Multi Jet Fusion for applications like:

• Drone parts
• Prosthetics and orthotics
• Mechanical and structural parts
• Industrial mounts and cases
• Technical accessories
• Home decor

Colors and Finishes

MJF PA12 is available in both gray and black, featuring a standard finish with a matte surface and slightly grainy texture. Shapeways also provides a black finish with a smooth, non-porous surface created through a physio-chemical vapor smoothing process. 

MJF Black Smooth PA12 is sealed with a semi-shiny, watertight finish, making it possible to achieve less than 1 RA of surface roughness. Since the finishing process is non-line of sight, even the internal cavities of complex parts can be smoothed. Unlike polishing, this all-new process removes very little material while smoothing, maintaining each part’s structural integrity. Parts with this finish are suitable for working prototypes, display models, external functional parts, and high-end DIY projects.

Check out other related nylon materials for 3D printing with MJF:

Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) – offering the ability to 3D print parts in robust color, this material possesses superior mechanical properties, good dimensional stability, and resistance to impact–as well as chemicals like oil, grease, and more. Defined by the capacity to deform under tensile stress, Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) is flexible for structures with a thinner design but becomes rigid for use with thicker parts, offering the durability and density required for end-use parts. 

Find out more about the design guidelines for Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) here.

MJF Plastic PA12 Glass Beads – This material is 40% glass-filled which reduces warping during the printing process and over the product’s life, as well as improving product stiffness and structural integrity. PA12 Glass Beads 3D printing material is great for flat and large parts that are prone to warping in Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] or MJF PA12 Plastic, and for functional parts that require high strength and dimensional accuracy. 

Find out more about the design guidelines for MJF Plastic PA12 Glass Beads here.

Multi Jet Fusion Technology–How it Works

Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing falls into the powder-based subcategory, relying on an inkjet array moving back and forth repeatedly to deposit adhesive agents onto the MJF 3D printer bed. A detailing agent is added around the parts, evaporating and cooling the area–and fusing the molten layers together to form the desired 3D printed structure. Parts 3D printed with MJF technology are uniformly strong due to evenly dispersed temperatures, and deep absorption of thermal energy in comparison to other methods. 

Turnaround in production tends to be faster with MJF 3D printing because many pieces can be 3D printed at once. This is due to the ability to nest hundreds or even thousands of parts at once–made easier due to no requirements for support structures. After cooling, each build is unpacked, and post-processing begins with auto-blasting removing extra powder. High-resolution 3D printed MJF parts are then ready for use as models for testing or high-performance parts.

3D printing with MJF PA12 promotes greater sustainability in additive manufacturing due to the ease in recycling powder from one build to another, with a mix ratio around 80% reused powder and 20% virgin powder. MJF PA12 offers UV stability and skin safety in accordance with ISO standards.

About Shapeways

Enjoy the benefits of this advanced technology and a wide range of materials from Shapeways for 3D printing your creations with accuracy, complex detail, and no minimum or limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to 3D print over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways additive manufacturing solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post 3D Printing Materials Spotlight: Nylon 12 [MJF Plastic PA12] appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Shapeways now offers Nylon 12 in Full Color with Multi Jet Fusion, streamlining manufacturing with ultra-fast production for functional parts. Multi Jet Fusion allows manufacturers to accelerate the product development process with streamlined, rapid prototyping as well as creating industrial, high-performance products in full color.

Key Benefits to Nylon 12 3D Printing

Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) possesses superior mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and good resistance to impact–as well as chemicals like oil, grease, and more. Defined by the capacity to deform under tensile stress, Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) is flexible for structures with a thinner design but becomes rigid for use with thicker parts, offering the durability and density required for end-use parts.

The drawbacks in 3D printing with Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) are few, while the advantages abound, to include:

• Improved aesthetics and use in tasks like instruction labeling
• Ability to print moving parts
• Greater strength over other methods because thermal energy is so deeply absorbed 
• Sustainability in resources as material powder is easily recycled from one build to the next
• ISO 10993 Skin Contact Safe

Manufacturers come back to this material repeatedly due to the quality in parts, but also because the potential is unlimited–whether they are engaged in product development or 3D printing high-performing, functional parts.

Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing Technology

Manufacturers enjoy greater freedom in engineering and design of parts because support structures are not required for MJF 3D printing. As a result, hundreds or even thousands of parts can be nested together in one build. The smart packing process leads to accuracy and repeatability for parts, every single time.

Operating as a subcategory of powder-based additive manufacturing, Multi Jet Fusion technology does not rely on a laser for heat or adhesion of the 3D printing layers; instead, MJF technology uses an inkjet array that moves back and forth depositing adhesive agents onto the powder bed, where the nylon particles are melted with thermal heat. The process is set into motion as a thin layer of powder is dispersed onto the print bed. A fusing agent is then sprayed on the material, heating it. The detailing agent is added around the part, evaporating and cooling the area. Abrupt thermal transitions cause the molten layers to fuse together, resulting in 3D printed parts that are uniformly strong due to evenly dispersed temperatures.

Applications

This versatile material is also available for Nylon 3D print in Natural and Smooth glossy finishes, and is suitable for products like:

• Industrial jigs and fixtures 
• Braces and casts
• Moving and interlocking components
• Structural parts and mounts
• Medical models 
• Presentation models
• Functional prototypes to test for form and fit

Explore design guidelines for Nylon 12 3D printing properties here. 

About Shapeways

Enjoy the benefits of this advanced technology and a wide range of materials from Shapeways for 3D printing your creations with accuracy, complex detail, and no minimum or limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to 3D print over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways additive manufacturing solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post 3D Printing Materials Spotlight: Nylon 12 Full Color (MJF) appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] – A 3D Printing Standard

Choosing the correct 3D printing material can be the most challenging part of the design and production process. Recommended for a wide range of industrial applications even when comparing Nylon 11 vs. Nylon 12, the overall appeal of Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] wins due to high tensile strength, durability for long-term use, and resistance to abrasion, fatigue, and stress. 

A Natural matte finish with a slightly rough surface is available, along with a Processed finish which creates a smoother 3D printed surface. More sophisticated finishes for Nylon 12 3D printing are available as follows too:

Shapeways Premium Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic]

For Premium Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic], Shapeways employs a multi-step tumbling, polishing, and dyeing process to create a consistent color and surface finish, while removing the grainy feel and layered look of other 3D printed parts. This finish offers an upscale look, elevating designs with a smoother and glossier surface, resulting in a softer texture.

Just saying Premium is smoother can be too vague, so Shapeways performed surface roughness tests. A surface roughness tester quantifies the texture of a surface by measuring the distance between the peaks and values. The larger the distance and the higher the value, the rougher the surface is. Small values indicate a smoother surface. Surface roughness is measured by its Ra value. Ra is the average of these distances between the peaks and values on the surface to its ‘mean line.’ You can think of the mean line as the center line between the peaks and values.

Looking at the values in the table above, the Ra of Shapeways Nylon 12 Premium [Versatile Plastic] measured around 5 micrometers whereas regular Versatile Plastic 3D printing measured around 10 micrometers. This means that the Premium 3D printing finish is about twice as smooth.

Shapeways Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] Smooth 

This finish has a smooth surface and slight shine, created using a physio-chemical process to vapor smooth the surface.

Accompanied by new choices with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] Smooth, Shapeways customers can design for even more complex structures—whether in product development or for end-use parts. Shapeways achieves this unique Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] Smooth finish with vapor smoothing techniques. With this post-processing method, rough surfaces that may be present after SLS 3D printing can be treated effectively. Chemical solvents are applied to the 3D printed parts, which are then placed in a sealed chamber filled with vapor for smoothing.

Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printing Technology

Aptly named, versatility for this 3D printing nylon is primarily due to the combination of Selective Laser Sintering 3D printing and the high ductility associated with Nylon 12 3D printing. SLS technology is one of the oldest and most respected forms of 3D printing, and it remains one of the most powerful. The average build size of an SLS 3D printer is around 300 x 300 x 300 mm with a layer thickness of 100 to 120 microns. 

Without a need for supports, expanded design freedom in SLS is a huge advantage. This eliminates the need to make intricate structures for stability during the 3D printing process, making it possible to pack hundreds or even thousands of parts into one build via nesting, and decreasing the potential for damage in post-processing. Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] makes it even easier to take advantage of expanded design freedom with ductility necessary for flexibility in thinner parts and rigidity in thicker structures.

Shapeways Customers Inspire with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] for Custom 3D Printing 

Shapeways customers choose this material for 3D printing with Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) to make products like: architectural statement pieces, medical models, drones, luxury jewelry, and more. Designers take advantage of the optional finishes and colors too, when applicable, as Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] can be dyed in Black, Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple.

3D Printed Architectural Parts with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic]

Verner Architects designed a six-foot bathroom vanity for a luxury remodel on a home in California. Verner worked with Shapeways to 3D print the interior statement piece ensuring that durability and water resistance were top of mind.

Due to the print-bed size of SLS technology that Shapeways offers, the architects at Verner were “pleasantly surprised” at the easy assembly of the six-foot-long vanity, 3D printed with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] and coated with polyurethane for waterproofing. Two test prints were performed in-house at Verner Architects, allowing the team to refine the design and structure.

In the architectural and construction fields, 3D printing offers enormous benefits for users engaged in rapid prototyping. Designers are able to create extremely complex models, and make changes easily as they work with their clients. Users today expect many of their 3D printed items to be functional and high performing, with the 3D printed vanity demonstrating just how far the technology has progressed.

3D Printed Medical Models with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] 

Uruguay-based Armor Bionics has channeled 3D printing into a technology capable of improving the quality of life for patients, but saving lives too with their unique specialty. Armor Bionics creates intricate 3D designs for medical models that are 3D printed by Shapeways and used for diagnosis, training, and treatment. Armor Bionics CEO Bruno Demuro is dedicated to offering medical professionals better solutions for surgical planning:

“We’ve seen the benefits and how much treatment affects the patients,” said Demuro. “It betters the outcome of every single surgery where it is applied.”

Other industrial design firms like Flamingo Works have collaborated with Shapeways to 3D print colorful simulators using Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] to train surgeons in robot-assisted surgeries. Yonatan Assouline, Manager and Co-founder, points out that while the “games” designed for learning may look simple upon first glance, the tasks require practice, medical training, and concentration to excel. This is especially true for surgeons training with robotic grips that shift both forward and reverse to reach objects and complete exercises.

“The training for this technique and the framing of the technology was completely unknown at first,” explained Naty Moskovich, Chief Designer and Co-founder of Flamingo Works. “We were developing 50 to 60 learning tasks at a time, coming up with all sorts of different ideas, and sending them to physicians to see if they liked them or not. 

“We would develop one skill and remove another while prototyping. 3D printing with Shapeways gave us the freedom to try out endless new ideas during the product development phase.”

3D Printing in Drone Technology with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic]

The aerospace industry is a leader in its use of 3D printed parts, and has for decades—far before anyone knew what the technology could accomplish. Drone technology has taken off in recent years, with a special push via additive manufacturing, allowing engineers to create innovative designs and use lightweight, durable materials with complex geometries. This is especially true for companies like Munich-based Quantum-Systems, specializing in advanced eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) drones. 

Using 3D printing for prototyping and manufacturing of functional parts since their inception in 2015, Quantum Systems is able to make lightweight parts, while also taking advantage of “synergy effects” in reducing part counts and assembly.

“Only because of the fact that we have integrated this manufacturing method into our manufacturing and development process, have we been able to significantly reduce development time. For injection molded parts, we save around 10 weeks by using 3D printed samples to release the CAD data,” said Florian Seibel, CEO of Quantum-Systems.

“The probability that these parts need a second loop of corrections is quite low in this way. For CNC-manufactured parts it is the same. We often just skip the first round of samples with 3D printed parts, which saves us three to four weeks. In general, I would say 3D printing saves us 20 to 50 percent of time, depending on which parts we design.”

3D Printing in Jewelry with Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] 

3D printing has a long history with jewelry makers, and especially at Shapeways. Demonstrating the wide range of popularity amongst industrial designers, customers like Groen and Boothman use Shapeways services for 3D printing luxury jewelry like their custom Creatures design series, featuring unique cuff bracelets. The designers rely on the lightweight quality of Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic], along with the strength and durability of the material.

“3D printing gives us a chance to explore new avenues and get away from the mass production paradigm,” said Joanna Boothman.

About Shapeways

Enjoy the benefits of this advanced technology and a wide range of materials from Shapeways for 3D printing your creations with accuracy, complex detail, and no minimum or limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to 3D print over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways additive manufacturing solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post 3D Printing Materials Spotlight: Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Why Zebrafish Are a Powerful Symbol in 3D Print at Dana-Farber

It doesn’t take long to understand why the 3D printed Zebrafish Display is featured so prominently at Dana-Farber. The tiny fish, found plentifully in even the tiniest streams and rivers of Southeast Asia has played an amazing role in biomedical research since the early 1970s. The research has only continued to expand, from helping scientists to identify and learn more about cancerous tumors to delving into the regenerative aspects of the zebrafish. This also applies to areas like the heart and cells, as well as their tails or eyes, with regrowth occurring so rapidly it’s almost like magic. 

It’s no wonder that medical scientists are so interested in the tiny minnows, and it makes sense that back in 2012 when Dana-Farber and their consulting engineers and designers put their heads together, they came up with the creative idea for a school of fish swimming forward in 3D print for a wall installation. This vision was intended to parallel the activity of so many people coming together with donations, creating a large cumulative sum to fund ongoing cancer research, to save and enhance lives, as well as preventing, diagnosing, and treating countless types of cancer currently impacting the human race.

Although the 3D printed Zebrafish Display has stood the test of time at Dana-Farber, growing pains, along with a desire for newer technology prompted a ‘refresh.’ The overhaul also meant bringing back together some of the same team who worked on the original project, such as Shapeways, and Nathan Lachenmyer, now the Director of Technology at Sitara Systems. 

“The overarching theme was that Dana-Farber wanted to create a really big change in cancer research through the efforts of lots of smaller sums from individual people working together. So from a design perspective, that kind of led us to thinking about other types of groups like schools of fish,” said Lachenmyer.

Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic]: Still the 3D Printing Material of Choice

Because the original 3D printed Zebrafish Display grew so large, and over such a long period of time, many of the pieces were showing their age at different rates in terms of wear or coloring. Consequently, the second round of design and production included 3D printing the fish again so that they all matched in bright white, along with removing the current sensors and turning them into a touch-free system lighting up the fish and displaying donor information transmitted wirelessly to visitor smartphones.

“The idea was to eliminate the original touch sensors because obviously, Dana-Farber is a cancer institute, and a lot of their patients are immunocompromised,” said Lachenmyer. “They wanted to do something new with the installation wall that would not risk the health of their patients who are in the building all the time.”

Dana-Farber was interested in 3D printing all 477 fish, which meant a lot of uploading and transferring files, and conferring on the proper materials and technology. Even though other options were considered, they still settled on Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] and SLS 3D printing technology again.

Each 3D printed zebrafish started out as a blank white shape with the installation taking form in 2012. As each one was purchased by a donor, they were placed on the wall with the donor’s names and messages included on them.

“The second time around we kind of broached the topic of changing materials or colors, but Nylon 12 was still a great choice because of the aesthetics, and especially because it works so well with the LED light shining through,” said Lachenmyer. 

“We had a great rapport in working with Shapeways in 2012 as well into 2022, examining the choices for materials and finishes.”

Models Are Helpful for Various 3D Printing Medical Applications

3D printed models are becoming much more common in medical applications, and Shapeways has been privileged to be involved in some incredible projects that continue to make impacts in the lives of patients around the world. 

3D printed medical models are used in so many different ways, from helping to diagnose conditions to using them as visual aids for educating patients and their families. They are also used as training devices for experienced surgeons taking on new and complicated procedures–as well as medical students on the learning curve. 

As this project evolved, however, it quickly became apparent that the 3D printed models were being designed and put to use in an unprecedented, exceptional way. Everyone working on the project was willing to put in special effort to emphasize the ongoing importance of cancer research. 

The installation is permanent at Dana-Farber, and undeniably a very important aspect of their building as they pay homage to the tiny model organisms and 477 donors who realize the importance of cancer research at a facility known for their excellence in medical research, as well as education.

About Shapeways

Enjoy the benefits of this advanced technology and a wide range of materials from Shapeways for 3D printing your creations with accuracy, complex detail, and no minimum or limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to 3D print over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways additive manufacturing solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post Dana-Farber Honors Cancer Research Donors with 3D Printed Zebrafish appeared first on Shapeways Blog.