What is Conformal Cooling in Injection Molding?

Traditional cooling mechanisms designed in straight lines only provide coverage to a partial outline of the part’s geometry in the mold. Conformal cooling lines are 3D printed to reach all the unique contours of a part’s geometry in the mold or tooling inserts. Conformal lines are therefore less restricted as to where they are placed in the tooling.

Temperature control is crucial in injection molding, as the mold heats up as molten plastic is injected into it. With conventional cooling techniques, the temperature of the mold often rises over the threshold for ejecting a successful part–wasting time and money while the mold cools to an acceptable temperature for part ejection. Conformal cooling, however, maintains a nominal temperature, allowing for a more rapid temperature reduction so that the overall cycle times are reduced each time the mold opens and closes.

3D Design and Printing for Conformal Cooling

When considering conformal cooling as a solution, we analyze both the part and associated mold details to identify which would benefit most from conformal cooling inserts. These details could be mold cores, cavities, slide faces, lifters, or any combination of these. We then design a cooling strategy so that optimum cooling conditions are realized. This process often makes feasible the ability to cool areas not adequately addressed such as radiused corners or tall or thick ribbed details. Above all, it allows for the cooling lines to “conform” to the actual part geometry. The result creates opportunities for broader process windows and process controls, resulting in reduced overall cycle time.

3D printing and conformal cooling create endless possibilities for engineers engaged in industrial manufacturing. Some consider conformal cooling to be one of the most important uses for 3D printing today, highlighting two of this technology’s greatest benefits: freedom in design, and the ability to create sophisticated geometries previously impossible via traditional manufacturing.

Although we provide a variety of services, our engineers typically use Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) to open up more opportunities in design and production for examples like traditionally drilled machined water lines. For that type of project, conformal cooling makes a tremendous difference in production as the process allows lines filled with water to follow the complex shape–including cross sections–of each part.

DMLM additive manufacturing technology makes it possible to customize your small-to medium-sized parts and inserts in days rather than the weeks or months associated with traditional manufacturing. This metal 3D printing process expands freedom in design-driven manufacturing, produces extremely high-quality, repeatable injection molded parts, and accelerates production on every level, improving time to market.

When Should I Use Conformal Cooling?

We recommend conformal cooling (especially for plastic injection molding) when:

• Cycle times are longer than predicted or budgeted.
• The dimensional integrity of your molded parts is non-conforming.
• Traditional manufacturing methods are limiting your mold’s cooling features.
• Improper cooling is causing deformed parts, resulting in excessive scrap costs.

Shapeways Process

Our engineers performed a recent study, further validating this process. In the example studied, results demonstrated a 69% reduction in cooling time. Software analysis also verified that the modified sample cooling channels revealed a more uniform temperature distribution when compared to the original cooling design.

During actual manufacturing environments, our customers running 70-80 parts an hour with traditional cooling lines or channels typically increase their output to an impressive 140 parts an hour with 3D printed conformal cooling inserts.

Shapeways for Conformal Cooling

The impact and efficiency of conformal cooling can transform production for your company, and accelerate growth. In 2022, Shapeways further expanded its traditional manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of Linear AMS, an expert in injection molding known for innovative solutions like conformal cooling. Linear’s true, consultative approach made them a trusted partner in solving the toughest manufacturing challenges and Shapeways has continued with that legacy.

The post Using 3D Printing in Injection Molding with Conformal Cooling appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

What is Conformal Cooling?

Conformal Cooling is a manufacturing technique that involves creating cooling channels or passages within a tool or mold that conform to the shape of the part being manufactured. Conformal cooling is most often used in plastic injection molding to reduce cycle times and improve part quality.

How Does Conformal Cooling Reduce Mold Cycle Time?

Conformal cooling provides precise heat regulation, optimizing cooling rates, and significantly reducing cycle times. Traditional cooling mechanisms designed in straight lines only provide coverage to a partial outline of the part’s geometry in the mold. Conformal cooling channels, however, are 3D printed to reach all the unique contours of a part’s geometry in the mold or tooling inserts.
Temperature control is crucial in injection molding, as the mold heats up when molten plastic is injected into it. With conventional cooling techniques, the temperature of the mold often rises over the threshold for ejecting a successful part–wasting time and money while the mold cools to an acceptable temperature for part ejection. Conformal cooling maintains a nominal temperature, allowing for a more rapid temperature reduction so that the overall cycle times are reduced each time the mold opens and closes.

By implementing conformal cooling, businesses can achieve remarkable results in terms of increased productivity and profitability. With cycle time savings, machinery and resources are freed up to produce other parts, unlocking manufacturing capacity.

In addition to these benefits, the efficient heat regulation provided by conformal cooling significantly improves overall efficiency. By optimizing cycle times, companies can allocate resources more effectively and avoid the need for additional equipment.

Materials Advanced by Conformal Cooling

Conformal cooling plays a pivotal role in improving quality of part production with a variety of materials, including nylon. Mold temperatures are quickly and subtly adjusted, allowing for precise control.
For materials that are heated to extremely high temperatures and require a more contracted cooling process, our engineers are also currently exploring variations like ‘conformal heating,’ using hot oil instead of water to cool molds when dealing with high-temperature materials.
Our engineers typically 3D print the cooling inserts in materials like Steel. Advanced technology like Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) opens up endless opportunities in design and production making it possible to 3D print lines that follow the complex shape–including cross sections–of each part.

Avoiding Dimensional Issues

Quality or dimensional issues often stem from an inability to control the thermal delta (or heat difference) across the expanse of a part. High scrap rates, warpage, and distortion are all typical symptoms of uneven cooling. Conformal cooling helps maintain the dimensional integrity of the part, ensuring consistent quality and reducing waste.

While a typical customer may be running 50 to 80 parts an hour traditionally, with 3D printed conformal cooling inserts they can look forward to upwards of 140 parts per hour, making a huge difference in productivity for every manufacturing job.

What are Applications for Conformal Cooling?

There are a variety of parts and features that can benefit from using conformal techniques, across multiple industries. Objects like cups with handles, are a great example. Conformal cooling minimizes the potential for dimensional issues like shrinkage, distortion, warpage, and loss of structural integrity. Instead, manufacturers enjoy uniformity in parts, consistent quality for high-performing parts, and reduced waste during production.
To identify suitable applications for conformal cooling software like Moldex3D can be used for comprehensive analysis of molds, simulating flow patterns, cooling efficiency, and identifying potential issues like hot spots. This powerful software helps provide detailed data and visualizations, enable fine-tuning of conformal cooling parameters, and enhances part quality—allowing manufacturers to optimize production efficiency and produce larger volumes of parts.

Why do Manufacturers Use Conformal Cooling?

Manufacturers gain a significant edge in today’s competitive landscape with the ability to identify the correct applications and uses for conformal cooling. Efficient temperature regulation, reduced cycle times, improved part quality, and increased productivity are just some of the benefits offered by conformal cooling.
By leveraging the transformative potential of conformal cooling, businesses can thrive in a competitive market, setting new standards for productivity and excellence. See how Shapeways can help manufacturers with their conformal cooling needs.

Shapeways for Conformal Cooling

The impact and efficiency of conformal cooling can transform production for your company, and accelerate growth. In 2022, Shapeways further expanded its traditional manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of Linear AMS, an expert in injection molding known for innovative solutions like conformal cooling. Linear’s true, consultative approach made them a trusted partner in solving the toughest manufacturing challenges and Shapeways has continued with that legacy.

The post What is Conformal Cooling? | Shapeways appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Founded in 2007, Eastern Rail Corporation built a reputation on designing sustainable, high-quality solutions for the Metro Rail infrastructure in the US. For a specific component—an insulator that isolates the electrified third rail in underground subway systems–Eastern Rail needed to update the material to meet safety standards. A switch to Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) subsequently required a reevaluation of the existing mold. To tackle this issue, Eastern Rail approached Linear AMS, a Shapeways Company, seeking partnership in creating an innovative solution to enhance functionality and efficiency.

Eastern Rail is a long-standing customer, supporting transit agencies in metropolitan areas like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami, where urban rail systems frequently operate in underground tunnels. Such an environment demands components with specific dielectric properties, safeguarding against unwanted electrical charges and allowing for more effective management of underground train lines.

Incorporating Advanced Cooling Technology

Injection molding manufacturers often face challenges related to long cycle times, part quality, and overall efficiency. Conformal cooling technology specifically resolves these problems. Relying on 3D printing for customization and efficiency, conformal cooling adapts to fit into industrial molds. 

In contrast to conventional methods, which are restricted to machining in straight lines, conformal lines are designed to follow the shape of the part itself–leading to a more consistent temperature throughout the part’s cooling stage. This means that parts are less likely to warp, while also cooling up to 50% faster. With conformal cooling, manufacturers can reduce their cycle time and increase their throughput, all while improving part quality. 

For Eastern Rail, integrating this technology produced more consistent temperatures in tooling, leading to more efficient production cycles, satisfying stringent requirements for reliable and efficient rail systems.

Improving Tooling for Complex Materials

Initially, Eastern Rail encountered challenges due to the complex part design and core mold features, combined with the nature of Xencor PPS LGF-3045, a 45% long-glass, fiber-reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS).

While providing beneficial properties like heat resistance and durability, PPS also presents manufacturing difficulties. Linear performed a comprehensive analysis, revealing that Eastern Rail’s existing tooling with conventional cooling–in combination with a PPS material–would not produce a moldable part.

“I was aware a new approach would be necessary with the change in material,” said Mickey Morales, CEO of Eastern Rail. “After working with Linear for the past decade, I was confident in their engineering expertise and knew they were capable of delivering the dynamic solution this project needed.”
To address these issues, Linear and Eastern Rail worked side-by-side for months in prototyping and testing, experimenting with molds and the integration of 3D printed conformal cooling lines.

Upon initial review, the team suggested making the change to a steel mold over aluminum for production volumes. The PPS material is highly corrosive and would deteriorate the aluminum mold. Transitioning to a steel mold also opened up the possibility of using conformal cooling to allow for better thermal control. Additionally, based on the molding temperature requirements of PPS, the team determined hot oil would be necessary to maintain tool temperature, as opposed to water which is more commonly used.

“The shift to steel molds significantly transformed our approach, working much better with the unique characteristics of PPS and the need for a precise, controlled molding environment,” said John Tenbusch, Director of Automotive Sales at Shapeways.

“After working with Linear [A Shapeways Company] for the past decade, I was confident in their engineering expertise and knew they were capable of delivering the dynamic solution this project needed.”

Mickey Morales, CEO of Eastern Rail

Reducing Cycle Times & Improving Part Quality

The introduction of conformal cooling was highly effective, yielding a remarkable improvement in efficiency after Linear introduced steel tooling. Implementing conformal cooling led to a design adjustment that significantly cut costs. Interchangeable inserts, usually requiring three cores, were reduced to just one.

“We had to incorporate cooling one way or another,” said David Dickerson, Manager of Client Services at Shapeways. “Without conformal cooling, we couldn’t have made the interchangeable parts we needed for the various sizes of the insulator.”

With the new steel molds and conformal cooling inserts, the Linear team was able to reduce the cycle time from 181 seconds to 138 seconds, reflecting a 23% improvement. Reduced production time allows for more parts to be made, lowering both piece cost and overall program cost, without sacrificing part quality. The more even, controlled temperatures also led to the production of higher-quality, more reliable parts.

While the initial prototyping and testing phase required significant time and financial investment, the cost savings over the long term more than justified the upfront expenditure. The enhanced material durability, lower maintenance needs, and increased production speeds collectively contributed to significant long-term economic advantage for Eastern Rail.

“While we encountered a few obstacles during our journey, Linear’s team of experts was again able to provide a highly engineered solution while providing cost-saving benefits,” said Mickey Morales, CEO of Eastern Rail.

Aligning with Regulatory and Environmental Considerations

Eastern Rail’s openness to new solutions enabled improvements with both short and long-term benefits, meeting industry-specific needs while maintaining a commitment to environmentally friendly materials and regulatory compliance.

This case study offers useful problem-solving insights for issues related to materials, tooling, and cooling. These solutions may be applicable to other manufacturing sectors as well. Overall, this project showcases the value of teamwork, innovation, and excellence in manufacturing

Find out more about how Shapeways can collaborate with your company.

The post Case Study: Eastern Rail Corporation appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

• Why TPU is such a unique elastomer for 3D printing.
• The benefits of TPU, like chemical and abrasion resistance.
• Why TPU is making groundbreaking strides in applications like automotive and even footwear.
• 3D printing TPU parts with Multi Jet Fusion or Selective Laser Sintering technology.

Created in a German lab in 1937, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is now one of those ubiquitous plastic materials that spans numerous technologies in industrial manufacturing, due to the potential for shaping the highly malleable material via a heat source into countless shapes and structures for a wide range of applications. It’s easy to understand why TPU is so popular in 3D printing as well as other traditional types of manufacturing, and why it has become an industry standard no matter the method.

Composed of segmented copolymers, TPU is unique in its chemical makeup. Exhibiting a contrasting juxtaposition in terms of its components, this elastomer features a soft segment, as well as one that is more rigid. Combined, these elements create the rubbery texture found in TPU–leading to simplicity in processing, as well as the material’s mass appeal. 

With deep roots in traditional manufacturing, designers and engineers continue to rely on this special mix of high-grade thermoplastics for methods like injection molding. Common mold designs can be used for creating parts with TPU; however, a handful of additives may be considered for better results, along with processes like drying the material beforehand, molding, and spending time in post-processing.

The Benefits—Where to Begin?

Shapeways 3D prints TPU via both Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technologies, offering multiple benefits over other elastomers. Resistance is at the top of the list for production of durable parts meant to stand the test of time. TPU is highly resistant to impact and wear and tear, but also offers excellent abrasion-resistance–a critical property for mechanical parts that are expected to withstand years of friction as parts rub against each other during use and can begin to degrade. The ability to resist chemicals, along with oils and solvents, and harsh weather and heat, also makes TPU an excellent choice for 3D printing and subsequent industrial use.

Other great features include:

• High elongation at break – A material characteristic measured by comparing where a part breaks after being strained, versus its original length, TPU scores off the charts. Featuring exponentially higher elongation at break–or ductility–than other 3D printing materials due to its elasticity, TPU is especially useful in critical applications because it is both flexible and tough and able to handle substantial deformation to its shape without breaking.
• Superior tensile strength – Defined by how much pulling strain a part can take before fracturing, tensile strength is measured through units of pressure called megapascals (MPa). With a high tensile strength of up to 60 MPa, coupled with good flexibility, TPU can be used for high-performance parts expected to withstand rigorous use.
• Excellent load-bearing capacity – This is an important measurement as it testifies to how much weight a 3D printing material can handle before it fails. Load-bearing capacity is an extremely important factor for applications requiring high-performance products that are expected to last, including larger parts as well as smaller mechanical devices like tubing, hoses, and seals.

With the ability to print highly flexible, interlocking products as well as industrial parts on the large scale, both SLS and MJF 3D printing offer greater design freedom too. This is mainly due to a sophisticated system that eliminates the need for supports during 3D printing, meaning that designers aren’t restricted by the worry of figuring in complex support structures.

3D Printing TPU with Multi Jet Fusion Technology

Shapeways offers Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) for 3D printing Ultrasint® TPU 01, resulting in prototypes and parts that are robust, with strong mechanical properties. Like SLS 3D printing, MJF is powder-based; however, it does not rely on laser heat to melt layers together. Instead, one layer of powder is deposited after the other, 80 microns at a time, with an inkjet array moving back and forth jetting out fusing agents to fuse the powder particles together, and detailing agents to assure good detail and smooth surface texture. 

As the layers melt together quickly via thermal heat with MJF 3D printing, resulting parts are stable and well-defined. A standalone cooling system also helps eliminate challenges like warping, shrinkage, or overall failure in parts. 

Design Guidelines

For this material, 3D models must be within the following minimum and maximum bounding box sizes:

• Bounding Box Min
  • At least 1 extant dimension over 19mm
• Bounding Box Max
  • 284 × 380 × 380mm 

This 3D printing material is available in a gray, natural finish. Explore the design guidelines for TPU further here.

3D Printing TPU with Selective Laser Sintering Technology

Featuring power and speed, SLS 3D printing technology makes it possible for Shapeways to 3D print highly accurate TPU parts that are detailed, with smooth surfaces. One of the oldest 3D printing technologies–aside from SLA 3D printing–SLS is a subcategory of powder-bed fusion and heavily relied on for both rapid prototypes and highly functional end parts. 

The process is set into motion as a small amount of powder is dispersed onto the SLS print bed. A high-powered laser traces the shape of the 3D design into the powder as each layer is 3D printed and fused together at a high temperature just below the melting point.

Design Guidelines

For this material, 3D models must be within the following minimum and maximum bounding box sizes:

• Bounding Box Min
  • 15 x 15 x 0.7 mm
  • X + Y + Z ≥ 15.0 mm
• Bounding Box Max
  • 200 x 200 x 200 mm

This 3D printing material is available in white, with a Standard matte finish. Explore the design guidelines for 3D printing TPU with SLS technology further here.

Typical Applications for Thermoplastic Polyurethane

Automotive

While the automotive industry has been using 3D printing for decades in prototyping, as well as functional parts for both the interiors and exteriors of vehicles, TPU allows for the design of truly personalized components, allowing for consumer-specific comforts. While such options may become much more detailed in the future, today’s manufacturers are hard at work not only using additive manufacturing for critical components but also in focusing on the drivers themselves and developing new luxuries like customized headrests and seats. TPU is often chosen for these parts because of its versatility in terms of softness for one part, yet hardness and functionality for another. There are a variety of different finishes available too for automotive applications.

Consumer accessories  

The 3D printing industry is well known for expanding options to consumers in the area of accessories, mainly due to the enormous potential offered by expanded design freedom and the ability to customize. This is especially true for items like smartphone cases, allowing customers to completely personalize an item, adding exciting and unique touches to a product that is pretty much impossible for most people to live without today. Not only that, these items are durable enough to last for years. TPU is also an excellent choice for adding quality and customization to highly functional items like soft grip systems and rubber mats.

Footwear

3D printing has made a powerful impact within the footwear industry, and on multiple levels. Designers working from their studios or homes are able to make creative new eco-friendly designs on demand and send them to Shapeways for 3D printing services. Large corporations are using materials like TPU to max out designs for epic, futuristic looking running shoes with a range of features meant to propel athletes and everyday wearers forward in terms of comfort and stamina.

There is also the potential for incredibly personalized fit in shoes, beginning with insoles that can be 3D printed to encourage better support and balanced gait, as well as orthotics that can be made to fit and re-sized easily as needed. With rapid production in 3D printing, more durable footwear products can be made that are also more flexible, and lighter in weight. 3D scanning plays a role for much of the footwear industry as the wearer’s measurements can be scanned quickly, making unprecedented strides in comfort, rather than expecting someone to fit into a typical size, or somewhere in between.

Medical devices

Another area where 3D printing is offering enormous impact, TPU is behind the production of numerous medical devices bearing complex, lightweight geometries that may not have been possible before with traditional manufacturing. Products like braces, prosthetics, and implants can be 3D printed after 3D scans are taken from patients, offering them safe, customized devices that are able to stand up to long-term daily use without causing skin irritation. For children wearing prosthetics or orthotics this is an incredible boon, with fittings taking a fraction of the time and without discomfort. While such devices may have taken weeks or even months to arrive previously, at great expense, now they can be made quickly–and changes can be made to designs quickly also.

Robotics

TPU is also suitable for robotics, and especially softer applications which may require extremely flexible parts like connectors, actuators, and simulated fingers, arms, and flex grippers for performing tasks whether on a manufacturing production line or at the individual level. This material can also be used for tires and other accessories attached to moving robots, as well as those that may be performing 3D printing activities on their own.

Sports gear

Because of the protective nature of sports gear, 3D printing technology with TPU is able to play a very important role in helping to prevent injuries in players. Using lattice structures for interior strength and incredible absorption on impact, 3D printed protective gear may include helmets, guards, and more, all with the potential to be heavily customized for the comfort and safety of the athlete.

Ideas for 3D Printing with TPU? Get Started Now

For faster turnaround time and highly customized, production runs at any volume, contact Shapeways to learn more about on-demand 3D printing. Allowing manufacturers to keep a digital inventory of their stock or spare parts, on-demand printing means decreasing or saying goodbye to warehouse space altogether. 

Upload your design now to get started in 3D printing with TPU.

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 solutions, and get instant quotes here. 

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Industrial 3D Printing with Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

• How PA6MF is unique in terms of strength as a 3D printing material.
• Why this industrial material is so popular for engineering applications.
• The power of Selective Laser Sintering technology in combination with PA6MF.
• The advantages of low-volume production and on-demand 3D printing at Shapeways.

Nylon 6 Mineral Filled, Ultrasint® (PA6MF) is an undeniably unique and powerful 3D printing material that Shapeways offers for high-performance parts and prototypes requiring strong mechanical properties. Reinforced with polymer particles, PA6MF provides adaptability and accuracy for quality 3D printing of parts which often possess complex geometries. 

The Real Advantage: PA6MF for Small Production Runs

As an industrial-grade 3D printing material, PA6MF continues to be extremely appealing to many manufacturers because it offers properties similar to parts created with injection molding.  

“PA6 is essentially one of the most commonly used materials on the planet in traditional manufacturing,” says Steve Weart, Director of Customer Success at Shapeways. “By enabling our customer base to create end-use products with this material through additive, we can provide the ideal solution for low- to mid-volume production requirements for many of our customers throughout the product life cycle.”

While PA6MF is an excellent option for prototyping, Shapeways takes it one step further in offering this material as an excellent alternative for end-use parts. The benefits become even more clear for companies focused on creating highly customized designs for low-volume production. There’s no reason to worry about the complexities of mass production or making molds when 3D printing can do the job quickly, efficiently, and more affordably. Not only that, the ability to make changes quickly in 3D adds a serious advantage to the development and production process–again, saving time and expense; in fact, some customers may make over a hundred iterations in bringing a functional part to perfection.

PA6MF is a good choice for parts that require high stiffness, strength, and heat stability. While all Ultrasint® PA6 materials combine high modulus, high strength, and excellent thermal distortion stability, PA6MF offers added reinforcement with minerals embedded in the powder particles. This promotes better homogeneity in the material, along with improved potential for spreading during the 3D printing process–and recycling after.  

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) – How the Technology Works

SLS reigns not only as one of the earlier forms of 3D printing, but also still as one of the most powerful and respected methods–even over the original technology known as Stereolithography (SLA), and popular methods too like fused deposition modeling (FDM). This powder-based technology is used to manufacture a host of complex structures that are often not possible with conventional methods, including products with moving or interlocking parts too.

SLS 3D printing begins with distribution of the powder over the print bed, with a computer-controlled CO2 laser tracing the cross-section of the 3D design on the powder. It then scans each layer, fusing them all together at a high temperature (just under the melting point) until the 3D printed structure is complete. SLS 3D printers may range in volume size from 200 mm x 250 mm x 330 mm to 700 mm x 380 mm x 580 mm, with a layer thickness of 100 to 120 microns. 

Thousands of parts can be printed in one build, made possible due to the ability to ‘nest,’ by strategically placing parts together in each build. This is also due to another advantage: no supports are required, as the extra powder in each print surrounds and bolsters the desired structures during production. Powder can be reused later too, allowing Shapeways to continue manufacturing with sustainability and lessening the impact on the environment.

Industrial Background on PA6MF

BASF produces PA6MF under the iForward AM corporate brand. Due to a long-term manufacturing partnership, Shapeways has access to the full spectrum of BASF’s extensive portfolio of resources–providing superior materials designed to meet the highest in customer requirements for 3D printing. Materials like PA6MF play an important role in modern manufacturing as businesses of all sizes begin to explore new ways to improve production, including new hardware, software, materials, and processes like on-demand 3D printing. 

Also known as Polyamide 6, Nylon 6, or polycaprolactam, PA6MF is a well-known thermoplastic for engineering applications. It’s common for the focus to be on lighter weight materials–specifically PA11 or PA12–where such requirements are critical to applications like robotics and drone technology. Materials like PA6MF, however, are typically used with strength in mind, for mechanical devices like bearings and structural applications. 

Along with its high melting point, PA6MF is also known for:

• Abrasion resistance
• Chemical resistance
• Fatigue endurance
• Good rigidity
• Toughness, and strength against impact

Parts printed from Ultrasint® PA6 MF are naturally black, with a standard matte finish that has a slightly rough surface.

Bounding box requirements are as follows:

Bounding Box Minimum

X + Y + Z > 10 mm

Bounding Box Maximum

375 x 375 x 440 mm

Companies that are new to additive manufacturing may wonder whether or not 3D printed industrial parts will be as good as those made traditionally. The answer is yes. Not only that, these 3D printed parts have the same level of structural integrity.

In low-volume production, 3D printing with PA6MF pays off due to the ability to make a small number of parts quickly and economically, with exact repeatability for every part, every single time.

About Shapeways

Contact Shapeways now to enjoy the benefits of advanced technology and materials for manufacturing 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 make over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post Material Guide: PA6MF Offers Unique Industrial Strength for 3D Printed Parts appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

• Why manufacturers have relied on injection molding for so long but are turning their interest toward offering 3D printing too.
• What’s involved in the decision making process, whether to choose 3D printing or injection molding.
• The pros and cons of each technology, and why it is often important to narrow down decisions case by case.
• Why strategy in scaling is so important for any type of manufacturing.

The decision making process may depend on a traditional manufacturer exploring 3D printing services like Shapeways in order to make new offerings available to their customer base, or a dedicated 3D printing enthusiast may be dealing with larger volumes in terms of orders and wondering if they should make the move to injection molding.

Scaling successfully is key in manufacturing, and business, today, but it can be challenging when growing from 1 to 1,000 units, 10,000 units, or even 100,000 in the luckiest of scenarios. There are many factors to consider when scaling production, but one of the most obvious concerns is how to actually go about creating a product. There are usually requirements for controlling expenses, providing fast turnaround times, and dealing with all aspects of customer service as efficiently as possible too.

Looking Deeper into Additive Manufacturing and Injection Molding

Unfortunately, there is no single manufacturing method that is perfect for every part and situation, but it is critical to understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with methods like 3D printing and injection molding.

When focusing on plastic components and products, there are traditionally few manufacturing methods available, the oldest and most common being injection molding. While injection molding has dominated the manufacturing landscape for decades, newer techniques like 3D printing, have begun to gain traction by offering an alternative, as well as advantages over traditional methods; for example, a company may go straight to injection molding to manufacture plastic products in a high volume of 10,000 parts or more–or they may choose 3D printing for greater flexibility in making designs, multiple iterations, and the ability to make complex geometries not possible before.

Injection Molding

Injection molding is one of the oldest high-volume manufacturing processes, wherein a molten material (such as a thermoplastic) is injected into a metal mold. Once injected, the thermoplastic takes on the mold cavity’s shape, is cooled, and is ejected as a solid part.

Injection molding is typically used for producing high volumes of the same object. The method does have its pitfalls though. First, there is a large upfront investment involved in making a mold. Molds can be reused to make hundreds of thousands, if not millions of parts, but can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over $100,000. As a result, there is an inflexibility that comes with needing to create a new mold for every new or modified part. Still, injection molding is a complex but powerful process that has been the go-to solution in the plastic part manufacturing market for years.

3D Printing

3D printing is also referred to as additive manufacturing–in stark contrast to subtractive manufacturing–as the process involves adding material together to create the end part. This is opposed to cutting material away, like in milling, or reshaping it  in injection molding.

There are many benefits inherent to this process, such as the ability to produce completely custom parts with virtually no upfront cost. With 3D printing, the efficiency is incredible: all you need is a digital file. Due to the additive nature, less material is used, and for technology like selective laser sintering, much of the powder can be recycled.

3D printing does have some disadvantages though too, especially as some 3D printing processes are still prohibitively expensive, slow, and may produce parts that are not up to industry quality or material standards. Because it can be difficult to decide between the two, and somewhat complicated, considerations are usually case-specific.

Examine Specific Parts and Production Requirements

Aside from unit cost and order volume, there are other considerations that come into play when choosing between injection molding and 3D printing:

• Complexity – Whether an object is organically shaped or has ultra-sharp edges, its type and degree of complexity can help inform which manufacturing method is best. Ultimately, common sense usually dictates using the most suitable form of manufacturing. When thinking of ‘creative’ or organic shapes as complexity, 3D printing wins. When thinking of hard engineering constraints and tolerances, injection molding wins most often.
• Production Time – Production time is typically determined by the manufacturer’s capacity and the size of the production run. The many steps required to get something into production can factor into this timeline, from sourcing a manufacturer, to making a mold, to quality control, shipping and eventual delivery. Other factors include the manufacturer’s location, steps to getting to production, and guaranteed delivery time.
• Iteration & Change – As with all competitive products and services, being able to iterate often and maintain agility is key to innovation. For businesses at the beginning of a long product development journey, spending a few thousand dollars on a mold that cannot be changed will most likely slow down the innovation cycle; however, if the focus is intense mass production without much worry for customization, then injection molding may prove to be more fitting over 3D printing.

Manufacturing Tools for the Future

The future looks exciting for 3D printing, injection molding, and manufacturing overall. These advancements are making it easier and faster to get things made, and will hopefully lower the barrier so that more and more people can make the products they dream up.

To get the perfect look and feel for any 3D printed part, check out the material options that Shapeways offers. Each material listed notes the available finishing options to ensure that your aesthetic parts look good, and your functional parts perform how you need them to in the end. 

Upload your design and get an instant quote now!

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 solutions, and get instant quotes here.  

The post Making the Call in Mass Production: 3D Printing or Traditional Manufacturing? appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Create a First-Rate 3D File

Quality designs lead to quality parts, but it’s not always an easy process. Some very important steps must occur before it is possible for a 3D model to make it into a 3D printer. A healthy dose of inspiration and motivation is required first—leading to the ideation phase—which must be accompanied by tools meant to streamline the process from modeling to manufacturing.

Shapeways works with customers every day who are dedicated to designing unique 3D models for a tremendous range of projects, varying in requirements that affect options in terms of settings, materials, and technology. This is why the ongoing design partnership with ZVerse has been so positive for simplifying the customer experience. ZVerse was a logical partner due to the massive scope of 3D printing going on at Shapeways—leading to the need for a professional design team with broad resources.

The ZVerse platform is uniquely AI-enabled, allowing for better automation in file creation workflow, along with helping Shapeways scale to customer needs better. Every customer has access to comprehensive design solutions offering the most streamlined path from concept to 3D model.

3D printing experts from the Shapeways User Application Team are also available for one-on-one consultations to discuss the best fit for materials and manufacturing methods, as well as finding ways to overcome typical issues with printability.

“We are here to help with any and all questions about design, materials, or the processes that make our customers’ models come to life,” says Zach Dillon, User Application Team Lead at Shapeways.

Get the most out of product development

While 3D printing allows for incredible creativity, innovation, and the ability to make products with complex geometries that simply were not possible previously, this technology lends itself to superior product development processes, beginning with rapid prototyping. Models can be designed and 3D printed, offering detailed visualization of products, along with the ability to test and validate parts according to project specifications. A good example would be checking for proper fit in new automotive parts or aerospace applications where there is absolutely no room for error. Rapid prototyping has played a major role for customers like Tilt Hydrometer, with CEO Noah Neibaron designing and 3D printing over a hundred iterations with Shapeways before settling on the final design for his free-floating monitoring device used in homebrewing.

Shapeways 3D prints products in over 90 materials and finishes, with over 11 technologies to choose from. Thermoplastics like Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] are extremely popular for a wide range of applications, from drone technology for customers like Quantum-Systems, to a luxury jewelry series of cuff bracelets for Dutch designers Groen & Boothman. All of these companies have used Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] for both extensive prototyping to ‘get it just right,’ along with making it the final choice for high-performance, functional products. That does not mean, however, that as longtime customers they haven’t delved into a variety of metals, to include other thermoplastics like MJF Plastic PA12 or precious metals like silver. Along with these materials come a variety of different colors and finishes, along with our latest offering in Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] Smooth.  

Get to market fast—and effectively

Products that are already in high demand can be 3D printed in customized bulk orders, and for businesses experiencing higher volume in orders, Shapeways recommends that they work with the User Application Team directly for streamlining production and bridging the gap from concept to printability and ultimately, quality manufacturing.

“Our goal is to make the customer experience as seamless as possible,” says Matthew Nadler, User Application Materials Specialist at Shapeways. “We unlock all that Shapeways has to offer for our customers, and enable them to leverage our full capabilities.”

Add-on services are available in manufacturing also, to include product assembly. Shapeways customers like LuxMea have been able to pass on the benefits of customized, on-demand printing and assembly to their own clients as bespoke masks—which include an ergonomic valve system design—are measured to fit with AI software and then completed with a personalized label.

Scale for success

Shapeways 3D prints the masks and also ships them out for LuxMea too, offering total order fulfilment that includes customized packaging for continued brand recognition, along with the opportunity to take advantage of other marketing opportunities at the same time, like adding custom inserts or promotional materials. Shapeways ships orders out to over 160 countries, with bulk pricing available. Proprietary software also makes it easy for other manufacturers to offer 3D printing with fast turnaround, including secure uploading and ordering, instant quotes, and streamlined ordering.

Scaling production is critical to modern businesses of all sizes serving a wide range of applications, and Shapeways is always ready to assist in helping customers grow—whether through 3D printing or other traditional manufacturing methods. In some cases they may begin on the smaller scale with low-batch production in highly customized, 3D printed products and then move on to more traditional methods like injection molding for precise mass production due to customer demand. In other cases, customers may want to navigate manufacturing processes in reverse, or begin employing a hybrid combination of additive and traditional manufacturing.

About Shapeways

Contact Shapeways now to enjoy the benefits of advanced technology and materials for 3D printing creations for the classroom with accuracy, complex detail, and no limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to make over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways solutions, and get instant quotes here.

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Additive Manufacturing Offers More Choices and More Freedom in Design

Relying on popular methods like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), for example, to heat up powder particles and meld them together into a prototype or part, or Binder Jetting for fusing together stainless steel particles via a binding agent, additive manufacturing offers many new and exciting options in manufacturing. With the ability to create complex geometries previously impossible through traditional methods, unprecedented freedom is available in design and production, from the small to the large scale. In comparison to traditional manufacturing, there are minimal restrictions with a multitude of options for materials as well as a wide range of choices in terms of affordability, whether choosing thermoplastics or metal.

Maximizing customization while also minimizing the need for inventory is another benefit many businesses never considered possible, along with the possibility of cutting out warehouse space altogether. With on-demand 3D printing, custom parts can be produced based on need, in small volumes with the same accuracy and repeatability.

Traditional Manufacturing Empowers Repeatability and Mass Production

Conventional methods continue to stand the test of time, offering undeniable power in production. With the ability to manufacture thousands—and even millions—of parts in mass production without any deviation in quality or detail, traditional manufacturing is often the most proficient route for satisfying customer demand.

Similar materials may be available also for customers who were previously engaged in additive manufacturing but have grown to the point where moving up to a different process is more suitable. This is evidenced in methods like CNC machining and injection molding especially.

Computer Numerical Vontrol (CNC) Machining

Pre-programmed computer software controls the subtractive manufacturing of industrial parts, issuing instructions centered around a 3D file. Performed through a variety of methods such as milling, drilling, turning, and cutting, CNC machining offers outstanding dimensional accuracy in parts, capable of surpassing 3D printing or other manufacturing processes—often making it a better fit for customers seeking more fine-tuned precision.

Shapeways offers a range of materials for use with CNC machining, some of which are used in additive manufacturing too, like thermoplastics, nylons, and metals.

Injection Molding

Patented in the 1870s, injection molding is commonly used for mass production of parts, relying on the use of molds which are typically made with plastic or steel.

Often heavily customized, depending on the requirements for specific applications, the molds can be used with materials like thermoplastics, nylons, or metal. The materials are heated to a molten state and then left to cool inside the molds, solidifying into the desired industrial part. There is generally little need for post-processing, with the molds being used over and over, offering incredible repeatability in parts for productions on the large scale. 

The Journey: Transitioning from Additive to Traditional Manufacturing

For most businesses, the manufacturing goal is to make quality parts that last. Weighing out the pros and cons and making a final decision can be overwhelming at first, not to mention dealing with budget concerns over investments in hardware, software, and materials. Shapeways is a world leader in digital fabrication, but also remains agnostic in terms of all technology.

“Our focus is on working around customers’ needs in terms of matching the correct materials and processes to a specific application,” says Zach Dillon, User Application Team Lead.

Key points in choosing additive manufacturing usually boil down to the infinite level of innovation possible in 3D design, along with the ability to customize products intensively. Many Shapeways customers are dedicated to AM processes, and tend to use them as long as possible, especially because they are able to 3D print hundreds or even thousands of parts in one run. If customer demand has increased exponentially though, it could make greater economic sense—as well as increasing speed and efficiency—to scale up to mass production, using traditional methods for large volumes of identical parts.

Today, many businesses also rely on different types of hybrid technology. This could mean that they rely on a mixture of AM processes and CNC machining, for example, at one facility, or they may have turned to machinery that encompasses both AM and traditional manufacturing all in one. For businesses requiring true versatility, hybrid technology can be the answer in terms of having it all in terms of retaining all the benefits possible, with AM complementing traditional manufacturing, and vice versa.

Learn More about Working with Shapeways

Contact us now to find out more about which technology suits your needs, enjoying the benefits of 3D printing and traditional manufacturing without having to spend precious business capital on advanced hardware, software, or material inventory.

Find out more about manufacturing 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 make over 20 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post When Does it Make Better Sense? Additive Manufacturing vs. Traditional Processes appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

So you’re launching a physical product. Maybe it’s just a simple object, maybe it’s a hardware product with integrated electronics, or maybe it has mechanical functionality. You’ve built one (or probably many) prototypes, you’ve launched a successful crowdfunding campaign in order to manufacture your first batch, and now you need to do just that.

This is the point at which many entrepreneurs run into trouble – how do you scale from 1 to 1,000 units? Or 10,000? Maybe even 100,000 if you’re lucky. There are many factors to consider when scaling your manufacturing, but one of obvious concern is the method with which you’ll create the physical components for your product.

So how does someone go about choosing the right method that will scale along with his or her business? Here we’ll explore the pros and cons of two popular types of plastic part manufacturing: injection molding and 3D printing.

Background

When focusing on plastic components and products, there are traditionally few manufacturing methods available, the oldest and most common being injection molding. While injection molding has dominated the manufacturing landscape for decades, new techniques, such as 3D printing, have begun to gain traction by offering an alternative at costs competitive with injection molding for low-volume runs.

Unfortunately, there is no single manufacturing method that is perfect for every part and situation. As you’re thinking about creating a new product or scaling up the production of an existing one, it’s critical that you take special care to understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with both methods.

Injection Molding

Injection molding is one of the oldest high-volume manufacturing processes, wherein a molten material (such as a thermoplastic) is injected into a metal mold. Once injected, the thermoplastic takes on the mold cavity’s shape, is cooled, and is ejected as a solid part.

Injection molding is typically used for producing high volumes of the same object. For instance, if you’re looking to manufacture 100,000 pairs of identical plastic sunglasses, injection molding would be a great way to go about doing that.

The method does have its pitfalls, however. First, there is a large upfront investment involved in making a mold. Molds can be reused to make hundreds of thousands, if not millions of parts, but can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over $100,000. As a result, there is an inflexibility that comes with needing to create a new mold for every new or modified part. That said, injection molding is a complex but powerful process that has been the go-to solution in the plastic part manufacturing market for years.

3D Printing

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a 30-year-old technology that has picked up a lot of steam in recent years. Unique to 3D printing is the process of adding material together to create the end part. This is opposed to cutting material away, like in milling, or reshaping it, like in injection molding.

There are many benefits inherent to this process, such as the ability to produce completely custom parts with virtually no upfront cost. With 3D printing, rather than needing a new mold for every new part, all you need is a new digital file. Additionally, 3D printing is capable of producing shapes that are impossible, or very uneconomical, to produce with any other manufacturing method.

Like injection molding, 3D printing also has its downsides. Today, many 3D printing processes are expensive, slow, and may produce parts that are not up to industry quality or material standards.

So, what process should you use to manufacture your parts – 3D printing or injection molding? When considering both methods, deciding between the two can become rather complicated and case-specific.

Considering Unit Cost & Order Volume

As previously mentioned, the prerequisite to injection molding any part is creating the mold itself. Mold costs vary greatly, but the cheapest ones typically start at around $5,000. Once you have a mold, the cost to make each unit is very little considering it really only includes the plastic used (which is very cheap), and perhaps a tiny bit of labor. This means that the upfront cost of making a mold gets amortized over your production run; with each additional unit you produce, the unit cost decreases since the initial mold cost is being spread across another unit.

3D printing is a different animal. Because 3D printing is a digital manufacturing technology, there is virtually no upfront cost to making a new part. At the end of the day, 3D printed part costs can be attributed mainly to material cost, manufacturing time, and labor. All of these are more expensive for 3D printers than for injection molding, but again, without an upfront mold cost the barrier to entry is a lot lower.

So, looking purely at unit costs, which method is more economical? There is always a point at which injection molding becomes more price competitive than 3D printing. Today, this point is usually somewhere between 1 and 10,000 units for parts that could be made to satisfaction with either method.

The figure below shows the relative unit cost for runs of the same theoretical injection molded and 3D printed part, plotted logarithmically. This model assumes a mold cost of $10,000 with each injection molded unit adding $0.20 of material cost. It assumes the 3D printed unit cost for the same part to be $20/unit for any run volume.

This logarithmic graph shows the theoretical unit cost for the same part manufactured separately with 3D printing and with injection molding. Using 3D printing, the unit cost remains at $20, regardless of the number of parts produced. Using injection molding, a $10,000 mold must be made prior to making the first unit. From there, each unit can be made for an additional $0.20, thus making the effective unit cost equal to $0.20 + $10,000/# of units produced. From the above graph, we can see that due to the upfront mold cost with injection molding, it only becomes the more cost effective production method if you are producing more than 500 units.

Other Considerations

Outside of unit cost and order volume, there are other considerations that come into play when choosing between injection molding and 3D printing:

Complexity – Whether an object is organically shaped or has ultra-sharp edges, its type and degree of complexity can help inform which manufacturing method you choose. Ultimately, you should choose the method best suited for making what you’ve designed. When thinking of “creative” or organic shapes as complexity, 3D printing wins. When thinking of hard engineering constraints and tolerances, injection molding [ed. note: most often] wins.

Production Time – Production time is typically determined by the manufacturer’s capacity and and the size of the production run. The many steps required to get something into production can factor into this timeline, from sourcing a manufacturer, to making a mold, to quality control, shipping and eventual delivery. You should always consider the manufacturer’s location, steps to getting to production, and guaranteed delivery time.

Iteration & Change – As with all competitive products and services, being able to iterate often and maintain agility is key to innovation. If you’re at the beginning of a long product development journey, spending a few thousand dollars on a mold that cannot be changed will most likely slow down your innovation cycle. However, if you’re at a point where your focus is scale and repeatability, then injection molding may prove to be more fitting than 3D printing.

Into the Future

As we look towards the future we’re seeing exciting developments within the realms of both 3D printing and injection molding. These advancements are making it easier and faster to get things made, and will hopefully lower the barrier so that more and more people can make the products they dream up.

Next time you find yourself on the journey to get something manufactured, consider the above factors and make the decision that will increase your chances of success in bringing a new product or part to life.

Looking to explore what 3D printing can do for your business? Get in touch with the Shapeways for Business team.

The post High-Volume 3D Printing vs. Injection Molding appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The Tribot will retail at $9,950 in early 2015 but Kickstarter backers can back the progress for $7,700 with 8 units going pre-kickstarter (that’s a new thing) for only $5,000. While this may not be the finest resolution 3D printer on the market, the largest CNC milling bed or the type of injection molding rig capable of churning out tens of thousands of injection molded parts with multiple part molds and shut off faces, the ability to make a small run of a simple part in your workshop is something that desktop 3D printers cannot yet achieve.

The Tribot is not being launched by the usual geek/hipster trio that has become the default demographic for launching 3D printers on Kickstarter, the Tribot is being developed by a group of old school engineers and business types with years of experience with machines for making things.

What would you make with the 3DP, CNC and Injection molding combo?

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