Direct and Indirect Additive Manufacturing
The following Tables summarize the existing and the innovative direct and indirect manufacturing/production processes where Additive Manufacturing with SLA,DLP, LCD and Inkjet 3D printing technologies are used:
Direct Additive Manufacturing AM of 3D printed products
3Dresin |
Process |
Product |
Properties |
Benefits |
Limitations |
Direct AM |
3D resin objects, optionally filled with functional additives, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials |
Properties of cured resins/polymers with extra performance provided by additives, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials |
Cost effective direct production for short runs of 3D printed materials |
Cost effective only for short run productions | |
Direct printing of sintering ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials |
Resin printing, debinding & sintering of ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials |
Sintered ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials |
Properties of sintered technical ceramics, metals, polymers
|
Direct production of short runs of pure ceramic objects
|
Expensive printers, difficult tuning, slower debinding, smaller feature sizes (max.1-3 mm), more microcracking during debinding than Indirect production |
Indirect manufacturing of 3D printed products
3D resin |
Process |
Product |
Properties |
Benefits |
Limitations |
Direct investment Casting DC |
Metal cast objects |
Typical properties of Cast Metals |
Cost effective direct investment casting of metal objects |
Most castable competitor's 3D resins suffer from imperfections of fine detail finishes | |
Indirect investment casting IC |
Metal cast objects |
Typical properties of Cast metals
|
Less cost effective indirect investment casting production of metal objects with very high resolution | Slower process since there are several time consuming production steps | |
Durable injection molding 3D resins | Direct plastic, and sintering ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide), and exotic powder feedstock injection in 3D printed durable injection molds | Plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials | Properties of plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials | Cost effective production of durable injection molds for simple shaped plastic, ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic material injection | Not suitable for complex intertwined shapes |
Easy breakable sacrificial 3D resins | Direct plastic injection in 3D printed easy breakable sacrificial molds | Soft plastic, rubber or silicone objects | Properties of soft plastics, rubbers, and silicones |
Cost effective production of easy breakable sacrificial molds* for complex shaped soft plastic, rubber and silicone injection molding |
Not needed for simple 3d printed shapes, mold is lost during production |
Direct plastic, and sintering ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide), and exotic powder feedstock injection in 3D printed sacrificial injection molds | Plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials | Properties of plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials | Cost effective production of sacrificial injection molds for complex shaped plastic, ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic material injection | Not needed for simple 3D printed shapes, mold is lost during production |
Alternative Technologies: Direct AM by SLS 3D printing with non-photoreactive 3D resin binder powders
- Selective Laser Sintering SLS where layers of plastic or metal binder powders are selectively sintered to create 3D printed objects
- 3Dresyns has developed universal bio based non-photoreactive powders for easy physical mixing with any Ceramic, Metal, Polymer/Plastic, or exotic powder or fiber for plastic / polymer powder Selective Laser Printing SLS, also known as Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) or Cold Ceramic Fusion (CCF): Non photoreactive Resin Powder Binders for SLS printing of Ceramic, Metal & Polymer powders by Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) and Cold Ceramic Fusion (CCF). This technology can also be considered Direct AM since SLS prints keep their original shape (mold free system), despite needing solvent, or water, or thermal debinding and sintering after printing and before final use
Powder Binders for SLS Cold Metal, Ceramic & Polymer Fusion are ideal for SLS printing of traditional ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide), and exotic materials, exhibiting these features and benefits:
- universal and compatible with most ceramics, metals, polymers (such as polyimide), and exotic powders (including nanowires, microfibers, etc)
- bio based powder for eco SLS printing
- fast & easy physical dry powder mixing and wetting with ceramics, metals, polymers and exotic powders with low cost dry powder mixing equipment
- excellent adhesion, uniformity and stability (without gravitational separation) after mixing with micron and submicron ceramics, metals, polymers, such as polyimide, and exotic powders (including nanowires, microfibers, etc)
- ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic powder (including nanowires, microfibers, etc) additions can be up to 60% volume concentrations (lower for nanoparticles, nano wires and microfibers)
- printable by most plastic / polymer powder SLS printers
- part of the binder is soluble
- part of the binder melts at 70ºC for "cold" eco solvent and thermal debinding without imperfections nor cracking
- part of the binder keeps the shape of SLS prints without deformation before sintering
- controlled and reproducible process shrinkage which depends on final added % powder ratio
- minimum expansion coefficient to prevent micro-fractures
- ultra fine, maximum particle size <50 microns
- very high resolution up to 50 microns of final products (depending on the particle size of the chosen ceramic, metal, polymer, or exotic powder or fiber)
- bio based powder for eco friendly process manufacturing
- organo-tin free