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 and Indirect AM by SLS 3D printing with non-photoreactive 3D resin binder powders
- Direct AM by Conventional Selective Laser Sintering SLS where layers of plastic or metal powders are selectively sintered to create 3D printed objects (Direct AM)
- Indirect AM where non-photoreactive binder powders are mixed 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: This technology is considerd Indirect AM since SLS prints need solvent debinding and sintering after printing and before final use
Benefits of 3Dresyns SLS bio-based resin binder powders for Indirect AM of ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic powder materials
Our Powder Binders for SLS Cold Metal, Ceramic & Polymer Fusion are ideal for SLS printing of traditional ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide), and exotic material feedstocks, exhibiting these feature 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 in eco solvents, such as Debinding Solution EDS1 Bio, or in water
- 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