Polymer Materials for 3DPrinting: Future developments & needs Dr. Toon Roels, Manager R&D CP & Engineering Services-Materialise 3DP Printing Materials Conference, 20 June 2014, Chemelot Campus- Geleen 2
3DP and materials 3
TO of products & Services in 3DP 2,2 billion dollar Products & Services Growth last years 25-30% 4
Material TO in 3DP Materials (mio $): 422,6-24,9 for metal: approx 400 mio USD for polymers (neglect ceramics) 422/2,2 billion= material sales is worth 18% of total market 5
Photopolymers TO in 3DP > Half of TO polymeric material is photopolymers! 6
Expected growth: Growth factor 5 in 7yrs Materials: 400*7: 2,8 billion dollar 7
Markets/ applications? Where will the growth be realised? Polymers/ Metals/ Ceramics? Technologies/ Polymers? http://marscommons.marsdd.com/3dprinting/tech-trends-newapplications/ 8
In absence of a crystall ball 9
Rapid Prototyping vs rapid Manufacturing- Drastic change in Material requirements FIT for purpose Mechanical: static load bearing dynamic (elasticity) Higher Thermal resistance Fire resistance & low smoke generation Biocompatability/ Food compatability Resistant against wide range of external influences (UV, chemicals) Optical properties Constant performance over expected lifetime of the part = HIGHER PERFORMANCE Reqs + NEED FOR BETTER CHARACTERIZATION (& EVIDENCE of performance) Consistency in quality & performance Justifiable ratio Cost/Performance 10
The Technologies- key aspects BED based Selective deposition Reactive technologies- LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (stereo/sl(a)) POLYJET Physical technologies- SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (Sinter/ (S)LS) Filament extrusion/ (FDM/ Home) 11
The Technologies- variants BED based Selective deposition Reactive technologies- LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (stereo/sl(a)) Physical technologies- SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERIG (Sinter/ (S)LS) PELLET/ DROPLET jetting (ARBURG- Freeformer) 12
The Technologies- key aspects BED based Selective deposition Reactive technologies- LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (stereo/sl(a)) POLYJET Physical technologies- SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (Sinter/ (S)LS) Filament extrusion/ (FDM/ Home) 13
Base Material Functionality: Stiffness vs Heat resistance (HDT) Acrylate/epoxy Acrylate Stereo Polyjet 14
Laser Sintering: Available Materials PEEK HP3 PA- Alu filled C fibre fillled PA PA (11/12) PA- GF TPU/ TPE Sinter
FDM: Modulus vs HDT PPSU F D M Ultem 9085= PEI PC (2 types) PC/ABS ABS (5 types) FDM
Base Material Functionality: Stiffness vs Heat resistance (HDT) F D M Stereo Polyjet Sinter FDM 17
3DP Material Performance piramid Heat resistance Chemical resistance Overall robustness (impact,..) Constant properties over time FDM Sinter Stereo/Polyjet
3DP vs Conventional Manufacturing Pressureless risk for porosity Layerswise character Anisotropy Additive character Options for Multimaterial 19
POROSITY BED based Selective deposition LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) POLYJET NO POROSITY SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) SOME POROSITY 20
ANISOTROPY BED based Selective deposition LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) POLYJET LOW ANISOTROPY SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) MEDIUM ANISOTROPY HIGH ANISOTROPY 21
MULTIMATERIAL/ COLOUR BED based Selective deposition LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) POLYJET ENDLESS options SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) SOME options 22
Reasons to choose Material- Technology combination No porosity- High Surface Quality Transparency possible LIQUID BED based STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) EPOXY/ACRYLATE Selective deposition SPECIAL THERMOSET POLYJET ACRYLATE Fine details Multimaterial SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) THERMOPLASTIC FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) HIGHLY Functional Materials 23
Material functionality Final Balance: Suitability for Manufacturing Filament extrusion (FDM) SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (LS) Non porous (= good looking)/ highly functional parts Stereolithography (SL) Poly Jet Visual Quality /absence of porosity 24
2 other needs for RM growth Better characterization of performance needed Datasheet: Too little- too irrelevant (z- direction) No data on long term performance Poor data on thermal, fire,chemical resistance Healthy Material COST High R&D and IP cost Low volume Current Supply chain Factors: Origin of datasheet Variation in build parameters that 3DP allows, and poor reproducibility it often gives 25
Needs & Challenges for new material introductions- Photopolymerisation BED based Selective deposition LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) POLYJET Process Right Reactivity -response to UV No vat ageing SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) Extreme Low visco FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) Product Avoid yellowing Avoid proceeding crosslinking (brittleness) High T resistance with limited possibility to increase process T 26
Opportunities & Entry barriers for new materials- Photopolymerisation BED based Selective deposition LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (SLA) POLYJET Opportunities Scaleability of building envelope Feasability of scale for new product devpt SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (SLS) Barriers Commercial: IP/Closed systems FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING) 27
Photopolymerisation- R&D Themes Illumination: LED, DLP Chemistry: fillers, broader set of functionalized building blocks Devpt for Dedicated applications Link to ceramics (Process!) Photopolymerisation other Reactive triggers 28
Reactive technologies- Photopolymerisation- What brings the future Expand on strengths: High quality surface/ fully dense/ multi-x biocompatability & transparancy:, though combined with short lifetime Multimaterial/ Full colour Improved robustness/ impact strenght: Improved T resistance: Improved durability (time): Better characterization More attractive Cost/performance ratio Summarized: Liquid character is excellent basis for further technology development Fundamental changes needed to override Hard limits (T-impact, time, visco): DLP, mask, LED, fillers,uv + other triggers 29
Entry barriers & challenges- Sintering BED based Selective deposition Reactive technologies- LIQUID POLYJET Physical technologies- SOLID SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING (Sinter/ (S)LS) 30
Challenges- Sintering Process Challenges @ POWDER level Transport & Layer deposition @ POLYMER level Very specific polymer characteristics Melt rheology & stability (high and atypical thermal load)- need for good coalescence Specific Melting-Recrystallization characterisitics Highly atypical thermal load/ recyclability 31
Rheology of the melt + stability 32
Melt-crystallization/ shrinkage Rietzel, Drexler, Kühlein, Drummer- University Erlangen-Nürnberg 33
Atypical thermal load for polymers Part Temperature 170-175 C 140-145 C 20 C time Temperature 170-175 C 140-145 C 20 C time 34
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Coalescence- density- properties Source: S. Dupin- Université de Lyon 36
Link crystallinity- properties Source: S. Dupin- Université de Lyon 37
Sintering-Available Polymer families PA11>PA12>filled PA types PA6 based filled/unfilled Some amorphous: PC, PS PP types filled/unfilled PEEK/ PEKK TPE/ TPU PEBA (PCL) 38
Main barriers Laser Sintering- barriers & opportunities High level of Process knowhow needed Labour intensive Material evaluations (steady state of material recycling needed) New Sinter Materials will very likely demand Machine mods & higher level of controll of crucial variables like powderbed T Scaleability of technology (build envelope) Scale of new product devpt Opportunities Acessibility- open system Current most suited technology for RM 39
Laser sintering- Product/Application challenges Broader range of products needed, better fit for purpose / cost/performance Envisaged Applications (consumer, auto, aero, medical) demand higher T stability Better FR performance Higher resilience/elasticity 40
Laser sintering: What brings the future? Lower porosity, better surface quality Higher thermal resistance products Polymers with higher recyclability (of powder) Polymers with better inherent flame resistance Polymers with certified Fire Performance Polymer diversification mainly to be obtained via polymer type & playing with (spherical?) fillers Economical feasability demands Large scale Broader Supply chain of materials Higher Performance Machines, enabling to process these materials 41
Filament extrusion BED based Selective deposition Reactive technologies- LIQUID STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (stereo/s(a)) Physical technologies- SOLID FILAMENT EXTRUSION (FDM/HOME) 42
Filament extrusion Professional FDM ABS PC PC/ABS Ultem (PEI) PPSU PA12 Home/ desktop ABS PLA PVA PC PA types TPU HDPE PET PS 43
Filament extrusion- Challenges,Barriers & opportunities Process LOW entry barrier: extrudability/ melt stability Amorphous vs crystalline For Home printers: High T >< Simplicity Dilution of performance HP polymers due to poor z 44
Filament extrusion- What brings the future? FDM- professional smart niche releases (commodity, FR, high T, special additives) Lower anisotropy via better adhesion/ flow Better surface quality Filament extrusion- Home/desktop Gradually better Q, but at increasing level of complexity & price Patent conflicts for next yrs Many more materials- (but) bulk will be very rapidly commodity- profitability mainly with special filaments 45
At the end- an important remark 3DP= Material Design 46
What determines the Performance of a plastic part? CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES 45% 10% 45% 3D Printing Material Process Design 20% 20% 60% 47
Conclusions Materials are NOT the most important factor, but they are currently often the most limiting factor. For sure, materials are the most neglected factor. Broader Material Palette/Better Materials? The underlying limitations are very often technology limitations, inherent to the 3DP technology Photopolymerisation techno s struggle with hard material related process limits/ liquid process stays superior Filament extrusion: Low technical entry barrier, but anisotropy very limiting in enjoying the performance these materials bring Laser sintering: process most limiting, but options available to broaden material palette (in combination with incrementaltechnology modifications). 48