Diverse materials for a high-growth market

Global spending on 3D printing has reached around $11 billion in 2015, according to data from International Data Corporation (IDC). The IDC anticipates the 3D printing market to grow by 27 percent annually that by 2019, global spending would have reached to about $27 billion. This came as no surprise as 3D printing has become widely accepted in various industries. The release of affordable 3D printers and 3D materials also contributed to the growth of this sector in the past three years.  

In terms of regions, the Asia-Pacific, United States and Western Europe are booming markets with rising combined share on 3D printing spending moving from 59 percent in 2014 to 70 percent by 2019, according to IDC. China is leading the market for 3D printing products and services.  

Recent developments in 3D printing point to the release of more advanced 3D printers and technologies, while materials are also getting more sophisticated in response to the demand for high-performance, flexible and more affordable inputs.  Estimates on the total market for seven key materials used in 3D printing - electrically conducting materials, silicone, biomaterials, carbon fiber, regolith, ceramics and graphene - could rise to more than $8 billion by 2025, according to Research and Markets.

Using ceramic as material
Researchers at HRL Laboratories, LLC, have achieved a new milestone in 3D printing technology by developing and demonstrating an approach to additively manufacture ceramics. The process overcomes the limits of traditional ceramic processing and enables high temperature, high strength ceramic components.

HRL’s Senior Chemical Engineer Zak Eckel and Senior Chemist Dr. Chaoyin Zhou invented a resin formulation that can be 3D printed into parts of virtually any shape and size. The printed resin can then be fired, converting it into a high strength, fully dense ceramic. The resulting material can withstand ultra-high temperatures in excess of 1700°C and exhibits strength ten times higher than similar materials.

Ceramics are much more difficult to process than polymers or metals because they cannot be cast or machined easily. Traditionally ceramic parts are consolidated from powders by sintering, which introduces porosity and limits both achievable shapes and final strength.  "With our new 3D printing process we can take full advantage of the many desirable properties of this silicon oxycarbide ceramic, including high hardness, strength and temperature capability as well as resistance to abrasion and corrosion," according to program manager Dr. Tobias Schaedler.

The novel process and material could be used in a wide range of applications from large components in jet engines and hypersonic vehicles to intricate parts in micro-electromechanical systems and electronic device packaging.


HRL Laboratories invented a resin that can be 3D printed and converted into ceramic

Filaments for various end-products
Graphene 3D Lab Inc. has introduced a new functional magnetic filament to its product line. This new filament was developed by Graphene 3D and will allow printing of 3D projects with components that are attracted to magnetic fields. This filament is ideal for producing sensors and mechanical actuators and motors by additive manufacturing. The filament is available for purchase in 1.75mm diameter, 350 gram spools.

"It has always been the objective of Graphene 3D to create new opportunities for 3D printing. With every functional filament we introduce to the market, the types of 3D projects that can be successfully printed expands exponentially," said Elena Polyakova, Co-CEO of Graphene 3D. "As this filament is ideally suited to switches, sensors and actuators, we also expect this new functionality will challenge more traditional manufacturers to examine incorporating more 3D printing technology into their manufacturing processes."

"We expect 2016 to be a significant year for Graphene 3D in terms of introducing new functional filaments," added Daniel Stolyarov, Co-CEO of Graphene 3D. "We have several new functional filaments in the development pipeline and we expect to release several new filaments throughout the year. Availability of a large selection of functional 3D printing materials enlarges the capabilities of additive manufacturing allowing you to print projects that will only be limited by your imagination."

Graphene 3D is in the business of developing, manufacturing, and marketing proprietary graphene-based nanocomposite materials for various types of 3D printing, including fused filament fabrication as well as the manufacture and sale of graphene materials and nanocomposite enhanced polymers through its wholly owned subsidiary, Graphene Labs. The company is also involved in the design, manufacture, and marketing of 3D printers and related products for domestic and international customers.  The Graphene 3D facility is located in Calverton, NY and is equipped with material processing and analytical equipment. The company has six US patent applications pending for its technology.  

In a bid to expand its filament offerings for the fast-growing 3D printing sector, Eastman Chemical Company and colorFabb BV added to their collaborative range of materials for the industry. The companies launched nGen made with Eastman Amphora™ AM3300 3D polymer at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month with Aleph Objects, Inc., makers of the award-winning LulzBot desktop 3D printers.

The filament offers a wide processing temperature range allowing for quicker printing, while maintaining many of the advantages that Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer brought to the colorFabb_XT product. nGen remains a tough, low-odor, styrene-free solution suited for a variety of 3D printing needs. The use of this latest material runs the gamut of 3D-printed applications, ranging from prototyping to experimenting, and from designing to making serious money, according to Ruud Rouleaux, managing director, colorFabb. In addition, nGen made with Eastman Amphora™ AM3300 3D polymer will allow for casual users and those who enjoy do-it-yourself projects to use a high-quality filament, said Alex Dudal, market development representative, Eastman.

Flexible materials on the rise
A growing number of companies are innovating to come up with flexible 3D printing materials intended for 3D printing service providers, who are in need of flexible and high-performance materials for various applications.  At CES 2016, French 3D printing service provider, Sculpteo, introduced a flexible TPU for laser sintering processes. The flexible plastic material makes it possible to create functional objects with a Shore hardness level of 65A, and meet the demand for producing items with complex mechanical properties.

The material offered by Sculpteo is touted as the world’s most flexible 3D printed TPU and has already helped the company’s customers in developing projects in innovative sectors like the fashion industry and medical/healthcare.  

The material enables the creation of   fully functional objects that are soft or have soft parts. The Shore hardness level of 65A makes it the most flexible 3D printed TPU available in the market today. As any other material engineered for SLS 3D printing, the Flexible Plastic is a powder based material. The specificity of the material allows one to create objects that are very flexible but strong at the same time. The granular and grainy finish is very characteristic of this material.