Customers often inquire about the availability of additive manufacturing (AM) materials that have similar mechanical properties to commonly used thermoplastics and polymers like PTFE, Polypropylene, and Delrin due to their robustness, resilience, chemical stability, and ability to be machined or (excluding PTFE) injection molded.
Depending on the 3D printing technology used, there are usually various AM thermoset or thermoplastic materials that can fulfill the desired properties. In many instances, 3D printing with materials possessing similar properties can be more cost-effective than traditional methods, particularly for projects that are labor-intensive or require design flexibility, customization, or a greater variety of material options.
Stratasys offers a variety of validated materials that satisfy, and in some cases exceed, the required mechanical properties. Below are some examples that share similar properties with PTFE, Polypropylene, and Delrin:
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Thermoplastics:
- Antero 800NA & ULTEM 1010 Incredibly tough; great chemical resistance
- Nylon 6 & Nylon 12 Great flexural strength
- Nylon 12 CF Flexural strength of Nylon 12 with added CF reinforcement
- Polycarbonate (PC) Durable and stable for strong parts with heat resistance
- Diran 140MF07 Tough; smooth texture with low sliding friction
Programmable Photopolymerization (P3) Thermosets::
- Loctite 3843 High strength resin with similar mechanical properties to Delrin and Polypropylene
- Dura 56 Low cost, durable resin similar to ABS and Delrin
- Loctite 3172 Impact modified resin similar to polypropylene; ductile with great impact strength
There are many other materials available with desirable properties including electrostatic discharge (ESD), stiffness, impact resistance, and exceptional surface finish. I encourage you to reach out to AdvancedTek’s Business Development and Application Engineering teams for assistance in finding the right material for your specific job.
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Meet Dan McGee
Dan is a business development rep at AdvancedTek covering the state of Minnesota. Prior to AdvancedTek, Dan has 13 years’ experience in the metal forming industry with a background in tool & die and production metal forming.
Outside of work Dan enjoys mountain biking, traveling, and summers at the cabin.
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