6 Reasons to Use Plastic 3D Printing

3D印刷开始与聚合物开始，可以说，该行业的塑料方面持续成熟，而不是与其他材料的添加剂制造（AM）迅速。但是用塑料3D打印最好的用例是什么？何时何时常规打印与制造，并且该物质选择何时有意义？

Our reporting about additive manufacturers that have made the decision to 3D print in plastic reveals many of the reasons to do so. Here are six, with examples that illustrate their promise:

1. Low-volume plastic part production without a mold.

批量尺寸是注塑成型的限制因素 - 太小的运行，以及获得模具工具的时间和金钱的投资变得不受欢迎。The Periscope smartphone case, for instance, is a niche product that does not need to be made in large quantities and would not justify the expense of mold tooling. Instead, the phone cases are manufactured in small batches via Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), a plastic 3D printing process that can make the product economically at a limited scale.

2. Easier, faster design iteration and modification.

Point No. 1 above suggests an additional benefit from 3D printing in plastic: Without a mold, there is no constraint against changing a part’s design. When tooling is removed from the manufacturing process, it become possible to rapidly iterate designs to arrive at a final version.

例如，EVCO塑料经过多次迭代的左侧的发现范围寄存器（made with its automated cell of MarkForged 3D printers) before arriving at the final version. In the same way, 3D printing can make it possible to change the product’s design and features between production batches for faster response to customer feedback or changing requirements after the product has already gone to market.

3. Accelerated lead time.

由于塑料3D打印只需要文件和原材料即可开始 - 没有必要的模具，夹具或切削工具 - 使用此过程的制造商可以更快地产生初始零件。例如，Boyce Technologies3D印刷塑料支架for a communications system on an accelerated timeline, delivering the complete products within just 2 weeks — a deadline that would not have been possible to meet if the brackets had been machined or injection molded.

4.用于大规模定制或大规模个性化。

Mass customization, or the ability to tailor a product to the individual customer, is enabled by 3D printing. The lack of tooling allows for design changes on the fly.

例如，AETREX，3D prints custom shoe insoles通过基于顾客脚的扫描选择性激光烧结，捕获几何和力数据。使用此信息，公司不仅可以根据需要量身定制鞋垫的尺寸和形状，还可以创建一个独特的格子或“数字泡沫”模式，可根据需要支撑或靠垫的脚的特定点。这种详细的定制水平不会具有成本效益，并且甚至没有明确的无需3D打印。

5. For assembly consolidation.

The benefits of consolidating assemblies to reduce part count apply whether the material is metal or plastic, but these benefits are potentially greater for plastics. Reducing part counts with plastic 3D printing often also means reducing the number and variety of materials required (simplifying both sourcing and recycling material). Consolidation can also mean reducing the use of fasteners and saving weight. The DustRam is one example. This specialty device wasoriginally manufactured in metal, with a design that required 16 individual pieces and two different materials. By electing to3D print it in nylon instead,大会减少到仅四件和一种材料，重量储蓄近300％。

6. As a replacement for metal.

As demonstrated by the DustRam example, plastic 3D printed parts can also be a valid replacement for componentsmade of metal. Many parts are currently machined from metal simply because this has traditionally been the easiest way to make them, not because theymustbe made of metal. With the advance of the technology and the material options in polymer 3D printing, it’s now viable to 3D print many of these items in plastic. Wilson Tooling, for instance,重新设计了储油液to be manufactured in plastic using Digital Light Synthesis (DLS). The original reservoir design included up to nine different cold-rolled steel components that had to be welded together and rigorously tested for leaks. 3D printing the reservoirs allows the the component to be just one piece, greatly reducing the risk for leakage and failure while also simplifying the manufacturing process.

For more examples of successes with plastic 3D printing, visit ourPolymer AM区。