Stratasys helps expand 3DPRINTUK's capabilities
Image courtesy 3DPRINTUK
Along with this expansion, the company is introducing PA11, a tough, durable, and sustainable bio-polymer that opens up even more possibilities for customer projects. It has added a new polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) 3D printing process to its portfolio of industrial manufacturing systems, specifically SAF technology from Stratasys. This further expands the manufacturing capabilities and capacity of 3DPRINTUK, based in London, UK and adds to the suite of EOS Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) machines and HP MultiJet Fusion (MJF) machines that the company has been running for more than a decade.
SAF — or Selective Absorption Fusion — technology, like MJF, is based on the pioneering high speed sintering process developed by Professor Neil Hopkinson, who has been the VP of Additive Manufacturing (AM) Technology at Stratasys since November 2021. The focus for this production-grade AM process is the manufacture of higher volumes of accurate, consistent and repeatable parts. This exactly fits the remit of 3DPRINTUK.
Nick Allen, CEO of 3DPRINTUK, said: “We have built our reputation as a service provider of high-quality polymer 3D printed parts on demand over many years. This means that we have extensive expertise and experience in this area. When Stratasys introduced the SAF process, it was a new and interesting proposition that we could not ignore and the addition of the SAF H350 machine slots comfortably into our extensive portfolio. Incidentally, the SAF H350 system is the first one of its kind being used by a service provider in the UK, so we are looking forward to showing our clients what it is capable of. And, in the tradition of 3DPRINTUK, we have tested the system to the extreme over an 18-month period to ensure that the consistency and quality of parts meets the standards of 3DPRINTUK. Launching the machine as part of our service will significantly extend our output and capacity.”
The SAF H350 system has been specifically developed by Stratasys to produce highly efficient part volumes due to its high nesting density capabilities, which also lowers cost per part.
While these were important considerations in the addition of SAF for 3DPRINTUK, another key driver behind the purchase is that the SAF system allows the company to add a new material to its polymer line-up, specifically Polyamide 11 (PA11). While the SAF platform can process a range of polymer materials, 3DPRINTUK will focus solely on PA11 with SAF.
PA11 is a Nylon material, produced by the polymerization of 11-aminoundecanoic acid, making it a ‘bioplastic’ and more eco-friendly. It is made from renewable resources that come from natural vegetable and castor oil source materials. This means it has a lower environmental impact from manufacturing the powder through to end of life of the products it makes. This is part of a long-term 3DPRINTUK mission to develop a realistic and pragmatic sustainability plan.
However, other properties of PA11 make it ideal for 3DPRINTUK, and, more specifically, its clients. PA11 is stronger than P12 and less rigid (more elastic) with high impact resistance. It also exhibits superior thermal resistance, as well as being stable in light with good resistance to water and moisture.
Off the machine, PA11 SAF parts look a lot like MJF parts but with slightly crisper details thanks to the latest High Definition print mode update from Stratasys. The material is well suited to an array of applications such as automotive interior components, electrical enclosures, drone components, and part series, as well as mechanically loaded functional prototypes. Any parts produced using SAF can be finished with 3DPRINTUK’s extensive post-processing options.
