3D-printed plastics match mechanical properties of moulded parts
Parts 3D-printed in plastic could have the same mechanical properties as moulded parts with the application of localised heating, claim researchers in the US.
By integrating plasma science and carbon nanotube technology into standard 3D printing, researchers at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with scientists at Essentium, Inc, welded adjacent printed layers more effectively, increasing the overall reliability of the final part.
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"Finding a way to remedy the inadequate bonding between printed layers has been an ongoing quest in the 3D printing field," said Micah Green, associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering. "We have now developed a sophisticated technology that can bolster welding between these layers all while printing the 3D part."
Their findings have been published in Nano Letters.
Plastics are commonly used for extrusion 3D printing (fused deposition modelling), a technique in which molten plastic is squeezed out of a nozzle that prints parts layer by layer. As the printed layers cool, they fuse to one another to create the final 3D part.
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