| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Printing Technology | Printing Family | Material Type | Material Options | Manufacturer Link, Materials | General Material Mechanical Properties | Material Optical Properties | Material Colors | Biocompatible? | Layer Thickness | Maximum Part Size | Strengths | Weaknesses | Relative Cost | |
2 | FDM - Fused Deposition Modeling | Material Extrusion | Thermoplastic | PLA (Polylactic Acid) ABS ASA (Acrylonitirle Styrene Acrylate) PC (Polycarbonate) Nylon PETG HIPS Particle-Filled Flexible PLAs | https://www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base/fdm-3d-printing-materials-compared | Rigid or Flexible (Mildly) | Translucent Opaque | Black White Translucent (Natural) Other (Special Order) | Some | 0.025-0.3mm Standard = 0.2mm | 12x12x24 inches | Inexpensive, Relatively Sturdy Prints (Rigid, Higher Yield Strength than Polyjet or SLA) | Some geometries may not be appropriate for this technique | $ | |
3 | Reinforced FDM | Material Extrusion >Composite Reinforced | Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic | "Onyx" - Nylon + Chopped Carbon Fiber Composite +optional HTHS Fiberglass/Fiberglass/Kevlar/Carbon Fiber filament reinforcement | https://markforged.com/materials/ | Very Rigid | Opaque | Black only | None | 0.125mm when using fiber reinforcement 0.1mm, 0.125mm, or 0.2mm without fiber reinforcement | 12.59x5.19x6.06 inches | Very Strong Parts - May be substitute for machined aluminum in some cases Better resolution than basic FDM | Some geometries may not be appropriate for this technique | $$$ - $$$$$* | |
4 | SLA - Stereolithography | Vat Photopolymerization > Stereolithography | UV- Curing Photopolymer | "Standard [Clear, Black, White]" - Rigid Opaque "Grey Pro" "Durable" "Tough" "Flexible" "High-Temp" "Surgical Guide" Others | https://formlabs.com/materials/ | Rigid or Flexible | Transparent Translucent Opaque | White Black Blue Transparent/Translucent Amber Translucent | Some - Surgical Guide | 0.025mm 0.05mm 0.1mm | 5.7x5.7x6.9 inches 13.2x7.9x11.8 inches | Delicate Geometry Good Mechanical Properties Good Resolution Biocompatibility | No dedicated support structures require trimming/post-processing | $$ to $$$ | |
5 | Polyjet | Material Jetting > Material Jetting | UV-Curing Photopolymer | "VeroWhite" - Rigid Opaque "Tango+" - Flexible Translucent "TangoBlack" - Flexible Black "MED610" - Biocompatible Rigid Clear | Vero: http://www.stratasys.com/materials/search/vero Tango: http://www.stratasys.com/materials/search/tango MED 610: http://www.stratasys.com/materials/search/biocompatible | Rigid and/or Flexible (multibody) | Transparent Translucent Opaque | White, Translucent-Yellow, Blue/Gray | Some - MED610 | 22 micron | 10x9.9x7.9 inches | Very Hi-Resolution Prints Complicated Geometry Printed Assemblies Multiple Simultaneous Materials Dedicated support structure Very fast prints (potential for same-day turnaround) | Comparatively fragile prints Delicate geometry may be damaged or destroyed in cleaning phase | $$$ | |
6 | Notes | materials in quotes are proprietary trade names | *mechanical properties dependent on material selection | *optical properties dependent on material selection | *color options dependent on material selection | *if biocompatibility is an important characteristic of your print, please speak to a TEAM staff member | *layer thickness material dependent **decreased layer thickness equates to increased print time (and therefore increased cost) | *may be reduced if support structures are necessary |