3D printing and filament development
3D printing has the potential to change our lives and the
industry in the future. Today's 3D printers can print over 100 different materials, and the ability
to print prototypes the same day encourages creativity and innovation by giving manufacturers the
ability to test designs until they are perfect. In addition, design errors can be detected and
corrected at an early stage. Furthermore, realistic 3D models are used to attract potential
customers.
Development of filaments for 3D printing
The IFR develops and produces the filaments for 3D printing. Currently, plastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-syrol copolymer(ABS) or polylactides (PLA) are mainly used in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) or Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). But there are other polymers and polymer blends that are suitable for 3D printing. It is also possible to use fillers to adjust the properties.