3D Printing Materials
The use of three-dimensional printing technology in manufacturing has become extremely popular as 3D printers become available to manufacturers. Evidence of this is seen across many major industries such as automotive, medical, sports, electronics, aerospace and building materials to name a few. A primary example of this is the use of 3D printing to make major engine components out of various grades of Nylon, a material that is more heat and chemical resistant than traditional parts. Another example includes the medical industry, which uses 3D printers to create items with complex geometries like surgical instruments, implants, prosthetic limbs and even organs. With the rise of 3D printing comes the increase in demand for materials that can be 3D printed. Hosokawa Micron Powder Systems has the knowledge and equipment to meet these special applications.
Materials that are used with three-dimensional printers usually need to be size reduced to a fine powder and sometimes classified before they can be 3D printed. HCPS routinely processes materials such as Nylon (PA), Polylactic acid (PLA), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and Polyetherethylketone (PEEK) and many more. Current applications require particle sizes from 50 µm (about 270 MESH) up to 600 µm (30 MESH), though finer materials are possible.
HCPS has attrition milling systems specifically designed to process these types of materials. They are high speed cutting mills designed for the fine size reduction of plastics and polymers that do not respond well to impact milling. They are designed to pulverize heat sensitive and soft materials without the use of cooling and allow for higher capacities without material degradation.