What main materials are used in 3D printing?

Many people have heard of 3D printing technology but know less about the material of 3D printing. Raw materials are essential for 3D printing technology. Usually, we choose different materials for printing because of the requirements, and products characteristics and use. Till now, there are more than 200 categories available for 3D printing.

Metal materials (stainless steel, titanium alloy, gold, silver, etc.)

Stainless steel has the following characteristics of chemical corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and good mechanical properties. Powder sintering with SLS is available in silver, bronze, and white. It is widely available in aerospace, petrochemical, chemical, food processing, paper, and metal processing industries. Titanium alloys have the advantages of high strength, low density, good corrosion resistance, and good biocompatibility. They are widely used in sports equipment and medical equipment. In addition, there are precious metal powder materials such as gold and silver used for printing jewelry.

ABS plastic

ABS is the most common material for some large-scale FDM technology 3D printing and is available in many colors and can also support customized colors. It is one of the favorite printing consumables for 3D printing users to print fun toys such as Lego blocks or creative household items.

PLA plastic fuse

PLA plastic fuse is a regular printing material, especially for consumer 3D printers. PLA is a biodegradable plastic that can be degraded, recycled, and decayed away. It is suitable for making items for boxes, gifts, models, and prototypes as an environmentally friendly material. PLA does not require a heated bed, which is different from printing ABS, so PLA is suitable for low-end 3D printers. PLA, like ABS, is available in a variety of colors and is also available in translucent and fully transparent materials.

Ceramic powder

Compared with metal, ceramic powders have higher hardness and higher temperature resistance. It is an ideal material for cookware, tableware (cups, bowls, plates, egg cups, and coasters), and home decorations such as candle holders, tiles, vases, artworks, etc. Ceramic tableware made with the SLS process can hold food.

Photosensitive resin

Most of them are liquid, with good liquid fluidity, and support instant photocuring properties. The photosensitive resin is a vital raw material for SLA photocuring molding technology, and it is also the best material for printing high-precision items. The accuracy after molding is higher than that of FDM technology. It is commonly used in automobiles, home appliances, consumer electronics, and other fields.

Graphene materials.

Graphene is the super material in 3D printing because it can be as solid as diamond and flexible as rubber. The scientists combine it with 3D printing technology as a new member of the 3D printing material family. And they believe graphene is a magical high-tech material that will have a revolutionary impact on 3D printing.

These are common 3D printing materials. Also, other materials are not uncommon in printing, including concrete, wood, and paper, and these materials have already had a few successful application cases. For example, use special reinforced concrete to build houses, etc. With the continuous development of 3D printing technology, there will be more possibilities in our lives, and 3D printing will change the world forever.

WKproto is a professional rapid prototyping and low-volume production manufacture specializing in 3D printing, CNC machining, and Vacuum Casting. Our factory and parter factories enable rapid prototyping of designs from our customers and low volume production for market verification.

We have three factories. 3D printing factory meets the demands of most 3D printing services with 100 SLA machines, 10 SLS machines, 10 MJF machines, 10 SLM machines, and 20 FDM machines. CNC machining factories for processing metals, plastic and more materials with more than 200 machines for CNC milling/CNC lathes/EDM / Wire EDM and the Vacuum Casting factory is for low volume production for ABS、PC、PP、PE、PA、POM、PMMA、PVC.