FORMFUTURA HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMERS!
Over the past years the world of 3D printing mainly did exist out of materials like ABS, PLA and PET(G). A lot of developments have raised in the field of 3D printing, which do result in more and more possibilities.
3D printing was mainly used for prototyping and small scale production for little objects. With developments on both the 3D printer side as the 3D printer filament side we now have much more possibilities. Nowadays 3D printing can be used for much more than just prototyping.
The automotive and aerospace sector have embraced 3D printing years ago. In the past this mainly concerned prototyping, as the properties of general filaments did not meet the appropriate standards yet.
The demand for high-performance materials increased strongly over the years, but the limiting factor in this used to be the hardware. As nowadays more and more printers have the ability to print on high temperatures this limiting factor has dissapeared.
With the launch of the high-performance polymers we have made another step to bring FDM / FFF 3D printing closer to the industrial market. With our high-performance filaments it becomes more and more easy to realise objects for industrial purposes throughout 3D printing.
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High-performance filaments in 3d-printing.
Desktop 3D printers are generally not used for critical applications and parts, high-temperature machines are. The tolerances, dimensional accuracy and properties of the parts are critical to meet the sector standards. 3D printing with high-temperature printers allow the usage of high-performance materials, which opens the door to 3D print end-use parts for aerospace, automotive and medical applications. 3D printing filaments such as PEEK, PEKK, PPSU and PEI (Ultem) parts are replacing steel and other metal parts in the heavy industry.
The high-perfomance 3D printer filaments are on the forefront of using 3D printed parts in aerospace and other applications. These filaments are being used to save weight and production costs of custom parts. High-Temperature 3D Printers are not hype anymore, but actual production machines.
The usage of high-temperature 3D printers allow flexibility in faraway projects. They offer the possibility to have on-the-spot production of (unforeseen) necessary functional parts. 3D printers are accompanying people on boats, space shuttles, satellites and other secluded locations. Instead of carrying a wide range of different spare parts it is possible to include rolls of 3D printing filaments and print only the necessary goods whenever needed. This offers a huge advantage on the logistic part of your projects.
The pAEk family
PolyArylEtherKetone (PAEK) is a family of semi-crystalline high performance thermoplastics that are characterized by high mechanical strength and excellent resistance to temperature, chemicals and wear. The most widely used members of the PAEK thermoplastic family are:
• PolyEtherEtherKetone (PEEK)
• PolyEtherKetoneKetone (PEKK)
• PolyEtherKetone (PEK)
• PolyEtherKetoneEtherKetoneKetone (PEKEKK)
• PolyEtherEtherKetoneKetone (PEEKK)
MATCH WITH the easyfix adhesive
Whenever working with materials such as PEEK, PEKK, PEI and PPSU it is best to eliminate all hazards that possibly excist. These filaments are more expensive than general 3D printing filaments and therefore it is even more important to avoid any failed prints.
With our EasyFix Nr. VII you'll eliminate all problems when it comes to warping and adhesion. EasyFix - Nr.VII is a build plate adhesive for 3D printing which is specifically engineered to work with high-performance polymers, such as PEEK, PEKK, PPSU and ULTEM filaments.
EasyFix adhesives are engineered to glue firmly to a heated build plate, making an object stick firmly to the build plate. On the other hand, it also has excellent release properties when the build plate is cold. This makes it very easy to remove a printed object from the build plate while reducing the risk of damaging the build plate and printed object in the process.
Adhesive & Drying - Tips & Tricks
If you need to dry the materials you need an oven that can run for several hours. Its highly recommended to dry these filaments for +4 hours at a maximum of 110°C (230°F). Our cardboard spools can withhold these constant high temperatures without a problem.
We also highly recommend to use our Adhesive Nr. VII which is made for PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM, and other High-Performance Materials. It's also highly recommended to print in a heated chamber at 90°C (176°F) and to get great first layer adhesion and release properties our Adhesive will help you spare the build-plates.
