Additive Manufacturing (AM) Polymer Materials Offer New Opportunities

The first rule of 3D printed polymers is the need to rethink applications at the specification level. Part specifications and properties can be improved upon dramatically with additive manufacturing. If you remain focused on legacy materials, specs, and processes you may miss out on the best opportunities to innovate. Host Fabian Alefeld speaks with Dr. Cary Baur, Senior Manager Polymer Technology of EOS, about the best ways to approach innovation with 3D printed polymers, how to separate legacy thinking from an AM strategy, and future materials that meet application requirements and provide for new opportunities.

The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.

Key Takeaways:

[1:43] A general overview of polymer materials suited for 3D printing and why nylons are ideal. 

[6:21] Consider the minimum requirements when choosing a new material and be open to change to leverage AM. 

[8:52] Cary describes the base polymers, fillers, and new materials being used in AM.

[14:23] An example of how Cary’s team designs and develops new materials to meet a client’s performance requirements.

[20:55] Engineering variables to consider to control consistency and reproducibility of an AM process and output. 

[27:27] New applications and new frontiers being pushed by additive manufacturing solutions.

[33:27] How and why to separate legacy thinking from a polymer AM strategy.

Shareables:

“The most effective way to target new applications in laser sintering is by having an openness and an understanding that your specification might have to change to accommodate a new material.” — Dr. Cary Baur, Sr. Manager, Polymer Technology, EOS on The Additive Snack Podcast

”Many customers enter additive manufacturing by actually converting existing parts first with the roadmap later of designing specifically for the process.— Dr. Cary Baur, Sr. Manager, Polymer Technology, EOS on The Additive Snack Podcast

“We are more and more being tasked with understanding the variables that we can control understand the variables that could we can monitor and understanding what we cannot control .”— Dr. Cary Baur, Sr. Manager, Polymer Technology, EOS on The Additive Snack Podcast