What are the best ways to print high-temperature materials?

For MMCs and CMCs it's very much necessary to have high temperature chambers or gas chambers. But due to uneven temperature distribution it's almost impossible to get a product without error. Mostly internal cracks and stress generated defects remain, which needs post processing.

When dealing with metals, the tried and tested process type would be Laser Powder Bed Fusion machines. High temp. nickel alloys can be processed with LPBF.

A standard process is great to follow, nonetheless with high temperatures one must conduct small-scale experiments and test prints to optimize settings for specific high-temperature material. This helps identify the ideal conditions for successful printing.

Selecting a 3D printer for schools requires careful consideration of safety and educational needs. Opt for a printer with a heated chamber, high-temperature extruder, and a compatible nozzle, crucial for handling advanced materials. The heated chamber prevents warping, while a high-temperature extruder reaching 400°C or more ensures versatility. Some printers are purpose-built for high-temperature materials, while others can be upgraded. Prioritise safety with enclosed chambers, proper ventilation, and comprehensive training. This approach ensures that 3D printing in schools is both educational and secure, offering students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.

If you are a DIY enthusiast choosing a printer which allows you to do off the shelf upgrades becomes a necessity. The surface of the bed plays a crucial role in bottom layer finish and part adhesion to bed. A glass bed is generally used to achieve super flat first layers while PEI sheets offer best possible adhesion to even hard to adhere materials. Its not just about product finish but even about the material properties. Printing PETG on glass bed should be avoided as it can adhere a little too well to the surface and even potentially damage the surface of the glass bed rendering it useless

In my opinion, for printing metallic high-temperature materials, heating the base plate to a certain temperature might help as well.

Furthermore, when selecting high-temperature filaments, it’s vital to understand the specific requirements of the intended application. Different materials excel in various environments, and considering factors like chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and thermal stability is crucial. Conducting thorough research on the intended use case and consulting material data sheets can guide filament selection for optimal results.

One thing to understand while adjusting 3D printer settings is, it's never a one size fits all solution. The settings which work for lets say PLA might cause PETG parts to fail even if temperature is accounted for. This mainly happens because adjusting temperature is just like shaving the tip of the iceberg. Each material has different viscosity which makes other properties like flow rate, flow compensation etc very important. Mechanical properties of material even at room temperature effects settings for example TPU is a flexible filament which is notoriously hard to print. Due to its flexible nature adjusting retraction on it becomes very difficult.

At Rosswag Engineering, we push the envelope in LPBF technology, using AddiMap to adjust printing settings for high-temperature applications, ensuring superior material integrity and performance.

Augmenter la surface de contacte de la pièce avec le lit d'impression permet de réduire le risque de décollement de la pièce durant l'impression. surtout dans le cas de pièces allongées ou contenant des coins.

Bed adhesion is one of the largest challenges to deal with from my experience, especially when printing more difficult materials like PETG or something dissolvable like HIPS (or both at the same time). I’ve had issues with both too much adhesion to the print bed or too little adhesion. I use a magnetic build plate with a bed sticker to ensure an optimal bond, and it provides a quick easy way to remove the print. The best thing to do before printing is to test and adjust the parameters for each project to ensure successful prints because we cant always be near our printers!!

For scenarios where fast and economical production is needed, breakaway supports are the most ideal as they provide an easy cleanup, with minimal material wastage. With the new 'organic' or 'tree' type generative supports, the removal is made even easier and they save even more material. These type of supports also prevent the occurrence of a support structure on a face of the part, which reduces marks or blemishes on the print surface. The slicing profile can be finely tuned for the printer and material, to have a very acute clearance of the support interface from the print, which supports the print enough and also doesn't leave marks on the print surface. This would require a few iterations until the most ideal result is achieved.

Post-processing high-temperature materials in primary and secondary schools pose safety and technical challenges. Yet, it's crucial for students to grasp advanced techniques. Virtual learning options, like video links or demonstrations, offer a solution. These methods enhance skills, encourage creativity, and broaden perspectives. Beyond safety concerns, providing accessible avenues for understanding post-processing fosters critical thinking and prepares students for future careers in advanced manufacturing. Let's empower the next generation with a comprehensive view of 3D printing. #Education #3DPrinting #STEMEducation

One potential pitfall with high temperature materials is the high temperature needed to print them, and the (potential) large shrinkage and warping that come with improper or insufficient cooling. While a heated printbed helps maintain temperature towards the bottom of a part, this may not be enough for larger (or taller) prints. Proper control of the temperature of all parts of the print and the printing environment (i.e. heated chamber) are vital to successful printing with high temperature materials. Depending on the material and the ambient conditions, this may even mean active heating of the part during and after printing, until even cooling is possible.

Assuming this is only polymers, there are three 3D Printing processes that are most ideal for printing HIgh temp materials SLS SLA FFF Each has a set of materials that can print varying high temperature materials. Choose one based on operational needs of the part.

Container-less processing. Levitation pinning printing could be an area to consider depending on your material and design application.

Just because you can print high temperature polymers doesn't mean you should print high temperature polymers. In many cases high temperature polymers can be replaced by low temperature polymers without any significant impact. But if still high temperature polymers are required many factors like shrinkage, warping, heated enclosure etc should be used. Even while slicing the model shrinkage allowances and flow compensations should be considered as they can prove to be instrumental in successful 3D prints

By googling high temperature applications or use cases, you will often find popular and proven high temperature materials to be of: ULTEM, Peek and pekk