In 3D printing, the quality of the printed material plays a leading role in the appearance quality of the product.
3D printing will undoubtedly become a technology application widely promoted in the automotive, medical, construction and other industries in the next 10 years. What are the opportunities and challenges that plastics will play in the next 10 years as an important 3D printing raw material?
SmarTech, a world-renowned consulting firm, recently announced the "Application of Plastics in the 3D Printing Market for the Next 10 Years" to evaluate newer plastic materials including polycarbonate, polystyrene, TPU, PET, PBA, and polyethylene. Alcohols, polyoxymethylenes and alternative bioplastics, transparent materials, flexible materials, and nano-reinforced plastics. The report points out that plastics will be a competitive advantage for 3D printing companies.
Many plastic injection mould maker are looking for plastic materials that will generate substantial revenues in the next few years, and even 3D printing companies are starting to buy material development companies. At the same time, major material companies are beginning to take 3D printing as a profitable niche market to seize business opportunities. ABS and PLA – Green Applications Are Imperative For the past 30 years, most companies have mainly adopted ABS as a prototype for production, which has consolidated ABS's position as the first 3D printing media material. A wide range of ABS materials are available for 3D printing and are unmatched by other plastic materials. Different types of high quality ABS products are available in the market, and their color, transparency, fire and chemical resistance are comparable to other traditionally processed materials. However, due to the lack of standardized monofilament fibers, the market for ABS monofilament fibers is also relatively fragmented, making it impossible for material suppliers to pursue greater capacity.
In the past few years, the industry has begun to use 1.75 mm monofilament fiber diameter as the standard processing diameter. ABS will face various challenges despite its many benefits. In the past 10 years, due to the limitations of the physical properties of ABS materials, it has also brought some restrictions for personal 3D printing.
Although ABS is the most common material in the 3D printed materials market, it does not bring huge market revenues like nylon or resin.
PLA is being used as a green product instead of ABS and is gradually being used in 3D printing. As plastics continue to increase their green appeal to traditional manufacturing processes, PLA is becoming the most used material in production applications. Part of the PLA material composition is derived from renewable lactose extracted from corn starch, soybeans, cassava roots, sugar cane, potatoes, wheat and many other plants. Some PLA blends, such as the PLA4043D, have been converted to more environmentally friendly materials. Many material suppliers now offer PLA monofilament fibers for 3D printing, and some are even exclusive. Nylon - new materials and new suppliers, unlimited potential Although the most common part of the 3D printed materials market is ABS and PLA, nylon is actually the largest application material. It is expected that by 2019, nylon will occupy the 3D printing materials market. 30% market share.
Nylon materials are being improved in the direction of functional prototyping and terminal manufacturing applications. Nylon can be used in high temperature extrusion processes, but it also exhibits melting characteristics in the laser sintering process. Globally, nylon 6 is primarily used in traditional processing processes, including injection molding. Nylon 12 is often used in laser sintering additive manufacturing processes. Because people can better control the internal structure of 3D printed nylon parts, realize the change of fiber sequence, and improve the homosexual performance of the parts, it can output deformation programming to the object under pressure conditions.
Therefore, nylon will continue to maintain its advantages in the 3D printed materials market. Despite this, the number of nylon powder suppliers for additive manufacturing is still limited. At present, only a very small number of manufacturers produce nylon powder for 3D printing. The main suppliers are: Evonik, Arkema, Arzuano, ExcelTec and Rhodia. There are also some Chinese companies that produce nylon powder for laser sintering.
Photosensitive Resin - Beginning with Prototyping, After 30 Years of Resin, the resin is selectively cured to form the structure of the object. Since the technology debuted 30 years ago, 3D printing resins have brought a small but lucrative user base to prototype engineers. In the next decade, there will still be huge business opportunities for resins. With the large-scale installation of SLA equipment, more functional resin materials and end applications will appear in the dental industry. In the next decade, the market demand for resins is expected to be as large as the demand for 3D printed nylon. However, the largest application of resin will be primarily prototyping. SLA equipment produces highly accurate 3D prototypes that can perform shape fit tests. These prototypes, with washers, gears and hinges, will have a major impact on the manufacture of components in the automotive, medical, heavy machinery, and aerospace industries. SL equipment is also beginning to have a major impact in design-oriented industries such as construction and electronics.
It is expected that the continuous improvement of resin materials in the next 5-7 years will enable engineers to produce more powerful functional prototype parts. These functional prototype components are used directly in the high performance automotive industry and the aerospace industry. Photosensitive resins will also have special applications in the dental medical industry. The photosensitive resin supply chain in the 3D printing industry is quite complete. Due to the long history of these resins, a large number of professional and efficient chemical suppliers will be more willing to serve the manufacture of 3D printed resin materials. Outlook for the next decade Three types of plastic ABS, PLA and nylon will continue to occupy the largest share of the 3D printed materials market in the next 10 years. It is estimated that by 2019, the market demand for these materials will reach 13,000 tons.
ABS and PLA continue to meet the needs of business enthusiasts of 3D printing and will bring powerful business opportunities to the personal 3D printing market. More durable polymers such as TPU, polycarbonate and nylon will gain more market share in the next decade. The use of new materials in 3D printing can help professionals achieve different product performance, provide lighter weight, better performance parts, reduce secondary installation procedures, and even custom-made medical implants and dental solutions. It is possible that this will bring more value to the relevant market segments.
But now, device manufacturers control the supply chain of 3D printed materials, which reduces the chances of competition for big materials companies. However, some materials companies work with small equipment manufacturers and even develop their own 3D printing equipment. Some companies like CRP Technology and DSM Somos are looking for business opportunities by developing special materials for automotive and dental applications.
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