3D printing companies Anisoprint and Polymaker have joined forces to develop 3D printed composite parts with more flexibility.
Anisoprint says that its continuous fiber 3D printing can be used with any plastic with a processing temperature up to 270°? as a matrix material, while Polymaker can supply a wide range of engineering 3D printing materials such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polylactic acid (PLA) and polyamides (PA). Using Anisoprint composite fiber co-extrusion (CFC) technology plastic can be reinforced with continuous composite fibers directly during the printing process, the companies say.
In one example, a clevis, a U-shaped part of a production line, was printed on an Anisoprint Composer 3D printer using PETG reinforced with composite carbon fiber. According to the companies, this adds toughness and rigidity and improves the lifespan of the clevis. Production time was also reduced in comparison to the original part made from milled polyamide, and the new part is reportedly resistant to peroxide.
This story uses material from Anisoprint, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
