Since the development of the first 3D printer, the technology has been touted as the most promising and in the plastics industry, the impact of 3D printing cannot be undermined. The technique has been revolutionary and enables the production of various parts in an easy-to-operate machine capable of quick production. For plastic products manufacturers, the simple task of using a design software to create and print using a 3D printer can yield multiple benefits – one of each is that the desired product design is achieved at the shortest time possible.
3D printing essentially makes use of an additive process, where successive layers of raw material are laid down in different shapes. Many developments are taking place in this segment that when talking about 3D printing, one can go beyond prototyping into a broader range of products, such as 3D software printers, raw materials and coatings, printing machines and all other support services.
Many companies, one of them being Stratasys Ltd., have been providing 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions.Stratasys has been credited for launching innovative products in the area of 3D printing, one of these products being the first multi-material full colour 3D printer, the Objet500 Connex3. The colour 3D printer is designed to drastically change design, engineering and manufacturing processes. Objet500 Connex3 Colour Multi-material 3D Printer uses coloured plastic in the traditional inkjet colours of cyan, magenta, and yellow. It is the only 3D Printer that enables colour 3D printing with virtually unlimited combinations of rigid, flexible and transparent materials, as well as digital resources, in a single print run.
The 3D printer makes possible functionally complex models with desirable mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation before breaking, and multiple hardness values. For example, the printer is able to print 3D glasses using an "opaque Veroyellow" material for the frame, a rubber-like black "Tangoblackplus" material and a translucent yellow tint for the lenses, all in one print job with no assembly required. This means that one can design a pair of swim goggles, for example, and once the initial design is finished, the goggles can be printed in colour, including the tinted lenses plus flexible parts, without needing to print the parts.
3D printing is here to stay. It can bring many possibilities and put the plastics industry in a position where design enhancement and quick turnaround time can eventually lower costs,
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