PolyJet 3D Printing: A Beginner’s Guide
Till now, you might have been studying about simpler or dual-extruder 3D printer kits. As we move on, it’s now the time to learn about the newest PolyJet 3D printers and the concerned technology.
What is PolyJet?
PolyJet is a common short form used in place of ‘photopolymer jetting’. And PolyJet 3D printers could be called a subclass of Material Jetting (Extruding) 3D Printers.
Material jetting refers to a kind of 3D printing technology in which a DIY 3D printer kit jets the 3D printing material with a printer head, and this the solidifies with the help of UV light.
Material jetting processes normally use photopolymers as the build material.
Special Attributes of PolyJet 3D Printers:
Being a part of additive manufacturing technology, PolyJet 3D printing is used for rapid prototyping. These are the printers which possess two or more jetting heads and are used to spray outlines of a product in subsequent layers.
As the photopolymer liquid emerges, it gets instantaneously cured with the help of a UV lamp fitted in the printer. As a result, you get plastic, solid model which is highly accurate and precise.
Besides, the PolyJet 3D printers entail a gel-like material for supports, which could be washed away easily. The printed models possess a smooth surface finish and could be effortlessly painted, drilled or tapped.
Build Materials For PolyJet 3D Printing:
PolyJet 3D Printers offers wide range 3D materials. Apart from employing the standard photopolymers, the printing materials include:
· Digital materials
· Rigid and Opaque materials
· High Temperature
· Transparent materials
· Bio-compatible materials
· Rubber-like materials
· Digital ABS materials
· Simulated polypropylene etc.
Advantages of PolyJet 3D Printers:
PolyJet 3D printers offer advantages such as:
· The printers have various jetting heads that allow hoards of build materials simultaneously. Due to this, you could produce objects with varying levels of flexibility under a single fabrication. Thus, PolyJet 3D printers allow you to build extremely intricate designs with a smoother finish.
· With multiple jetting heads, you could use photopolymers of varying colors in just a single build. Thus, they allow you to fabricate multi-colored objects.
· The PolyJet 3D printers allow a greater control over the precision of the printed object.
· You could use a wide variety of raw materials which are available for printing. Currently, there are at least 100 different materials available.
PolyJet 3D printing is relatively a newer concept in the world of additive manufacturing. However, the advantages which it offers in terms of more flexible designs, choice of materials and colors etc. makes it a rapidly advancing one.
So if you wish to print with materials of distinct nature and colors, you could always buy 3D printers which use the PolyJet additive manufacturing technology.
