3D Printing is an excellent way to produce low cost prototypes prior to full scale production. In some cases 3D printing can also be utilized to produce fully functioning and reliable parts and assemblies for end use. This has totally revolutionized the way that manufacturing is done in the modern age. It is also brings creative manufacturing closer to the average consumer, allowing anyone from engineers, designers, makers and hobbyists to produce just about anything. It is for this reason that Starter Design has integrated 3D printing technology into its creative services.
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process. Starter Design currently supports Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing. The FDM process utilizes plastic filament. When fed through the printer’s extruder, the filament is melted and deposited onto the build platform. The print head deposits the material layer by layer until the entire part is formed. Starter Design currently supports a print bed size of 11″ Wide x 7″ Deep x 7″ High. For larger prints, it may be possible to break a 3D Model into pieces small enough to fit within the build envelope. The pieces, once completed, can then be joined together during post processing.
Materials
Starter Design currently offers several different material types for FDM, including PLA, ABS, TPU, Wood-Filled PLA and Carbon Fiber-Filled PLA. Each material has certain advantages which make them suitable for a variety of applications.
TPU - Thermoplastic Polyurethane
Thermoplastic Polyurethane is amazingly flexible, resilient and durable. Even when severely deformed it will completely retain its original shape. Varying the percentage of infill with this material will also yield various levels of firmness, which allows us to produce a part that is either easy to deform or requires more force to deform. TPU is great for making parts that need to bend or deflect such as watch bands, spacers, push buttons, dampeners and other soft parts.
Wood Filled PLA
Filled with real wood fibers, this filament mimics the properties of actual wood so well that the end product can be stained just like real wood. It's great for 3D printing things that are normally made out of wood, such as intricate wooden rosettes, picture frames, cups, vases and figurines such as this Baby Groot designed by Byambaa. Click the text to see his Thingiverse page.
PLA - Polylactic Acid
PLA is the most commonly used material in FDM printing. Made from cornstarch, this biodegradable filament is very easy to work with, thereby making it quite versatile. When printed thin it can be slightly flexible, but when printed with higher infills and thicker walls it can be quite strong. Widely available and very affordable, PLA is the "go-to" material for FDM printing.
ABS - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Although this oil-based thermoplastic is trickier to print with, it boasts higher flexibility, durability and slightly higher strength than PLA. ABS is a commonly used material both in FDM printing as well as in the mainstream plastics industry. It is also widely available and affordable.
Carbon Fiber Filled PLA
Filled with actual carbon fibers this material can be used to create very rigid, high strength parts, making it very useful for structural components. The surface finish that can be achieved with this material is also quite impressive. Since layer lines almost disappear, finished parts come out very smooth, highly attractive and very resilient.
Starter design has the tools needed to bring your designs to life. Simply click on the “Order a 3D Print” button below or visit our 3D Hub to get an instant quotation for your project.
