Let’s talk about 3D printing: there are so many creative technologies with endless possibilities. Our team was looking for an easy way to provide a comprehensive overview of what it can do, and that’s how we came up with the idea for a technology table.
Designing and printing each square took our engineer, Eric Alexander, about a month. And we had a blast putting it all together. The table showcases every Stratasys technology and 15 different materials in a fun and interactive way. Each square is unique, reflecting the distinct characteristics of the technology it represents. In this blog post, I’ll share a few of my favorite squares.
If you’re interested in seeing them all, just give us a call at 949.474.9222 or send us an email at [email protected].
Explore Each Technology
PolyJet
The GrabCAD Print Pro Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square is printed in a really nice shade of translucent blue and uses multiple features from the new GrabCAD Print Pro PolyJet toolset which makes it one of my favorite squares. How can one little square display four features? Let’s dive into each one:
What's It Showing?
Voids: The voids allowed the square to be lightweight, which saves material and allows the center of mass to be adjusted.
Smart inserts: The print was paused and Eric added in an NFC tag – this one links to GrabCAD Print Pro, however, the options are as infinite as the web.
Labeling: Eric used this tool to call out some part features, like “GRABCAD PRINT PRO”, but customers can also use it to serialize parts.
Support-as-Material: This feature let the part come off the printer with a great glossy finish, which means less post-processing and a quicker turnaround for you!
What's The Material?
Material: Vero
Elongation at Break: 10–25% (ASTM D-638-05)
Shore Hardness: 83–86 (Scale D, ASTM).
Applications: Visual Models, Prototyping, Product Assemblies, RTV Molding Patterns
What Can I Print It On?
The Two Material Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square is not only cool to look at, but it also shows the unique elastic capabilities of Agilus30. The top of the square lets Agilus30 (black) peek through Vero (green).
Agilus30 was prioritized in GrabCAD Print Pro during assembly loading, which allowed this to happen.
What's It Showing?
Tactile Quality: The material has a nice feel, which is ideal for products that require a good hand-held experience.
Versatile Applications: It can be used as a coating, such as on a shift gear in a car, providing both functionality and protection.
Customizable Hardness: By mixing Agilus30 with Vero, you can achieve various Shore hardness values, tailoring the material to your specific needs.
What's The Material?
Material: Vero & Agilus30
Elongation at Break: Ranging from 300–340% in CMY (High Mix mode) and 220–240% in other Agilus30 materials.
Shore Hardness: Falls between 28–33 in CMY mode and 30–40 in other variations.
Applications: Full Color, Fully Functional Prototypes
What Can I Print It On?
FDM
The Thermoplastic Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square is really neat because it shows off how TPU 92A lets you create heat-threaded inserts. This feature is super helpful since it means you can easily insert metal screws into plastic. Not only is this material a thermoplastic, it’s also flexible and easy to shape.
What's It Showing?
High Elongation: TPU 92A is really flexible, which allows it to stretch significantly without breaking. This makes it perfect for applications that require a material to bend and flex while maintaining its integrity.
Superior Toughness & Durability: This material is designed to withstand impact and stress.
What's The Material?
Material Used: TPU 92A
Type: Thermoplastic polyurethane
Shore Hardness: 92A
Applications: Flexible Hoses and Tubes, Air Ducts, Seals and Protective Covers, Vibration Dampeners
What Can I Print It On?
The Weather-Resistant Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square features a dark blue color and some intricate detailing thanks to a bump map in SolidWorks.
What's It Showing?
Wide Color Selection for FDM Materials: This gives you plenty of creative freedom for your prototypes.
Texturing In FDM: Square shows how texturing can be effective in FDM
What's The Material?
Material Used: ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate)
Elongation at Break: 5.9% (0.76) at XZ orientation and 1.8% (0.31) at ZX orientation
Type: Weather-resistant ABS material
Applications: Prototyping, Jigs and Fixtures, Low-Volume Production Parts
What Can I Print It On?
SAF
The Sinter Box Square
What Makes It Cool?
Let’s chat about this Sinter Box square. Eric designed this square to hold many small parts, making it easy to tumble those tiny pieces and remove excess powder effortlessly. If you’re cranking out, say, 10 little platypuses, a sinter box is what you need to keep them all together. But wait, the square gets cooler! It was dyed black, and so were the tiny platypuses inside.
What's It Showing?
Eco-Friendly: This material is derived 100% from sustainable castor oil, making it a great choice for the environment.
Support Material: The loose powder helps support the squares during processing.
Efficient Nesting: GrabCAD is used to nest the parts efficiently, making everything run smoothly and allowing a high nesting density. High nesting density means more parts per print and less money out of your pocket.
What's The Material?
Material: PA11
Elongation at Break (XZ, YX): Mean 11% (ASTM D638-14)
Elongation at Break (ZX): 5% (ASTM D638-14)
Applications: End-Use Production for Automotive, Orthotics, and General Manufacturing
What Can I Print It On?
The Switch Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square shows a real world application where a flexible and durable material was needed. The sturdy switch makes this square special because it displays the flexibility that is possible with SAF. Like the previous square, it was also dyed black.
What's It Showing?
Impact Resistance: PA11 is impressive when it comes to handling stress, which is why it works well in so many industrial applications.
End-Use Applications: This material’s impact resistance makes it ideal for end-use applications like the mandrel clamp pictured which is used in the Onulis Printers.
What's The Material?
Material: PA11
Elongation at Break (XZ, YX): Mean 11% (ASTM D638-14)
Elongation at Break (ZX): 5% (ASTM D638-14)
Applications: End-Use Production for Automotive, Orthotics, and General Manufacturing
What Can I Print It On?
SLA
The Clear Channel Square
What Makes It Cool?
Eric points out that the square shows off SLA’s impressive ability to create small channels without trapping resin. Additionally, Somos WaterShed XC 11122 is biocompatible.
What's It Showing?
The square highlights the material’s optically clear and near colorless appearance. This material mimics the look and feel of clear thermoplastics such as ABS and PBT.
What's The Material?
Material: Somos WaterShed XC 11122
Viscosity: ~260 cps @ 30°C
Density: ~1.12 g/cm³ @ 25°C
Elongation at Break: 15.5%
Applications: Rapid Prototyping, Jigs & Fixtures
What Can I Print It On?
The Injection-Mold Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square resembles injection molded components while maintaining consistent wall thickness. This square’s optically clear appearance was a result of being printed on a Neo printer. This material’s near colorless look makes it perfect for something like investment casting. SLA allows you to print the same design quickly and easily.
What's It Showing?
The square shows an example of an injection mold. It highlights is how much you can save time and money by doing low-volume molds with 3D printing.
What's The Material?
Material: Somos WaterShed XC 11122
Viscosity: ~260 cps @ 30°C
Density: ~1.12 g/cm³ @ 25°C
Elongation at Break: 15.5%
Applications: Consumer Products, Fluid and Air Flow Analysis, Ductwork, Investment Casting, Lenses
What Can I Print It On?
DLP
The Black Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square has a super smooth design created with a bump map in SolidWorks, showcasing the detail that Origin technology can achieve.
What's It Showing?
The square shows off the black version of LOCTITE 3D 3843™, which also comes in clear. It has a smooth, matte finish and is also really tough. Remember the FDM square featured above? This square allows you to compare how different technologies display texturing.
What's The Material?
Materials: LOCTITE 3D 3843™
Elongation at Break: 43%
Heat Resistance: Moderate (HDT 60°C)
Strength: Tough, with outstanding surface finish and superior impact resistance
Applications: Manufacturing Aids, Jigs and Fixtures, Housings and Covers, Insoles
What Can I Print It On?
The Hole-y Square
What Makes It Cool?
The square shows how you can use internal features to save on material. By using small holes, we were able to lightweight the square while simultaneously adding an intricate pattern.
What's It Showing?
The square is made from gray LOCTITE 3D 3172, which also comes in cyan and clear. This material is perfect for creating functional parts that need to be tough and sturdy. If someone needs a large part but wants to keep costs down, we can adjust the design and sparse the part. It might not be fully solid, but it’ll still be strong.
What's The Material?
Materials: LOCTITE 3D 3172
Elongation at Break: 105%
Impact Resistance: Superior impact strength
Applications: Manufacturing Aids, Jigs and Fixtures
What Can I Print It On?
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