Direct and Indirect Additive Manufacturing

The following Tables summarize the existing and the innovative direct and indirect manufacturing/production processes where Additive Manufacturing with SLA,DLP, LCD and Inkjet 3D printing technologies are used:

Direct Additive Manufacturing AM of 3D printed products

3Dresin	Process	Product	Properties	Benefits	Limitations
3D resins	Direct AM	3D resin objects, optionally filled with functional additives, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic  materials	Properties of cured resins/polymers with extra performance provided by additives, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic  materials	Cost effective direct production for short runs of 3D printed materials	Cost effective only for short run productions
Direct printing of sintering ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials	Resin printing, debinding & sintering of ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic  materials	Sintered ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic  materials	Properties of sintered technical ceramics, metals, polymers	Direct production of short runs of pure ceramic objects	Expensive printers, difficult tuning, slower debinding, smaller feature sizes (max.1-3 mm), more microcracking during debinding than Indirect production

 

Indirect manufacturing of 3D printed products

3D resin	Process	Product	Properties	Benefits	Limitations
Castable 3D resins	Direct investment Casting  DC	Metal cast objects	Typical properties of Cast Metals	Cost effective direct investment casting of metal objects	Most castable competitor's 3D resins suffer from imperfections of fine detail finishes
Non Castable  3D resins	Indirect investment casting IC	Metal cast objects	Typical properties of Cast metals	Less cost effective indirect investment casting production of metal objects  with very high resolution	Slower process since there are several time consuming production steps
Durable injection molding 3D resins	Direct plastic, and sintering ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide),  and exotic powder feedstock injection in 3D printed durable injection molds	Plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials	Properties of plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials	Cost effective production of durable injection molds for simple shaped plastic, ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic material injection	Not suitable for complex intertwined shapes
Easy breakable sacrificial 3D resins	Direct plastic injection in 3D printed easy breakable sacrificial molds	Soft plastic, rubber or silicone objects	Properties of soft plastics, rubbers, and silicones	Cost effective production of easy breakable sacrificial molds* for complex shaped soft plastic, rubber and silicone injection molding	Not needed for simple 3d printed shapes, mold is lost during production
Water soluble sacrificial 3D resins	Direct plastic, and sintering ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide),  and exotic powder feedstock injection in 3D printed sacrificial injection molds	Plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials	Properties of plastics, ceramics, metals, polymers, and exotic materials	Cost effective production of sacrificial injection molds for complex shaped plastic, ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic material injection	Not needed for simple 3D printed shapes, mold is lost during production

 

Alternative Technologies: Direct and Indirect AM by SLS 3D printing with non-photoreactive 3D resin binder powders

• Direct AM by Conventional Selective Laser Sintering SLS where layers of plastic or metal powders are selectively sintered to create 3D printed objects (Direct AM)
• Indirect AM where non-photoreactive binder powders are mixed with any Ceramic, Metal, Polymer/Plastic, or exotic powder or fiber for plastic / polymer powder Selective Laser Printing SLS, also known as Cold Metal Fusion CMF: This technology is considerd Indirect AM since SLS prints need solvent debinding and sintering after printing and before final use

Benefits of 3Dresyns SLS bio-based resin binder powders for Indirect AM of ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic powder materials

Our Powder Binders for SLS Cold Metal, Ceramic & Polymer Fusion are ideal for SLS printing of traditional ceramic, metal, polymer (such as polyimide), and exotic material feedstocks, exhibiting these feature and benefits:

• universal and compatible with most ceramics, metals, polymers (such as polyimide), and exotic powders (including nanowires, microfibers, etc) 
• bio based powder for eco SLS printing
• fast & easy physical dry powder mixing and wetting with ceramics, metals, polymers and exotic powders with low cost dry powder mixing equipment
• excellent adhesion, uniformity and stability (without gravitational separation) after mixing with micron and submicron ceramics, metals, polymers, such as polyimide, and exotic powders  (including nanowires, microfibers, etc)
• ceramic, metal, polymer, and exotic powder (including nanowires, microfibers, etc) additions can be up to 60% volume concentrations (lower for nanoparticles, nano wires and microfibers)
• printable by most plastic / polymer powder SLS printers
• part of the binder is soluble in eco solvents, such as Debinding Solution EDS1 Bio, or in water
• part of the binder melts at 70ºC for "cold" eco solvent and thermal debinding without imperfections nor cracking
• part of the binder keeps the shape of SLS prints without deformation before sintering 
• controlled and reproducible process shrinkage which depends on final added % powder ratio
• minimum expansion coefficient to prevent micro-fractures
• ultra fine, maximum particle size <50 microns
• very high resolution up to 50 microns of final products (depending on the particle size of the chosen ceramic, metal, polymer, or exotic powder or fiber)
• bio based powder for eco friendly process manufacturing 
• organo-tin free