Indirect Additive Manufacturing of 3D printed products
The following Table summarizes the existing and the innovative Indirect Additive Manufacturing / Production processes where SLA, DLP, LCD and Inkjet 3D printing technologies are used:
| 3D resin |
Process |
Product |
Properties |
Benefits |
Limitations |
|
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 | |
|
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 |
Note: sacrificial molds are needed for making intricate complex shapes where the mold and the injected material are entangled
