| Name | Process | Max Dimensions in CM |
|---|---|---|
| DuraForm PA | 3D Systems SLS | 48.26 X 48.26 X 58.0 |
| VisiJet EX200 | 3D Systems ProJet | 29.8 X 18.5 X 20.3 |
| Stainless Steel | ProMetal | 100.0 X 45.0 X 25.0 |
| Multi Color Plastic | ZCorp | 25.4 X 35.5 X 20.3 |
| Gold Plated Steel (Unpolished) | ProMetal | 30.5 X 17.8 X 20.3 |
| Ceramic (glaze-ready) | Ceramic | 19.0 X 23.0 X 15.0 |
| Ceramic (glazed) | Ceramic | 19.0 X 23.0 X 15.0 |
| ABSPlus Black | FDM | 25.4 X 25.4 X 30.5 |
| ABSPlus Ivory | FDM | 25.4 X 25.4 X 30.5 |
| VeroWhite | Objet | 50.0 X 39.9 X 20.1 |
| Krypton Green | Objet | 34.8 X 34.8 X 20.1 |
| VeroWhite | Objet | 50.0 X 39.9 X 20.1 |
| Krypton Green | Objet | 34.8 X 34.8 X 20.1 |
This is the Objet VeroWhite mateial
This technique is named after the trade name of the company that builds it: ProMetal. The process is similar to Z Corp where an inkjet head deposits binder onto a powder surface. The difference is that the powder is stainless steel and must be sintered in an oven. Later, the part is "infiltrated" to full density by heating the part in the furnace over bronze. This produces a hybrid SS / bronze material - gold is also possible.
Pure ceramic materials are just starting to come onto the 3D printing scene. Cerampilot has pioneered ceramic materials in commercial 3D printing - mostly in the medical and jewelry world. Also, some 3rd parties have experimented with using custom powders in ZCorp machines to create fully ceramic 3D parts.
The SolidScape process deposits melted wax using an ink jet system. The parts created by this process are exclusively used for wax patterns for the lost wax casting process. In this process, a wax pattern is placed into a mold and burned away in a kiln - leaving a void in the mold. Metal is then poured into the mold, filling the void and creating the desired part. This allows a design to be printed in wax and then cast with extremely fine detail - needed for jewelry, dentistry, and other applications.
ZCorp is a type of 3D printing that creates each layer by using an inkjet head to deposit binder onto a bed of compacted powder. Powder is layered and cured in succession until a part is formed. After each build, the loose powder is removed leaving only the part remaining. The fresh part is then coated in elastomer which gives the parts added rigidity. Some machines have the ability to print parts in full color or in ceramics.
This is currently the most widespread form of 3D printing. All new machines are built by Stratasys under the names Dimension or Fortus. Each layer is made by extruding a thin filament of nearly-melted thermoplastic onto a build surface. It builds in a criss-cross fashion, so that each layer's grain is perpendicular - which makes the part stronger. It's support material comes in break-away and soluble forms - the latter allows for much more complicated geometries by allowing water to wash away support.
The SLS process is often used for durable production parts.The material used is usually a form of nylon (polyamide) powder - often containing another material to enhance the properties. A laser passes over the powder - sintering it together to form each layer.The unsintered powder acts as the support material and once the part is complete it can simply be shaken off (or using air for internal geometry).
This form of 3D printing lives up to the name printing. These machines work similarly to inkjet printers, but instead of using ink they use resin. The resin is jetted onto the surface and then cured by a passing UV light - similarly to the SLA curing. The support material isn't quite soluble, but is washed away by a jet of water. Objet's Connex systems can print in multiple materials at the same time. This allows models to have transparent features with opaque internal parts. Also, using their "Digital Materials" technology, you can even intermix the materials with a variable ratio to allow parts with multiple materials properties in one build.
