Photopolymer jetting (or PolyJet) builds prototypes by jetting liquid photopolymer resin from ink-jet style heads. The resin is sprayed from the moving heads,
and only the amount of material needed is used. UV light is simultaneously emitted from the head, which cures each layer of resin immediately after it is applied. The process produces excellent surface finish and feature detail. Photopolymer jetting is used primarily to check form and fit, and can handle limited functional tests due to the limited strength of photopolymer resins.
This process offers the unique ability to create prototypes with more than one type of material. For instance a toothbrush prototype could be composed with a rigid shaft with a rubber-like over-molding for grip. The process works with a variety of proprietary photopolymer resins as opposed to production materials. A tradeoff with this technology is that exposure to ambient heat, humidity or sunlight can cause dimensional change that can affect tolerance. The process is faster and cleaner than the traditional vat and laser photo-polymer processes.
PolyJet photopolymers have properties that range from rubber to rigid, transparent to opaque, neutral to full color. PolyJet technology also allows us to combine several materials in one model to fulfill specific requirements. We’re able to simulate over-molding with two different photopolymers to give prototypes exact product feel. Additionally, PolyJet prints in full color, adding another level of customization and possibilities for final product aesthetics.
PolyJet builds by jetting layers of liquid photopolymer as thin as 16 microns (0.0006”) layer by layer as a UV light cures simultaneously. PolyJet can print rigid and flexible materials in a single build to create over-molded parts without tooling. The technology delivers parts with shore hardness ranging from 27A-95A. Because PolyJet doesn’t require hard tooling to deliver an over-molded part, it is frequently used for prototypes requiring an elastomeric surface, such as grips or buttons, or for testing material hardness.
By blending two or three base resins to create nearly 1,000 composite materials with specific, predicable properties, PolyJet photopolymers expand your possibilities, because a range of hues, translucencies, Shore A values and other properties can be achieved for imaginative prototypes.
PolyJet photopolymer that is twice as opaque, 20 percent brighter and more UV resistant than some material. combined with flexibility and color vibrancy ideal for rapid prototyping consumer goods. polyjet materials
PolyJet is a powerful 3D printing technology that produces smooth, accurate parts, prototypes and tooling. With microscopic layer resolution and accuracy down to 0.014 mm, it can produce thin walls and complex geometries using the widest range of materials available with any technology.
Benefits of PolyJet:
Create smooth, detailed prototypes that convey final-product aesthetics.
Produce accurate molds, jigs, fixtures and other manufacturing tools.
Achieve complex shapes, intricate details and delicate features.
Incorporate the widest variety of colors and materials into a single model for unbeatable efficiency.
Multiple materials can be jetted together allowing multi-material and multi-color parts. Functionally graded materials are possible. However, the technology does not work with standard materials but with UV-active photopolymers which are not durable over time.
Through utilizing print heads, several materials can be processed at the same time. This allows multi-material and/or multi-color parts. Through mixing materials in different proportions, functionally graded materials can be built (e.g. different shore hardness at different locations of the part). The technology can achieve good accuracy and surface finishes.
As stereolithography, photopolymer jetting is working with UV-active photopolymers. Therefore, parts are not durable over time and have limited mechanical properties.
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