Widest Choices for 3D Printing Materials

With the prevalence of 3D printing technology, the demand for 3D printing materials has been increased. 

The materials used for 3D printing are diverse, with glass materials, fiber materials, durable nylon materials, gypsum materials, aluminum materials, titanium alloys, stainless steel, silver plating, gold plating and rubber materials to be the most commonly seen ones. Each type has its own unique features, strengths and weaknesses. The final choice is made based on specific needs on different occasions.

Applications of 3D printing materials

One of the key advantages of 3D printing is the ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries that would be otherwise impossible to construct by hand. The application of 3D printing technology ranges quite widely, including jewelry and apparel, industrial design, biomedicine, aerospace, naval vessels, automobile industry and many others.

Jewelry and apparel

In this area, durable nylon materials or other clothing materials are used as 3D printing materials, which can be used to print clothes, hats and even high heels for different needs.

Medicine

Only in recent years, 3D printing materials started to be used in biomedicine, but they have received great attention in modern medical treatment. The most common materials used in this area are resins, which could be used to print models of organs such as the liver and pancreas for disease research, and titanium to print skull to treat people with skull damage. Some alloys can also be used to print human organs like spine, blood vessels and spinal cord.

Pharmaceuticals

With 3D printing technology, some drugs can be manufactured and some of them have been approved for marketing by FDA. Drugs made from 3D printing materials have rich internal pores and high internal surface area, so they can be dissolved by a small amount of water in a short time. In addition, the application of 3D printing materials in the pharmaceutical field can contribute to the realization of precision and targeted pharmaceuticals in the future.

Aerospace

3D printing materials can be used in aerospace for lots of functions, for example, to produce space telescopes, rocket injectors and drones. Now astronauts can even print their own parts in a weightless environment.