The value of 3D printing to manufacturers continues to evolve, driven in no short measure by innovation in materials science.
New-generation functional materials, such as *PEEK, PEKK, PEI, and PPSU, are being developed with specific characteristics for polymer, extrusion-based print processes to support the design and manufacture of increasingly sophisticated products in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and medical devices. These materials’ properties can provide higher tensile strength, fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability. However, increasingly the 3D print processes needed to exploit these benefits require a stable, high-temperature print environment.
While these advanced materials can offer significant performance benefits, there remain two fundamental pre-requisites for product quality and a safe operating environment: maintaining a consistent high-temperature envelope in the print chamber, and extracting process emissions that might otherwise present a health risk to operatives and degrade the finished product. Donaldson BOFA technology plays a critical role in both.
In 3D print processes, there are three areas where temperature control plays a critical role.
- At the nozzle, where a stable temperature must be carefully maintained—not so low that it leads to clogging of the nozzle and poor adhesion, yet not so high that it loses structural integrity.
- On the bed where the first layer of polymer is adhered. This will depend on the material being processed and the process itself.
- Within the print chamber, where a variation in temperature beyond a defined range can impact bonding and lead to reduced tensile strength, poor layer adhesion, warping, and distortion. At the same time, the cooling process at the end of a print cycle must also be carefully controlled to avoid the risk of internal stresses leading to cracks or brittle failure.
Donaldson BOFA has succeeded in developing extraction technology that can help filter nanoparticles and VOCs from the print chamber while maintaining the narrow temperature envelope needed for a successful end-to-end print process.
Getting the relationship right between maintaining a precise operating temperature and achieving effective filtration is critical in optimizing the value of new-generation functional materials.
For Donaldson BOFA this means ensuring that the process of recirculating chamber air to extract emissions is achieved without detriment to the required operating conditions.
That’s why Donaldson BOFA’s 3D PrintPRO HT technology, aimed primarily at material extrusion processes, incorporates innovations whereby the airflow is recirculated on a continuous loop, which helps maintain optimal temperature conditions. At the end of the process, the extraction system runs a purge cycle that helps cool the chamber progressively and methodically while passing the air through a carbon filter to help remove any VOCs that continue to be released.
The 3D PrintPRO HT can operate effectively in 3D print chambers up to a maximum of 100°C / 212oF. The portable system’s advanced electronics, mechanical components, and filters are either designed for high-temperature environments or appropriately insulated to deliver consistent performance.
Through partnering with 3D print OEMs, materials technology suppliers, and end users, Donaldson BOFA will continue to develop effective fume extraction technology capable of meeting the ongoing technical advances that deliver benefit to additive manufacturing operators.
* PEEK (Polyetheretherketone), PEKK (Polyetherketoneketone), PEI (Polyetherimide), PPSU (Polyphenylsulfone)
