Innovation keeps flowing in Hemargroup. We have just introduced the TPU 3D printing to expand our prototyping solutions.
TPU is extremely flexible, which allows us to design and develop more sophisticated solutions in the electronic and mechanical industry.
Read the whole article to better understand the advantages of TPU and learn how at Hemargroup we introduced them in the prototyping and production processes.
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is an elastic thermoplastic material formed by the polycondensation of a diisocyanate with one or more diols. The chemical nature of this chain influences the mechanical behaviour and chemical resistance of the material: the longer the chain, the more rubber-like the material becomes. Technically, it consists of linear segmented block copolymers composed of hard and soft segments and can be processable in the molten state. TPU material is used for the production of durable elastomer parts with additive manufacturing, which is the production of 3D objects layer by layer from a digitalised model. The 3D printing material enables prototyping of high functioning, durable and complex parts with the expected material properties found in an elastomeric material.
Like most elastomers, it is commonly used as a soft engineering plastic or as a replacement for hard rubber. For example TPU is often used for fabricating brackets, supports, gaskets and other kind of plastic flexible pieces. It can also be found in overprinted plastic parts because of its ability to provide superior grip or dampen vibration. It is similar to Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), sometimes referred to as thermoplastic rubbers, which are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers that consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. However, TPU is better because it offers superior durability, especially for wear intensive parts.
In 3D Printing, the most widely used plastic filament material is Polylactic acid (PLA), which is a thermoplastic polyester formally obtained by condensation of lactic acid with loss of water. This material has become the most popular for such use due to it being economically produced from renewable resources.
However, TPU presents a lot of advantages compared to the classic PLA because it is an extremely versatile material: more than any other thermoplastic elastomer, it can provide a considerable number of combinations of physical properties, making it extremely flexible and adaptable to multiple uses and for extended solutions.
What changes in the production of TPU pieces with 3D printing compared to PLA, is that during the print, temperature have to be higher, and some printing parameters have to be changed in order to regulate the flow and movement of the nozzle where the material comes out. Few changes to enable a clean print.
Let's have a look at its advantageous features:
To sum up, this material allows to design different and extended solutions with broadens options.
3D printing is very useful to manufacturing companies in the electronic and mechanical industry for creating tools and pieces. It is an innovation which fuels more innovation. 3D printing is inexpensive prosthetics, it allows the creation of spare parts, a rapid prototyping, the creation of personalized items and minimum waste manufacturing. It’s also an essential tool for prototyping and testing at the beginning of a project, when a low-volume production is needed. Let's have a look at the many advantages it has for a business in the hardware industry.
FAST PROTOTYPING
With a professional 3D Printer you can rapidly design, manufacture, and test a customized part in as little time as possible. Also, if needed, the design can be modified without adversely affecting the speed of the manufacturing process. Outsourcing this phase to professionals, could save you from heavy slowdowns of the process due to the shipping time and to the time required for instructing the third party company on how to print what is needed.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS
For small production runs and applications, 3D printing is undoubtedly the most cost-effective manufacturing process, because only 1 or 2 machines and fewer operators are needed to manufacture a part. There is far less waste material because the part is built from the ground up, not carved out of a solid block as it is in subtractive manufacturing and usually does not require additional tooling.
FLEXIBILITY
A 3D printer can create almost anything that fits within its build volume. The design is fed into slicer software and then printed with little or no change at all in the physical machinery or equipment. It allows the creation and manufacture of sophisticated geometries impossible for traditional methods to produce, such as hollow cavities within solid parts. Also, it allows the inclusion of multiple materials enabling an array of colors, textures, and mechanical properties to be mixed.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Because of the speed and lower costs of 3D printing, product life cycles are reduced. You can improve and enhance a product delivering it in a shorter amount of time. Also, 3D printing allows the tangible demonstration of a new product to customers and investors instead of leaving it to their imaginations, therefore reducing the risk of lost information or miscommunication.
DIRECT TESTING & CORRECTION
As briefly mentioned, seeing a product on a screen is not comparable with actually touching and physically feeling a prototype. Also, a tangible prototype can be directly and rapidly tested and if flaws or inaccuracies are found, the CAD file can be modified and a new version can be printed right away.
RISK REDUCTION
A 3D printer allows you to mitigate risks in manufacturing because you can firstly verify product prototypes before starting out the final production. Tests and improvements can be done quickly. Investments in mass manufacturing without a proper prototyping testing can be potentially disastrous.
QUALITY
Traditional manufacturing methods can result in poor designs therefore poor quality prototypes. This can happen with subtractive or injection methods, where quality is not always assured. For this reason, 3D printing allows a constant monitoring of the process and the step-by-step assembly of the part or product, which guarantees enhancement of the design and better quality results.
ACCESSIBILITY
3D printing systems are much more accessible than traditional manufacturing setups. In comparison to the enormous expense involved with setting up traditional manufacturing systems, a 3D printing setup costs much less and is much easier. Also, 3D printing is almost completely automated, requiring little to no additional personnel to run, supervise, and maintain the machine.
SUSTAINABILITY
With 3D printing, fewer parts need outsourcing. This equals less environmental impact because fewer things are being shipped across the globe. Also, it creates a lot less waste material for a single part and 3D printing materials are generally recyclable.