Page 50 - Plastics News December 2025
P. 50
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
The transition to the engineering of plastics to ditive manufacturing systems can create parts
3D printing is a wider change of the philosophy that could work under harsh conditions. This is
of production. As opposed to shaping, cutting, particularly important to areas where the failure
or forming materials into components, engineers of standard thermoplastics due to exposure to
are increasingly creating components to be heat or corrosives may occur.
manufactured through additive manufacturing
and fully exploit the exceptional AM capabilities The engineering possibilities have also been re-
that high-performance polymers have. defined by the capability to directly print com-
plicated geometries with these materials. In the
Engineering Plastics as Enablers of Functional, case with engineering plastics, 3D printing al-
Production-Grade Parts lows the creation of lighter, stronger, and more
complex structures that cannot be or would not
The use of engineering plastics in 3D printing be possible with traditional molding and machin-
has enabled producers to go past quick pro- ing methods.
totyping and adopt production grade additive
solutions. Engineering plastics are unlike the Advantages of Using Engineering Plastics in
conventional polymers in that they bear the me- Industrial 3D Printing
chanical integrity and reliability necessary to be
used in end-use applications. They have been The benefits of engineering plastics in indus-
incorporated in the workflows of 3D printing and trial 3D printing are way beyond the material
this has enabled firms to create tooling, fixtures, strength and robustness. These super polymers
manufacturing aids, and even finished parts at enable manufacturers to maximize production in
a rate never seen before without compromising a manner that will lead to low cost production,
the performance standards needed within an in- enhanced efficiency and new design achieve-
dustrial setting. ments.
Another key factor why engineering plastics Design freedom is one of the most interesting
have been shown to be superior to regular ma- advantages. In additive manufacturing, intricate
terials in 3D printing is their very high strength geometries, internal channels, lattice structures
to weight ratio. PEEK and PEKK are high-per- and consolidation of multi-part assemblies all
formance polymers with tensile strength that can be explored and all can be used to full ex-
is comparable to the lightweight metals, with a tent when printing with robust engineering plas-
high level of dimensional stability. This has made tics. The engineers no longer have to be con-
them especially useful in any industry where the fined to the traditional manufacturing limits and
weight issues have a direct effect on efficiency design optimal parts that use less material but
and cost such as aerospace, automotive, health- perform better.
care, and consumer electronics.
The other strength is the potential of lightweight-
Moreover, such advanced materials resist high ing. In the cases of aerospace and automotive,
temperatures and harsh chemicals so that ad- the engineering-grade plastics 3D printing can
50 PLASTICS NEWS December 2025
