Technology

We provide consulting and expertise in various types of 3D printing technologies. Here are some of the common 3D printing technologies we have experience with.

Extrusion-based 3D printing

This simple, low-cost printing method uses solid materials that have a low melting temperature, or that require a further sintering step. Compared to other methods, it is a relatively slow process, and the printing resolution is limited by the size of the nozzle.

Advantages of extrusion-based printing:

  • Relatively affordable
  • Easy to use and to maintain
  • Wide range of materials such as PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU.
  • Large print volume

Cons of extrusion-based 3D printers

  • Slow print speed
  • Visible layer lines
  • Warping and shrinkage due to uneven temperatures during print
  • Post-processing is usually required

Inkjet based 3D printing

Inkjet printing technology uses Piezoelectric printing heads to deposit liquid materials. The relevant material flows into the multiple print heads. The print heads then deposit the materials over the substrate layer after layer.

Inkjet 3D printing can be used to print a wide range of materials, including polymers, metals, ceramics, and biomaterials. It is particularly well-suited for printing complex and multi-material objects.

Advantages of inkjet 3D printing:

  • High resolution - Inkjet 3D printers can achieve high-resolution prints
  • Multi-material printing - Multiple materials can be printed in a single print, making it possible to create objects with complex geometries and properties.
  • Fast print speed - Inkjet 3D printers can print relatively quickly, especially when compared to other types of 3D printing, such as FDM.

DLP based 3D printing

DLP (Digital Light Processing) is an additive manufacturing process that uses a digital light projector to incrementally cure and build horizontal layers of a given 3D model from a vat of liquid resin.

DLP 3D printers work by projecting a single image of each layer of the object onto the bottom of a resin vat. A light projector uses a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) to direct UV light on a pixel-by-pixel basis within the vat. The UV light cures the resin wherever it hits, solidifying the desired parts of it into a solid layer. Once this layer has been exposed and cured, the build platform is lowered and the printing of an additional layer begins.

DLP 3D printers are known for their high resolution and accuracy. They can produce prints with layer heights as low as 3 microns.

Advantages of DLP 3D printing

  • High resolution and accuracy. Ideal for printing complex and detailed objects.
  • Fast print speed
  • Entry-level DLP 3D printers are relatively affordable

We have extensive experience in developing hardware and software needed to develop cutting-edge DLP printing applications. If you require prints of very high accuracy – down to low single-digit micron resolution, then we can help.

Printed Electronics

Printed electronics is a collective name for the set of printing techniques used to create electrical devices on various substrates. It is used in a wide range of applications, such as flexible and lightweight displays for smartphones, sensors, and RFID tags.

Electrically functional or optical inks are deposited on the substrate, creating active or passive devices, such as thin film transistors (TFTs), capacitors, coils, resistors, and light-emitting diodes. Inkjet is one type of technology used to create the printed pattern on a given substrate or an entire multi-layer PCB (AME).

Advantages of printed electronics

Printed electronics offers several advantages over traditional electronics manufacturing methods, such as:

  • Cost - printed electronics can be much cheaper to produce than traditional electronics, as it uses less expensive materials and simpler manufacturing processes.
  • Flexibility - printed electronics can be printed on a variety of flexible substrates, such as plastic, paper, and fabric
  • Scalability - printed electronics can be scaled up to high production volumes relatively easily, making it a viable manufacturing process for mass-market products.

We have extensive experience in developing inkjet-based printed electronics applications such as solar cells and PCBs.

Scroll to Top