As one of the most important plastic materials Polypropylene (PP) combines excellent recyclability with many beneficial properties such as mechanical strength, chemical resistance and biocompatibility. As a result, PP is increasingly being used in additive manufacturing and especially in extrusion-based 3D printing, across a wide range of industries. The German company PPprint is specialized in 3D printing of polypropylene, providing innovative solutions and a unique product portfolio for professional for 3D print polypropylene in industrial applications. The portfolio includes a world-wide unique package consisting of PP materials optimized for 3D printing, a tailored 3D printing build surface and a novel break-away support material. With this complete solution, PPprint enables high-quality 3D printing of PP in various applications.
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Based on the versatile property profile, which has been appreciated in products produced by injection molding and extrusion for many years, polypropylene also offers enormous potential to manufacture reliable 3D printed products in the field of additive manufacturing. For successful industrial 3D printing of polypropylene with the established extrusion-based 3D printing technologies FFF, FDM or FGF, three critical components are essential. The 3D printed PP-material should have low warpage and high interlayer bonding strength. In addition, the 3D printing build surface must allow reliable 3D printing of PP parts without the need of additional adhesives and enable non-destructive, residue-free removal of the product. On top of this, a support material is required to print more complex structures. The company PPprint is dedicated to advance 3D printing with polypropylene and has solved the above challenges. PPprint offers its customers the complete solution for successful 3D printing of polypropylene. The recently launched break-away support material ‘P-support 279’ does not only complement the existing PP-filament product line ‘P-filament-721’ and the 3D printing build surface ‘P-surface 141’, but significantly broadens the spectrum of applications. This complete package makes PPprint the only company worldwide to offer an industry-ready solution for extrusion-based 3D printing with PP.
Polypropylene (PP) – The 3D printing material of choice
When searching a suitable material for industrial applications in 3D printing, the number of materials offering the desired property profile is limited. For this reason, PP, which has already proven its wide applicability in numerous technical and medical technology products, represents one of the most promising additive manufacturing materials. PP has a broad property profile including very good break-resistance, low density, and high chemical resistance to acids, bases, alcohols, and water. In addition, PP is skin compatible, sterilizable and can be used in contact with food opening further interesting application fields. 3D printed PP parts can also be easily cleaned in a dishwasher and is microwave resistant. Furthermore, PP can be recycled as an energy source and as material itself, enabling a circular economy.
PPprint has combined beneficial properties of PP in its filament portfolio ‘P-filament 721’. ‘P-filament 721’ is optimized for low warpage and excellent layer adhesion, resulting in resilient, mechanically stable 3D printed products. An additional advantage is that ‘P-filament 721’ does not require drying before 3D printing and can be stored under ambient conditions. 3D printed parts made from ‘P-filament 721 natural’ are certified as biologically safe according to DIN EN ISO 10993-5 and suitable for applications with skin contact, for instance in medical technology. The latest addition to the PPprint filament product line is the expansion to a variety of different colors. Ten different colors are currently available on stock, offering the possibility to customize the visual appearance of PP components. Furthermore, PPprint provides individualized colors for specific customer needs.
A durable 3D printing build surface for PP
The 3D printing build surface represents a crucial component of industrial 3D printing with PP. The ‘P-surface 141’, specially tailored for ‘P-filament 721’, enables a reliable and reproducible 3D printing process of PP. ‘P-surface 141’ solves the difficulties of sufficiently adhering polypropylene to the 3D printer build surface. ‘P-surface 141’ is a high quality, heat resistant 3D printing build surface with high durability and long service-lifetime. ‘P-surface 141’ can be used with all commercial 3D printers. The 3D printing build surface is ready for immediate use without further pre-treatment. Due to the optimized composition of ‘P-surface 141’, the component adheres perfectly to the surface during printing and warpage is minimized. After completion of the printing process, the parts can be easily removed by hand at elevated temperatures from the printing bed without residuals.
The world’s first break-away support material designed for PP
The support material ‘P-support 279’ was specifically developed for PP and enables the production of complex and sophisticated structures with bridges, overhangs, and openings. As a break-away support material ‘P-support 279’ can be cleanly removed manually from the printed part after 3D printing at elevated temperatures. The support material has high stiffness, low warpage, and excellent adhesion to the printed PP part and the 3D printing build surface ‘P-surface 141’. Furthermore, it can be advantageously used to print support structures on top of polypropylene as well as rafts. The ‘P-surface 279’ does not attract water and does not need to be dried before 3D printing or during storage. A break-away support has the advantage that no solvent is needed, and no aqueous polymer-containing waste is produced. In addition, the thermoplastic break-away support material ‘P-support 279’ can be recycled after the 3D printing process.
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