As 3D printing becomes more established for finished part production, the demand for new feed materials intensifies.
Meeting the performance profile for demanding aerospace, automotive, and medical applications calls for the ability to tailor properties such as weight, strength, flexibility, heat resistance, colour and biocompatibility.
Polymers are often the answer with significant untapped potential for further development, particularly when fillers are factored into the material design equation for added functionalities. This raises the critical question of how best to characterise new candidate materials. What can we measure to predict printing performance and by extension the quality of the finished component? To what extent can testing, as opposed to a trial, answer the question ‘Is this a good material for printing?’
In our article 'Pushing for Performance in Polymer Powders' in TCT Magazine, we review technology that can precisely and relevantly quantify flowability and why it has an important role to play in the development of new materials.
Click here to view the article in full