Quickly understand silicone 3D printing

Silica gel is a highly active porous material with stable chemical properties, high adsorption performance, good thermal stability and high mechanical strength. In recent years, this material has also begun to spark with 3D printing. Together with ceramics and graphene, they are called the three most promising new 3D printing materials. What is the current development of silicone 3D printing at home and abroad?

The foreign 3D silicone market is developing rapidly;

20 14, 10 in June, British Fripp design and research company announced the launch of a 3D printer that can print with silicone-Picsima silicone 3D printer. The printing size is 100× 100×30mm, the thickness of the printed layer is as thin as 0.4mm, and the hardness of the printed product can be as low as Shore hardness 10A, that is, it reaches the super-flexible level and can be stretched repeatedly without breaking.

Picsima process is between powder bed 3D printing and photocuring 3D printing. The catalyst is mainly used for sintering or curing the "material pool" filled with special silicone oil-the pin extrusion head of ——3D printer, which is used to spray a certain amount of catalyst on the surface of silicone oil layer by layer. Because the catalyst can quickly cure silica gel, the printed object does not need support and post-treatment at all. In addition, cross-linking agents will be used in the printing process, and the softness of each part of the printing object will change according to the different cross-linking agents. Finally, this process can also be dyed and printed to make colored silica gel.

Picsima silicone 3D printer has been approved by FDA for medical and food applications, and they also applied for a patent for this device. Its RTV medical grade silicone material can be widely used in 3D printed prostheses (ears, nose, dentures, etc.). ), medical equipment, consumer electronics and industrial prototype products, and have been approved for use in the human body. In fact, Picsima also found that combined with 3D scanning technology, doctors can apply it to the huge breast implantation industry.

The development of domestic 3D silicone printing is slow;

? At present, the production mode of silica gel products in China mainly depends on manual operation and high temperature molding by vulcanizing machine. Picsima can print the minimum Shore hardness of 10a, which is beyond the reach of many domestic manufacturers of silicone products. Only using liquid technology means that the printed products can reach the degree of super flexibility. According to the characteristics of silica gel, it can also be stretched repeatedly without breaking. ? The manufacturer of 3D printing technology has applied for a patent, obtained a pct patent certificate, and set up a new company to provide customers with 3D printing technology.