Multi-material 3D printing
Multi-material 3D printing in filament printing - use the full potential
Multec machines with a 4- or 6-fold print head enable the combination of up to 6 plastics in one component - without reworking and fully automatically in one printing process.
Combine elastic with firm, plain bearing material with ESD material, support material with all materials - there are no limits to the combination!
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Tires with rims - airless principle - multi-material printing
The tire was printed with the 3 plastics Multec PLA Soft 120, Multec PLA-HT and Multec Smart-Support on a Multirap M500 for a user in the model building sector.
With the airless principle, the “air” that is a necessary part of the tire is replaced by a special honeycomb structure.
Based on the same principle, other components made of high-strength and flexible materials can also be produced in one printing process.
What is new about this tire is the combination of rim, tire and support material in one printing process .
- without cleaning trips
- without Prime Tower (waste tower)
- without post-processing and joining or gluing work
Rubber sleeve multi-material printing
Multirap M500 4-fold print head in the production of a rubber sleeve made of 3 materials.
No prime tower or cleaning required due to the patented, drip-free multiple print head and intelligent temperature control.
- High-strength flange: Multec PLA-HT
- Elastic rubber cuff: Multec PLA Soft
- Plain bearing material in the bores for sliding bearing
Tutorial on multi-material printing with Simplify3D
In this video, Multec shows how 4-fold 3D printing is configured in Simplify3D and how GCodes are generated.
robot gripper with a rubber-like gripping surface, water-soluble support material and a colored logo is printed .
Multi material 3D printing according to your ideas
For centuries, workpieces were manufactured by sawing, grinding, milling or removing. Today, 3D printing has long since established itself as an alternative in many places. A 3D printer applies the material, the so-called filament, in layers according to a saved blueprint to create the three-dimensional object. The template must be in STL (Standard Triangulation Language) format. Multi-material 3D printing provides almost limitless possibilities.
How does multi-material 3D printing work?
Similar to an ordinary inkjet printer, a 3D printer ejects the filament through a print head. The simplest form of the 3D printer can be compared to a black and white printer. Just as the black and white printer only applies black ink to white paper, the 3D printer can only apply a single filament in this case.
A large number of printing projects can be realized even without multi-material 3D printing. However, this is not sufficient for numerous objects that are to be created using a three-dimensional printing process. Objects made of different materials have to be assembled after printing. Multi material 3D printing is another option.
For multi-material 3D printing, we have equipped our 3D printers with patented 4x print heads. These are able to output different types of plastic filaments in one printing process. In the following areas of application, for example, three-dimensional objects can be produced that no longer require extensive post-processing.
Functional integration through material combinations
Multi-material 3D printing makes it possible for several materials to be used in just one application. For example the rubber sleeve with a printed flange . It is not only possible to print flexible and high-strength materials at the same time using a Multec 3D printer. Both can be combined with each other safely and durably according to the template. With the help of 3D printing, a functional integration of several materials can be realized in just one printing process. This makes both assembly and constructive connecting elements superfluous. Since the corresponding material connections already ensure welding in the component with the help of a form lock, seals can already be integrated into the pressure part.
prototyping
Even 3D printing in its simplest form could revolutionize this industry. From small product design to larger projects such as furniture, many more different projects can be realized with multi-material 3D printing. Stable small parts that are supposed to find a certain hold on smooth surfaces can now be produced in just one work step. The same applies wherever objects need to have a certain grip in order to sit comfortably and securely in the hand. Multi-material 3D printing makes it possible to combine different materials and plastics, thus speeding up and simplifying the work involved in building a prototype.
spare Parts
Spare parts for products and devices have been a complicated topic for many decades. Sometimes the manufacturer who could possibly source a replacement is not identifiable or no longer exists. However, experience has shown that even companies that are still active eventually stop producing spare parts for products from earlier times. There are many ways to produce replacement parts. Multi-material 3D printing is in many cases the easiest and best way to do this. This is also due to the fact that this procedure goes into detail about the specific properties of a spare part. The product created in multi-material 3D printing is not an emergency solution, but a replacement for the original part of the same quality. For example, tires including rims printed for model making. Multi-material 3D printing has made it possible to realize the combination of tire, support material and rim in just one printing process. This makes the production of spare parts much easier.
Do you have further questions about multi-material 3D printing?
We are manufacturers of devices with which you can realize multi-material 3D printing. You will also find the necessary filaments with us, each of which has very different material-specific properties. The support material for multi-material 3D printing completes our range. On our website you will find a lot of information and application examples. If you have any further questions about multi-material 3D printing or about Multec in general, just contact us. Our friendly, competent team will be happy to advise you, of course free of charge and without obligation - touch with us.
