Learn about Stratasys FDM carbon fiber technology!
Strong as metal, light as plastic
Strong as metal, light as plastic, and highly resistant to heat, chemicals, and corrosion – all of this is provided by carbon fiber FDM 3D printing. Due to its excellent thermal and mechanical properties, carbon fiber is often used in the automotive and aerospace industries.
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology is an efficient additive manufacturing method patented by Stratasys. FDM allows concept models, functional prototypes, and end-user parts to be created from standard, engineering, and high-performance thermoplastics. It is the only professional 3D printing technology that uses industrial thermoplastics, giving the finished parts unique mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance.
The fundamental trend in the design of industrial manufacturing tools is to use aluminum or an alternative metal alloy. This is because their mechanical properties meet the necessary requirements. In many cases, thermoplastics have the necessary strength to function, but are not strong enough to perform the task. This is where composite materials come into play. Adding some kind of reinforcement to a base polymer drastically changes its mechanical properties, making it suitable for replacing metal parts in many manufacturing tooling. Stratasys, one of the world's largest 3D printer manufacturers, has developed FDM Nylon 12CF ™ for this task.
We want to know how a part will look, feel, and function before manufacturing. That's what prototypes are all about.
When the final part needs to be strong and functional, a carbon fiber prototype is the way to go. In many cases, these carbon fiber prototypes are built to prove the concept works in real-world conditions – think of robotic arms, engine components, or door hinges.
Compared to traditional prototypes, mainly made of metal, carbon fiber 3D printing has the advantage of faster iteration and lower cost. Fine-tuning prototypes with 3D printing is significantly cheaper and takes less time than with traditional methods, thanks to the ability to create countless versions that can be printed immediately. This speeds up product development and allows us to get the product to market earlier than our competitors.
Carbon fiber FDM 3D printing offers countless applications beyond prototyping. Among other things, it is perfectly suited for the direct production of robot arm ends, such as gripping and positioning, deburring robots, and grippers. In the case of robot arm ends, wear resistance is usually emphasized, but reducing the weight of the arm end is often overlooked, even though it has countless advantages, such as resulting in a lower-cost robot.
Carbon fiber material enables 3D printing of manufacturing support tools and clamping seats in applications that were previously unimaginable due to the flexibility of the material. Since the elongation coefficient of FDM Nylon 12CF is three times that of the closest FDM material, its use can be expected to significantly reduce the deformation of parts.
Due to the carbon fiber reinforcement, FDM Nylon 12CF is much stiffer and more wear-resistant than other FDM materials, so parts made from it can also be used to shape metal sheets. It is also an excellent choice for making drilling templates, as the carbon fiber reinforcement provides greater rigidity, so the drilled hole will be more precise.
Its excellent mechanical properties make carbon fiber suitable for printing fixtures, even replacing metal fixtures in industrial environments. This is particularly beneficial for particularly complex fixture tools, where the complex geometry would require multiple components or complicated machine settings.
In conclusion, using FDM Nylon 12CF as an alternative to metal parts can help reduce costs and increase overall efficiency for companies. Carbon fiber increases the strength and stability of 3D printed parts while reducing their overall weight. This makes it an ideal composite material for a wide range of applications, from functional prototypes to end-user parts.
When manufacturing plants work with the right manufacturing support tools, it speeds up production, which means increased productivity. But that's just the beginning! Well-designed tools are more ergonomic and increase both worker safety and efficiency, while also saving costs.
3D printed manufacturing support tools
can reduce manufacturing costs by up to 50-90%!
Download our free, 7-page, Hungarian-language brochure entitled Production Support Tools in Production Plants!
