3D Printing With Polypropylene: 8 Reasons to 3D Print PP Parts : Divide By Zero

By Editorial On Apr 28, 2021

Polypropylene is a semi-crystalline material highly resistant to strong impact, abrasion, and chemicals. Being FDA approved, PP is widely used in FMCG packaging & labeling applications, food-safe containers, lab equipment, healthcare applications, stationery, and more. As a result of its wide usability index in prototyping & NPD, 3D Printing experts around the globe tried to go for 3D printing with polypropylene but were faced with multiple challenges.

3D Printing With Polypropylene – Current Challenges

3D printing PP poses serious challenges ranging from warpage to loose layer bonding to intermolecular shrinkages, low adhesive strength, and is relatively hard to machine and shape. However, we at Divide By Zero Technologies tried to address all such issues with our high-speed patented AFPM 3D printing technology and found incredible results in end-use applications needing mass customization.

Advantages of 3D printing With Polypropylene

Polypropylene is highly resistant against strong impact and abrasion forces. This along with our 5X faster high-speed FFF technology adds huge benefits in designing complex, high-strength assembly fixtures.

Owing to its high toughness and fatigue-resistant property, 3D printed PP parts find applications in the automotive industry as well. For example – 3D printing car bumpers with PP is a cost-efficient method that can withstand bumps & bruises without component breakage. DBZ’s high-speed printers can help you with cost savings of up to 85% than any other traditional methods.

Being FDA approved, this grade of Polypropylene finds limitless applications in the food and packaging industry. Hence, it finds usage for low-cost product prototyping and mass customization. Also, DBZ’s FFF printers, well recognized in the packaging, paper & pulp molding industry, are now making wonders in packaging solutions as well.

3D printed polypropylene parts can withstand higher stress and higher loads owing to their larger tendency to resist deformation compared to PLA & ABS. Backed by our high-speed patented 3D printing technology, you can print high-strength end-use parts saving millions.

Almost all industrial & engineering-grade 3D printing materials are sensitive to the air moisture humidification process. Consequently, you need to invest huge cash for active air moisture removal from all filaments. This adds a cash burden on your book of accounts. On the other hand, PP is not sensitive to environmental air moisture. Hence, it needs no such auxiliary process to keep its material properties intact.

High breaking strength and lowest density make it suitable for lightweight end-use applications that need mass customizations.

Being completely skin-friendly, 3D printing with polypropylene can assist the medical industry in manufacturing on-demand, low-cost, customized 3D-printed prosthetic parts. As a result, this would help healthcare establishments to deliver medical assistance to the poor at the lowest cost possible.

Lastly, PP is entirely environment-friendly. Consequently, one can recycle 3D printed PP parts multiple times over and over again as it is detergent washable.

This content was originally published on the Divide By Zero website.