Rubber 3D Printing Service: Technical Guide
Rubber 3D Printing
Details
Details:
Model
Material
Brand
Origin
Application
Booling-3D-10
Rubber
Booling
China
Aerospace, Automotive, Medical, Manufacturing, Tooling, Baby parts
Rubber 3D printing technology has a wide range of manufacturing fields and can provide renewable and environmentally friendly manufacturing services. Rubber 3D printing services play an important role in the development of industry as they can manufacture high elasticity parts with toughness.
Advantages of Rubber 3D Printing：
- High Strength-to-Weight Ratio
- Design Flexibility
- Functional Prototyping
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Durability
- Resistance to Damage
Related Hot Products
Rubber 3D printing service, also known as additive manufacturing, is a type of rapid prototyping technology that uses rubber and other adhesive materials based on numerical model files to construct objects layer by layer through printing. 3D printing service is usually achieved using digital technology material printers. It is often used in mold manufacturing, industrial design, etc. to manufacture models, and is gradually used in the direct manufacturing of some products. There are already parts printed using this technology.
Maintenance of Rubber 3D Printing Equipment
In rubber 3D printing technology, the maintenance of equipment by manufacturers is also a crucial part of the processing, which can ensure the durability of the equipment and extend its service life, including:
- Equipment inspection
Before the official start of rubber 3D printing services, manufacturers should conduct timely inspections of related equipment. Many users do not carefully inspect the printer, and after discovering obvious damage, the damage is often irreversible. If the user checks on time, many injuries can be avoided.
The content of equipment inspection covers every component of the printer, such as checking the printer connection lines, inspecting parts, checking whether the platform is aligned, and other steps. Manufacturers can completely solve some small problems on their own. In addition, the reason why the operator checks the equipment promptly is to prevent contamination from the nozzle. If pollutants are found, the manufacturer needs to use tools to immediately clean them up, which can prevent blockage nozzles from occurring again during future use.
- Parameter setting range
During the use of rubber 3D printers, the corresponding parameters set by the manufacturer should be within the range that the printer can withstand. Before using the printer, the staff should carefully read the printer manual to understand the parameter range that the printer can withstand. During the printing process, ensure that the readings are within the set parameter range. If the device experiences a high temperature or abnormal printing sound during printing, the operator must promptly turn off the power and carefully check which aspect of the printer is malfunctioning. Technicians should take regular maintenance measures for the machines to prevent rubber printing equipment from malfunctioning. Operating the malfunctioning equipment will only bring more serious consequences and losses, slowing down the subsequent workflow.
- Printer cleaning
The nozzle is a key component for the printer to perform printing work normally, so manufacturers should pay extra attention to cleaning the nozzle. Once the nozzle is clogged with dust, it will affect the quality of printing. No matter how long the rubber 3D printing equipment is used, the corresponding staff should do a good job of cleaning the printer, and different parts have different processing methods. Manufacturers should regularly clean their printers to avoid dust accumulation caused by prolonged use. The ultimate goal of printer cleaning is to ensure that the machine is in a clean and usable state and that all components are intact and undamaged.
The Advantages of Rubber 3D Printing
Compared to conventional printing materials, rubber custom 3D printing technology has more advantages.
- Integrated product molding
The most prominent advantage of rubber 3D printing products is their ability to form as a whole. Compared to traditional production processes, PLA 3D printing technology greatly reduces labor and transportation costs. Traditional large-scale production is based on the industrial chain and manual assembly lines. Currently, the production process of modern factories mainly includes the production of parts by machinery and equipment, followed by manual assembly and other steps. Although this production method is relatively easy to update and replace, the large number of product components will elongate the supply chain and product line, making the processing time longer and the process more complicated. Assembly and transportation require more time and cost. Rubber 3D printing has the characteristic of being able to form an integrated product without the need for reassembly, shortening the supply chain and product installation assembly line, and saving labor and transportation costs.
- Rapid prototyping manufacturing
The initial draft of 3D printing rapid prototyping is a prototype mold, whose main purpose is to help designers, engineers, and manufacturers experience the appearance and feel of products more realistically, and allow for multiple repeated inspections. In the traditional industrial manufacturing field, once a product is put into production and an irreparable defect is discovered after it has been formed into a molded part, the manufacturer needs to bear a lot of time and cost. However, using rubber 3D printing technology to first conduct prototype model experiments can help manufacturers quickly understand the structure and concept of the product, and conduct continuous experiments to achieve the best production state of the final product. Traditional prototyping is made by hand with foam or clay. Compared with the current 3D prototyping technology, it can not give timely feedback on improvement and communicate better with customers.
Rubber 3D printing technology is not only used for designing conceptual prototypes but also for creating functional prototypes. The items made by 3D printing technology have excellent physical and chemical properties such as high temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance. Through various performance tests of prototype manufacturing technology, the final product design parameters are continuously adjusted and improved. This manufacturing process and flow greatly shorten the time from design to production of the product. The emergence of rubber 3D printing technology has greatly accelerated the design process, continuously improving the safety and rationality of product use, marketing, ergonomic design, and other aspects. This enables comprehensive optimization and upgrading of products before they are put into formal production, avoiding the occurrence of subsequent defects and problems.
- Cost advantage
In general, the more complex the shape and components of products and manufacturing equipment, the higher the time and manufacturing costs required. However, for 3D printing equipment and products, the impact of Du’s products on their costs is not significant. Compared to rubber 3D printing equipment, traditional equipment cannot flexibly create various objects and has weak functionality. Using 3D printing equipment has better creative performance and is more flexible in producing objects of different shapes.
- Infinite design space
When designing products, due to the limitations of traditional manufacturing techniques, the products that can be designed and manufactured and the tools that can be used are limited. Customized rubber 3D printers can break through these limitations, expand design space, make design more flexible, and design and manufacture products that are difficult or even impossible to process with traditional techniques.
- Customized production to shorten delivery time
Rubber 3D printing can be customized for production, which can meet customers’ needs with higher quality. 3D printing is an instant production method where manufacturers can activate rubber 3D printers based on user needs, greatly reducing the accumulation of finished products. This technology can also greatly shorten transportation time, allowing products to be delivered faster.
Solutions of Rubber 3D Printing Process
Rubber 3D printing technology is prone to defects such as curled edges, nonstick first layer, and insufficient extrusion during the process. Specific solutions include:
-Bent edge
- Phenomenon: Bent edges refer to one or more corners at the bottom of the model that is raised, which can cause the product to be unable to stably attach horizontally to the printing platform, resulting in horizontal cracks in the top structure of the final product.
- Reason: The main reason for the problem of product edge curling is that the plastic in the first layer (bottom) shrinks due to cooling, causing the edges of the model to curl up to a certain extent, which is a common defect.
- Solution: Manufacturers can keep the plastic at a certain temperature and use a heated printing bed to prevent premature cooling and shrinkage of the bottom material. Manufacturers apply a thin layer of glue evenly on the printing bed to increase the adhesion of the first layer of material, to make it adhere more smoothly to the printing bed. To ensure the perfect performance of the printing bed, it may be necessary to add a cushion structure to reinforce the adhesion of the printing platform. Even if the printer already has a heating bed design, it is still recommended to use glue and level the printing bed.
-The first layer is nonstick
The printing of the first layer is very important for 3D printing. If the first layer is not adhered to, it is difficult to carry out subsequent 3D printing steps.
resolvent:
- Increase the temperature of the heating bed
If the temperature of the heating bed is too low, the manufacturer can appropriately increase the processing temperature. Considering the actual processing situation, the increased temperature range must comply with the specified standard range and cannot exceed the specified range, otherwise, it will affect the subsequent printing progress and product quality.
- Maintain the hot bed well
Manufacturers need to constantly confirm the cleanliness of the hot bed. If it is a lattice glass hot bed, remember not to forcefully pull out the model. Wait until it is completely cooled before taking out the model to maintain the viscosity of the hot bed. Try to avoid using glue to stick the model, as it can easily damage the coating.
- Add glue to the hot bed
The most critical approach that manufacturers need to consider when encountering edge curling issues is to add glue to tightly adhere the model. However, this method is prone to the consequences of difficult parts retrieval and damage to the hot bed.
-Squeezing too little
In the process of rubber 3D printing molding, too little extruded material can also have a significant impact on the printing effect, generally causing the model to become fragile or leaving rough marks on the surface, resulting in poor performance and appearance of the model.
resolvent:
- Replace and clean the nozzle
Manufacturers need to regularly inspect, repair, and replace nozzles, as nozzles are critical components and their wear can easily lead to extrusion problems. In addition, if the nozzle is blocked or the cleanliness is not in place, it can also cause defects such as insufficient extrusion.
- Check the extruder and gears
Manufacturers need to regularly inspect and clean the gears to ensure their cleanliness; Ensure that the screws are tightened without any looseness.
- Increase the temperature of the hot bed
The temperature of the hot bed plays a crucial role in the process of rubber 3D printing molding. If the temperature is too low, it is necessary to increase the temperature appropriately to the standard range, otherwise, it will have a significant impact on the extrusion of the material.
Rubber material 3D printing technology is a technique that utilizes additive manufacturing technology to construct three-dimensional solid models by stacking rubber materials layer by layer. This technology mainly includes steps such as material melting, material cooling, material stacking, and material forming. This technology has applications in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architectural modeling, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical equipment, education, geographic information systems, and other fields.
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