NYCOA TOPICS IN ENGINEERED PLASTICS: 3D PRINTING
3D Printing is one of the most exciting new technologies of this generation, with the potential to benefit companies, industries, and the lives of individuals. The ability for everyone to make simple objects with nothing more than a software file, a printer, a material substrate, and time means that any consumer has the potential to create like an industrial designer and engineering team. Now an individual can prototype parts, inventions, and additive designs in their own homes, try them, iterate and improve them, and find solutions for problems, business ideas to help others, even new expression in the form of physical art. This is a thrilling new age where clients can share their creations with each other and develop products specific to their needs.
For polymer manufacturers or people involved in the plastic industry, the popularization of 3D printing (also called ‘additive manufacturing’) also means there is suddenly a new demand for engineered polymers at the consumer level. Nylon is considered a high-performance polymer in 3D Printing, and it has niche in providing strong performance with good printability. But knowing what makes Nylon appealing will help to identify applications in additive manufacturing where consumers will appreciate and need the performance of polyamide as a printing material.
There are many reasons to use nylon as your material of choice for 3D printing. Nylon is incredibly strong. Compared to other material available to the hobbyist printer, it may be the strongest option. It’s also flexible, enough to allow some repeated bending of parts without breaking. This allows some mechanical action in parts made of Nylon. Nylon sports strong chemical resistances as well, which can be an important consideration with 3D prints which often need to be cleaned with harsh solvents in order to ensure the printer lines aren’t showing at the end. Nylon has a low friction coefficient and high melting temperature which make it an excellent choice for a variety of everyday items such as 3D printed tools, gears, RC cars and more.
Nylon does have a few limitations. First of all Nylon can warp, which means that keeping the nylon dry prior to use is a common concern. Secondly, it’s hygroscopic. This means the material likes to absorb water. This can be useful for applying finishing touches to change the aesthetic of the piece. But the Nylon should be monitored to make sure that water absorption isn’t causing any warping that affects the part’s performance.
With this in mind nylon sits in a powerful position in the emerging market of 3D Printing. A viable, cost effective, and tough material which is accessible to a new and growing mainstream market. And as the technology of 3D printing becomes cheaper and more accessible this market will only continue to expand! One more way in which Nylon can touch the daily lives of the consumer.
About NYCOA
NYCOA (the Nylon Corporation of America) commercially manufactures specialty engineered nylon, including nylon 6, nylon copolymers and terpolymers, nylon 6,10 and nylon 6,12, long-chain nylon chemistry alternatives to nylon 11 and nylon 12, as well as a broad variety of compounded nylon materials. All NYCOA products are made in the USA, manufactured in our ISO plant located in Manchester, NH. NYCOA is dedicated to plastics engineering, plastics innovation, and a consistent quality earned through operational excellence. NYCOA is dedicated to its customers, and produces specialty engineered polymers for industries and partners around the world, and has plastics compounding capabilities to produce a variety of reinforced grades.
NYCOA manufactures specialty engineered polyamide (nylon) plastics for many industries and applications, including fasteners, hook and loop, extruded parts, injection molding, foamed components, monofilament, powders, and wire and cable jacketing.
Contact:
333 Sundial Ave.
Manchester, NH 03103-7230
Tel: 603.627.5150
Fax: 603.627.4499