Materials
General information about plastics
In this knowledge base, the properties of plastics are described at a general level. The same type of plastic may have different properties depending on the manufacturer, for example due to additives.
Plastics can be divided into two categories based on their properties: Thermoplastics and Thermosets.
General information about metals
The knowledge base contains information about metal materials and alloys that can be used in additive manufacturing methods. The same metal may have different properties depending on the manufacturer. The properties of metals are described at a general level.
Depending on the used printing method, the material can be in the form of powder, wire, or sheet.
For powdered materials, in addition to the composition of the metal alloy, materials may differ based on particle size and shape. Particle size and shape are significantly influenced by the atomization process used in powder production, as well as the subsequent sieving process, which removes both too small and too large particles. A spherical particle shape provides better flow properties than angular shapes.
General information about other materials
Other materials used in additive manufacturing include ceramics, sand, fabric, wax, food materials, and biomaterials. Among these, sand is the most commonly used, especially in the production of sand molds.
General information about material properties
In general, additive manufacturing materials closely follow the properties of their traditional counterparts. However, factors such as printing direction and the layered nature of the process can affect surface uniformity and overall material behavior.