Alumide

Alumide is a powder material consisting of a mixture of PA12 and aluminium.
The PA12 will share in the printing process fused and binds the aluminium powder.
The 50% share of aluminium are special features such as example a heat resistance this plastic up to 170 deg C and a very high breaking strength.
Also Alumide is very metallic and be cold or warm on skin contact.
Colored Alumide will also have a very beautiful look.

Advantages & disadvantages

Advantages

  •  Hight form stable
  •  Abrasion resistant
  •  Detailed and extremely clean in print
  •  Very good time availability
  •  High stability

disadvantages

  • Slightly rough surface (still pleasant to the touch)
  •  No waterproof (to 0.4% water absorption)

Typical usage

Alumide is always used if the components are to be especially resistant and heat resistant. Even for very complex shapes to offer this material, thereby not supporting material must be used.
Alumide are often used when a plastic is needed which must be particularly heat-resistant or have a high stiffness without becoming brittle.

Additional information

  • When dyeing Alumide only the PA12 share in material colors resulting in a "glittering" surface.
  • The aluminum content Alumide is a very good conductor of heat

Technology

Alumide is moulded in the SLS. Alumide is moulded in the SLS. This powder-based techniques has helped to bring 3D printing where it currently is.
This method cost extremely robust components can produce injection molded parts in no way inferior.
SLS means Selectives laser sintering and referred to the partial melting of powder materials by means of a laser.
This, The exposure parameters can be manipulated to produce different properties.

The procedure:

Your model is broken down at the computer in layers of 0.12 mm and sent to the machine.
Now, a tank is filled with your desired equipment. A 0, 12mm-thick layer over the entire width is applied to a pressure bed.
The build chamber of the machine is heated to about 100 deg C. Then a laser will sinter the powder and increases the temperature at this point for a fraction of a second above the melting point of the material.
At this point the material becomes short liquid and joins. All surfaces that belong to your part are produced in this layer.
Now the build platform is lowered and a new layer. This repeated itself until your component is finished. The not molten powder surrounds your component and in this period also serves as a support structure.
This allows the printing of 'floating' components (approximately 2 rings that do not touch during printing, but are connected). Your component is now liberated from the powder and blow out any residue.