3M Develops 3D-Printed Fluorinated Polymer Technology

3M develops 3D-printed fluorinated polymer technology

19-Sep-16

3M has developed a new technology allowing the additive manufacture of fully fluorinated polymers. The patent-pending technology allows 3D printing as an additional and differentiated way of processing fully-fluorinated polymers, allowing the fabrication of complex structures that could not otherwise have been produced without great expense. Print-on-demand solutions for fluoropolymer based spare parts and custom parts with complex geometry are potential articles for the small-batch and waste-minimising 3D printing technique. The technology is particularly exciting for the fluoropolymer PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene).

This flexible new technology, which 3M and its subsidiary Dyneon will introduce at K 2016 for the first time, paves the way for the production of polymer structures in a single processing step rather than moulding and assembling component parts. The development also makes it possible to 3D print spare parts and customised designs on demand without needing to use expensive traditional processing techniques. As part of the development, 3M is pioneering the 3D printing of PTFE which is used in a wide range of applications such as sealing and lining. "3D printing is developing at a rapid pace and is opening up a number of exciting developments for the processing of fully-fluorinated polymers, particularly for PTFE which is a real quantum leap," said Paula Johnson-Mason, Global Director Fluoropolymers. "This additional new manufacturing process will give us increased flexibility and accelerate product design cycles as spare parts can be manufactured digitally without the need to create new tools."

The new technology also offers a more sustainable manufacturing solution due to potential material savings and a reduction in waste. This is achieved as the traditional method for creating prototype parts from PTFE creates significant waste. With 3D printing, however, waste is minimal and unused material can be used for subsequent printing jobs.