Additive Manufacturing in Iowa City IA | Additive Manufacturing Service near me
Whether you’re using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, for prototypes or finished consumer products, you might be curious what types of 3D printing are available, and what kind is right for your project. At AdvancedTek, we offer additive manufacturing services to help our customers find the best additive manufacturing system for their project. Additive manufacturing is the process of making three-dimensional objects from a digital file. The system adds material layer by layer, building your part until it’s complete. If you need to find out more about Additive Manufacturing in Iowa City IA, reach out to AdvancedTek today!
What is Additive Manufacturing?
Additive manufacturing is the process by which digital files, typically CAD files, are transformed into 3 dimensional objects. A variety of materials can be used for this process, from common resins to even metals. This process is widely used for rapid prototyping, where a client can create a prototype of their idea using additive manufacturing. The use of this technology has been growing rapidly as it becomes more affordable and accessible to businesses. For engineers and design teams who want a way to test their products before invested in expensive manufacturing systems, or for companies who want an alternative to the traditional manufacturing process, there has never been a better time to invest in additive manufacturing. If you want to learn more about 3D printing near me, consider how experts at AdvancedTek can help you find the perfect 3D printing or post-processing equipment for your business.
What kinds of Additive Manufacturing are there?
The defining trait of additive manufacturing is that it prints layer by layer until a finished piece is created, but there are numerous methods to do this. While Fused Deposition Modeling is the most commonly used and well-known method, it isn’t the right choice for every project. If you want to learn what type of additive manufacturing is right for your business, read through our list below.
Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF)
SAF, or selective absorption fusion is a process by which a powder bed has high absorption fluid jetted into it in a specific path. This path is then cured using an infrared light into a hardened material. Over time, this will then become a fully realized object, which will then require some kind of post-processing to remove excess powder from the surface of the print. From Stratasys, AdvancedTek offers the H350 3D Printer for those who want to use Selective Absorption Fusion for their prototype, concept model, or end-use parts. This type of printing is known for consistency, and smooth finishes.
Stereolithography (SLA)
While stereolithography is similar to SAF style 3D printing because they both cure liquid resins as part of their printing process, they do have some major differences. Stereolithography uses “vat polymerization”, meaning that the liquid itself is cured layer by layer using UV light without the structural support of a surrounding powder. SLA works by printing a component that is attached upside-down to a raising platform, which is slowly raised up out of a vat of photo-sensitive resin. Each layer is cured individually, eventually revealing the finished print that has been created layer by layer.
At AdvancedTek, we feature the Neo Series of 3D printers from Stratasys for stereolithography, which feature extreme precision and fidelity in their print quality.
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Fused Deposition Modeling, or FDM, is the most common form of 3D printing available today. This style of printing creates parts layer by layer using a moving nozzle or platform and a heat-sensitive filament. The filament is heating during the extrusion process, making it temporarily malleable. While it is still flexible, it is placed onto the tray in the desired shape, eventually building upon itself layer by layer until the final product is made. This style of printing is known for its speed, and relatively low cost. At AdvancedTek, we feature a range of fused deposition style printers, each with unique features that make them an excellent choice for your next prototyping or manufacturing project. If you want to learn more, you can use our 3D printing services to test these models and their capabilities before purchasing them for your engineering team or production line.
PolyJet
Finally, PolyJet printers use a style of 3D printing that jets layers of curable liquid photopolymers onto a bed one at a time to produce a finished product that is known for its exceptional detail, smooth surface quality, and repeated precision.
If you’re interested in a company with over 25 years in the business, AdvancedTek can help you achieve anything from Concept Modeling, Functional Prototypes, Manufacturing Tooling, End-User Parts, 3D printers, Post Processing, to Vacuum Forming, and more! We can even help you speed along your prototyping process with our 3D printing service. You can find out more about us by checking out our website here. If you need to find out more about Additive Manufacturing in Iowa City IA, reach out to our experts at AdvancedTek today!