Polyjet Printing

How Does PolyJet 3D Printing Work?

01 Part Design & Printing Preparation

PolyJet part designs require special preparation for 3D printing. For example, your 3D model must be a single, solid “shell” with no internal overlaps or intersecting surfaces. If your part will have multiple colors, each one needs to be separated into its own shell. There are also specific guidelines for hole and channel sizes, wall thicknesses and assembly clearance. A Fathom engineer can help you optimize your part design for PolyJet printing.

Engineer, Constructor, Designer in Glasses Working on a Personal Computer. He is Creating, Designing a New 3D Model of Mechanical Component in CAD Program. Freelance Work

02 Printing Your PolyJet Parts

The print head sprays small droplets of liquid photopolymer resin onto the build platform, similar to an inkjet printer. Multiple print heads can deposit multiple materials or colors in the same layer. UV light then cures the photopolymer and bonds it to the layer below it. Support material is also jetted into the build at the same time. When a layer is complete, the build table moves down slightly and the process repeats.

03 Post-Processing & Finishing

When the printing process is complete, the part is removed from the build platform. The support material is washed away using a water jet or a water-soluble bath. PolyJet parts can be painted or dyed and coated with a clear lacquer or polyurethane finish to provide a high-gloss finish, protect them from damage and to prevent moisture damage. Little or no sanding or filling is needed prior to painting.

What Are the Advantages & Limitations of PolyJet 3D Printing?

Advantages

Versatile & Fast

From prototypes and colorful models to end-use parts, Fathom’s PolyJet printing service does it all. It can print them quickly, giving you more time to design, test and perfect your designs.
Excellent Level of Detail

PolyJet can print layers as thin as 16 microns. That means parts produced using it can contain an extraordinary amount of detail and an excellent surface finish.
Support for Digital Materials

PolyJet printers can mix up to six resins, which gives designers, engineers and your industrial 3D printing service unprecedented creative opportunities to fine-tune their part designs and material characteristics.
Transparent Options

PolyJet can print transparent materials that enable the production of transparent and translucent parts.
Fast Removal of Support Material

The gel-like support material used by PolyJet is water soluble. It can be dissolved using a water jet. This eliminates the need for time-consuming post-production processes and results in a smoother part finish than some other 3D printing processes.
Strong Parts

PolyJet can produce sturdy parts that have good tensile strength.

Disadvantages

Cost

The materials required for PolyJet printers tend to be more expensive than those for many other types of 3D printing.
Part Size Limitations

PolyJet isn’t suitable for printing larger parts.
Support Structure

Even though PolyJet uses a gel-like support structure, adding it contributes to longer total part printing times.
Not for Long-term Use

Exposure to heat, sunlight and humidity can cause photopolymers to lose some strength and durability.

Applications of PolyJet 3D Printing

- Rapid & Functional Prototypes: Create smooth, detailed prototypes with ultra-fine details and surface textures that simulate the aesthetics of your product.
- Visual Aids & Models for Presentation: Because PolyJet 3D printing can combine different materials, colors and transparencies, it’s a favorite technology for creating detailed, realistic medical and dental models.
- Complex Parts with Precise Dimensions: PolyJet has a minimum layer thickness of 16 microns. Its ability to capture tiny details with a high degree of dimensional accuracy is like nothing you’ve seen before in the world of additive manufacturing.
- Manufacturing Tools: PolyJet isn’t just for printing pretty models. It can also be used to build molds, jigs and fixtures where dimensional accuracy is a key requirement.
- Flexible Parts That Simulate Traditional Elastomers: PolyJet 3D printing service is perfect for printing gaskets, seals and housings – where elastomer-like characteristics are a must.
Industries where PolyJet parts are used include:
Medical
Dental
Consumer products

Case Studies Block

What Can PolyJet be Paired With?

PolyJet is a unique technology in the additive manufacturing space. It’s unmatched in its ability to produce fast, colorful prototypes. Because it’s a photopolymer, it tends to deteriorate over time. That limits its ability to be paired with other technologies.

PolyJet is sometimes used to create work holding fixtures where precise positioning of a product being manufactured is a must. Over time, these fixtures will deteriorate. But a manufacturing engineer can easily print a new one to replace it.

PolyJet parts can be post-machined to meet specific tolerances. They can also be bonded to other assemblies, such as fiberglass panels.

Traditional Technologies That Can Benefit from PolyJet

Many types of visual aids and models are now made by hand using clay, screen printing, labels and other time-consuming and often expensive manual techniques. These models can be produced much faster using PolyJet 3D printing. Inks are available in thousands of colors and can be controlled at the voxel level. It can also print a variety of surface textures. That means you can create sophisticated prototypes that exactly match the look and feel of your brand.

Prototype parts are made using a variety of techniques. Having a tool built to produce a handful of prototype injection molded parts could take weeks. CNC machining prototype parts requires time-consuming machine and work holding tool setups and a skilled operator. In contrast, Fathom’s PolyJet printing service can be used to print prototype parts in a matter of hours.