3D printing

In addition to standard 3D printing, Promolding is also available for printing in 2 components 3D. A unique combination! And with 3D printing technology, Promolding not only makes products in the prototyping phase, but even molds are made of plastic, which are then used in the injection molding machine to produce small series (‘0’ series). This, in addition to significant savings, also offers incredible time savings. Instead of 4 weeks waiting for a test template, you can now have injection molding products within 2 days!

 

Objet Connex 350 printer

For 3D print operations, Promolding has an Objet Connex 350 printer. A very high quality 3D printing system. This printer can print 2 model materials at the same time, and it offers the ability to combine different materials such as rubber or glass-clear material. This feature also offers the ability to print the 2-component ABS-like material. The properties of this material in combination with the high accuracy of the printer make it possible to print injection molds, PRIM®.

PRIM

Promolding has developed the PRIM® (PRinted Injection Mold) technology and is capable of injection molding through 3D printed plastic molds. Both the expertise, 3D printers and injection molding machines have Promolding in-house. In this way we are able to come to production in the shortest possible time.

The Objet Connex 350 3D printer from Promolding offers the possibility to print injection molds. This existing technology has picked up Promolding and advanced to a higher level. Both the expertise, 3D printer and injection molding machines we have in our own house. Thus, we are able to achieve prototypes with a very short lead time in more and more different types of injection molded plastics.

Meanwhile, developments are moving fast. Larger series, more material types and higher processing temperatures. Our prototyping engineers, product developers and polymer researchers continue to develop, test and complete this technology.

Benefits 3D Printed moulds:

  • Low start-up costs (relative to steel and/or aluminium moulds).
  • Short lead-time
  • Making prototypes in the final production material
  • Changes are simple and quick to implement
  • Small series possible up to about 50 pieces

In other words, PRIM® is a rapid manufacturing technique that allows injection moulded products within 5 days. This provides substantial savings in costs and time!

PRIM

PRIM bounderies:

The design guidelines are quite similar to normal injection moulding guidelines, with some boundary conditions.

  • Small series: 100 pieces, depending on design and material
  • Maximum product dimensions: 190mm x 220mm x 70mm
  • Part geometry: larger draft angles will improve and lifespan mould. No sharp corners.
  • Mould can be composed of multiple inserts.
  • Undercuts are possible.

 

Materials available

  • Easy to use, 50 – 100 pieces: PP, TPE and PS
  • Doable to PRIM, 30 to 50 pieces: PMMA, PVDF, ABS, PBT, POM, PA, PP-GF
  • Difficult to PRIM, 5 to 30 pieces: PC, PC-ABS, PA-GF, PPE

Materials with a higher melting temperature (>250°) are more difficult. Do you need other materials for your product, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
The procedure is: We look at the 3D file and provide advice for improvement or quotation.

The story behind PRIM

Promolding saw that there was a question of quickly delivering a good product as a pre-stage series to demonstrate the operation of the product in practice. This should not be an approximation of the design but consist of the actual material with the actual manufacturing method. Startups and big organizations would like to have a good and reliable test of their product as soon as possible.

That is why Promolding has already begun to combine with the existing capabilities offered by our 3D printer at the beginning of 2015 with what Promolding specializes in: injection molding. This is what we call PRIM (PRinted Injection Mold).

This is a technology that has already been applied by various companies worldwide but is not yet readily available to large and small organizations who want to quickly test a high-quality and functioning prototype or want to deliver a final product.

Portfolio PRIM

One of the first PRIM test of Promolding was in 2015, the housing of a fiber optic sensor. For this purpose, 20 sets of PBT products have been made, which have been used for some time on a 500 kWatt Caterpillar diesel generator on one of the Fugro ships without any problems.

Contact

Want to know more about our 3D printing facilities? Or do you want to apply for a quote? We like to think along with you!

Feel free to contact us via the form on this page. You can also call us: 070 711 20 28.

Contact