Unsurprisingly, quality output from AM systems does not happen by accident. Rather, it is the result of dedicated efforts to maintain precision, consistency, reliability and repeatability throughout the entire manufacturing workflow.
CHAMPIONING ON-DEMAND MANUFACTURING AS INDUSTRIES DEMAND FASTER, MORE FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION
THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF POST-PROCESSING IN AM
While AM has revolutionised part design, enabling complex geometries and rapid iteration, the raw outputs from even the most advanced AM technologies often still fall short of industry requirements. Parts often emerge from the build chamber with surface roughness, inconsistent mechanical properties, and residual powder or support structures that must be removed or refined before parts can be put to use. While AM enables direct part production, many industries require additional finishing steps to meet specific functional and aesthetic standards. The misconception that AM produces a final-use product in a single step has hindered its adoption, as companies often underestimate the necessity of thorough post-processing techniques to bring parts up to industry standards.
CHAMPIONING NEXT-LEVEL POST-PROCESSING FOR FLAWLESS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
With additive manufacturing, one often-overlooked factor separates cutting-edge from cut-rate — surface finish. As manufacturers push AM to production-grade levels, 3D People, a leading UK-based subcontract 3D printing bureau, is taking a stand on why surface finish is the real game-changer in AM for production applications.
CASE STUDY: 3D People 3D Printing with Zeal
Zeal Lifestyle is a sustainable lifestyle company, based in Surrey, UK; with a specific focus on stylish and highly functional and adaptable mobility aids for supported living.
The Zeal journey began when its two founders — Georgia Williams and Joshua King — independently looked into purchasing a walker for family members. Before that, though, both Georgia and Josh studied industrial design at Brunel University in London. Georgia going on to work for renowned fashion brand Dior for a number of years, while Josh garnered experience working as an industrial designer for Seymour Powell and Factory Design.
During the Covid pandemic lockdowns, Georgia’s Great Aunt, at 86 years old, needed a walker to use both indoors and outdoors to support her mobility. Despite Georgia searching for hours and hours, she could not find a stylish walker that suited her Great aunt’s stylish tastes and personality. Resistance to using mobility aids is a common obstacle for family members both in terms of denial that it is needed, but also the resentment of having to purchase a device that often looks and feels limited and unappealing.
This is what inspired Zeal Lifestyle, Georgia and Josh decided to take this matter into their own hands and design a walker putting the end user first. At the end of last year, Zeal opened for pre-orders having earned global recognition and awards for its user-centred design, including the Unlocking Potential Award by Innovate UK. The full and official launch, which will include delivery of pre-orders and opening up for direct retail options to purchase, is scheduled for Summer 2025.
The Zeal walker is coming to market following four years of collaboration with users and a comprehensive product development process, that is completely in line with what would be expected for a Class 1 medical device that has to adhere to specific ISO standards.
Zeal’s mission is to remove the stigma of walkers and mobility aids, and provide a product that users are proud to be seen with. The emotions involved in accepting the need for and purchasing a mobility aid should not be underestimated. A walker that offers elegant style and comfort, as well as being lightweight and easy to handle goes a long way towards overcoming any emotional resistance. This is the ethos behind Zeal and it shows.
However, bringing that ethos into the real world is neither quick nor easy. The product development process, by necessity for a class 1 medical device, is exacting and challenging. Safety and efficiency of the device are vital, while incorporating the essence of Zeal’s style and comfort. In addition, sustainability has also been a very important element of Zeal’s development and as a result of that commitment, the Zeal walker has been fully designed for disassembly.
For the prototyping of Zeal’s plastic parts, the Zeal team worked with 3D People. The development of the Zeal mobility aid was complex and required numerous series of functional prototypes during the iterative process that had to meet demanding requirements. The first fully functional Zeal walker prototype was made with 3D printed parts for testing size and human interactions. Utilising the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and MultiJet Fusion (MJF) processes offered by 3D People, along with their finishing options ensured Zeal received the high-quality parts they required reliably and fast. According to Josh: “Over the past year, we’ve ordered around 500 parts in SLS and MJF for various prototypes and design iterations. The MJF process is great for parts that need to be smooth and after post-processing, it’s hard to tell them apart from injection-moulded parts. SLS works better for visual parts since the off-white finish is more aesthetically pleasing than MJF’s dark grey. We switch between the two different processes depending on the stage of design. Costs are also important, of course, and these can also vary based on part size and process used, so that’s something we factor in too, but it’s an easy thing.”
It's hard to overstate how important quality is for functional prototypes that have to go through stringent testing. Josh continued: “The quality of the parts from 3D People has been consistently excellent. Everything we’ve received has been accurate, and there’s been very little need for extra finishing before testing. Any issues we have had were sorted quickly by the team, which has made the whole process much easier.”
When finishing of parts was required, 3D People offer multiple options including dedicated vapour smoothing, vibro-polishing and dyeing. The company also stands out for its creative approach to finishing and working with clients to get the finish they want. For the Zeal, Josh found the vapour smoothing option invaluable for a number of parts and for different reasons. He said: “Vapour smoothing gives the parts a polished look and makes them feel nicer. It also saves us from having to do extra finishing work later, which has been a big time-saver. Vapour smoothing can also give a more waterproof finish which is easy to wipe clean which was really useful for us because unfinished parts get dirty really quickly and easily, which is not ideal when undertaking multiple user tests.”
Pre-orders for the Zeal walker have exceeded expectations, according to Georgia and the company is working hard to fulfil them all ahead of the summer launch.
3D PEOPLE INTRODUCES TPU01 MATERIAL FOR AM PARTS SERVICE
(London, UK. 7 November, 2024.) 3D People, a leading additive manufacturing (AM) service provider of high-quality 3D printed parts on demand, is pleased to announce that it has added a new material to its service offering, namely Ultrasint TPU01.
According to Felix Manley, Co-Founder of 3D People: “Flexibility is the key to the TPU01 material, and in more than one way. The material itself is the most advanced elastomeric material, developed specifically for the MultiJet Fusion (MJF) AM system from HP, and as a result it produces the highest quality, flexible parts. Introducing this material also provides more flexibility for our customers, a significant number of whom have been asking for it. Now they can get their PA12 Nylon and TPU parts from the same partner, with quality assured.”
3D People has years of experience running MJF technology and all of the company’s technicians have completed HP’s comprehensive “Train to Maintain” program. This specialised training has instilled a deep understanding of the machines, ensuring optimised performance, enhanced reliability, and consistent delivery of high-quality results with MJF parts. The TPU01 material is a perfect addition to the 3D People service offering with its exceptional suitability for end-use parts for a variety of applications where performance and durability are essential.
This is especially true considering TPU01 has been developed for the MJF AM process. Sasha Bruml, Co-founder of 3D People explains: “It is well known, that one of the headline benefits of AM is the ability to produce complex geometries — such as lattices — efficiently and cost-effectively. Combine that capability with this material and we are able to offer a distinct advantage for our customers who are looking to fine-tune the hardness, flexibility, and shock absorption of their applications. We are seeing some highly customisable solutions that outperform traditional elastomeric materials as a result. It’s exciting.”
A further key advantage of TPU01 parts produced by 3D People is the ability to achieve significantly advanced finishes. Unlike other elastomeric materials used in additive manufacturing that often face challenges when attempting smooth finishing, the TPU01 material is uniquely compatible with vapour smoothing processes. The benefits of this extend well beyond the aesthetics of the finish, because applying vapour smoothing to TPU01 AM parts also significantly enhances its properties — increasing water tightness and reducing the likelihood of crack initiation. This results in part performance that is closer to that of moulded polyurethane parts.
There are also favourable cost implications with this new material because the MJF process typically offers more competitive pricing than SLS. With this in mind, 3D People are able to produce and supply TPU01 parts at a cost comparable to PA12 MJF, making batch production more efficient and cost-effective for clients.
The 3D People team has allocated a dedicated TPU01 schedule on its in-house MJF machines. This is to align with customer demand and allows the company to offer this flexible material with rapid turnaround times without compromising on quality. The team believe that they are now able to provide the fastest turnaround TPU printing service in the UK.
Finally, 3D People has developed detailed design guidelines to support customers to get the most out of TPU01. From refining lattice structures to enhancing durability and flexibility, the guidelines have been produced by the company’s expert team and offer guidance to ensure optimal results, whether that is for improving shock absorption or achieving smoother finishes.
ENDS
