“Digital Materials,” as Stratasys calls them, are combinations of 1 or more discrete resins that are jetted together to create a unique mixture (and hence mechanical properties) within a part. This is not the same as pre-blending resins and then feeding them into a printhead or SLA vat – it’s something unique to material jetting as the digital materials can be adjusted on the fly, without any additional purging or preparation needed. It’s an amazing technology that proves useful across multiple applications, outlined below.
At POP we are often asked for recommendations about threading plastic 3D printed parts. Tapping is an option, but we rarely recommend it. Plastic threads, even if cut perfectly, are inherently fragile compared to their metal counterparts. In addition, cutting them is time consuming (and therefore expensive). 3D printing them directly isn’t a great shortcut because getting the fit just right is tough, and supporting/cleaning threads can be challenging. It can reduce thread strength as well, relative to cut threads.
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