In the 3D printing market, people often need to print plastic or metal, but with the development and innovation of technology, people are thinking about whether there is a material that has the excellent mechanical and chemical properties of plastic, but also has the surface texture of metal. Some people may say that doing some color spraying or post-processing on the printed parts can meet this requirement, but this will undoubtedly increase labor costs and delivery time.
Fortunately, EPLUS3D is recently released EP-ALUMIDE material to the overseas market, EP-Alumide is a strong, rigid plastic material which is slightly porous and resistant to high temperatures (130°C). It's a blend of polyamide (PA 12) powder and a very low percentage of aluminum powder. the Aluminum gives off a matte and metallic-looking surface that can also resist high temperatures and is slightly porous.
Highlights of EP-ALUMIDE:
Outstanding surface details and metallic appearance
Better mechanical properties (Tensile modulus& Flex modulus)
Excellent wear resistance and water resistance
Higher material reusability (Refreshment rates up to 70% )
EP-Alumide is suitable for complex models, prototypes, small series of components and functional models. It’s ideal if your models need more stiffness than polyamide models or just require a metallic appearance. Applications range from engineering functional parts to appearance decoration parts.
At present, EPLUS 3D has successfully cooperated with a local partner in South Korea, to carry out long-term cooperation with well-known customers in the automotive industry. Based on the special surface characteristics and excellent mechanical performance of EP-ALUMIDE materials, customers in the automotive industry apply the printed parts of the modified materials to some functional parts and exterior decorative parts. While keeping the body lightweight, it also improves the overall consistency of the parts and the appearance of the vehicle frame.
The EP-ALUMIDE parts mass-produced by EPLUS 3D SLS （Selective Laser Sintering）printer EP-P420 have passed a series of evaluations and tests by the supplier, and have fully reached the part acceptance standard of the auto manufacturer. In the future, it will be applied in the production of customized automotive parts.
