Polypropylene 3D Printing

Print polypropylene parts with SLS 3D Printing and create waterproof functional parts.

We use SLS 3D Printing technology to print polypropylene parts. Polypropylene parts have great mechanical properties and high strength. Dedicated post-processing for polypropylene parts are available.

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Our Polypropylene Material

We provide polypropylene (PP) material to cater for professional applications. Use PP for functional parts prototyping and small batch production.

Material	Maximum Printing Size	Lead Time	Tolerance	Color	Distortion Temperature	Material Properties
PPGB Glass-filled	330330380mm	48 or 72 Hours	± 300μm or 0.3%mm	Light-Grey	130℃	Finish: Granular; Elongation at Break: 36%; Note: Enabled by BASF; Waterproof; May have relatively larger tolerance

Material Performance

Excellent Mechanical Properties
Waterproof
High Chemical Resistance
No Support Structures Needed
Electrical Insulation
High Toughness

Advantages

Low friction coefficient means polypropylene parts are robust and durable.
Excellent resistance to chemicals enables the parts to adapt to corrosive elements.
High tensile strength and impact resistance makes the materials suitable for making tough parts that can hold stress.
Cost-effective. Produce functional part prototypes to small volumes production.
No support structures required.
Suitable for making parts that used underwater.

Applications

> Functional prototypes

> Industrial Models

> Tooling

> End-use Parts

> Gears, Hinges, Jigs and Fixtures, Bearings, Snap Fits, Housing, etc.

How to 3D Print Polypropylene?

Utilize SLS to print nylon powder:

Step 1. The powder bin and build chamber are pre-heated to a temperature that a little bit below the melting point of the printing materials. This step will make it easier for the laser to raise the temperature of selective regions as it will shapes and traces those regions until the solid object is built.

Step 2. The recoating blade will disperse a thin layer of powder on the top of the build platform.

Step 3. The laser scans the contour of next layer, heating and sintering the materials selectively to a temperature that just below or right at the melting point of the materials, which fuses the materials in old layer and new layer together mechanically.

Step 4. The un-sintered powder supports the parts during the printing process, which means SLS doesn’t need dedicated support structures to create complex parts.

Step 5. When a layer is scanned, the build platform lowers to a pre-set thickness and the recoating blade spreads a new layer of powder. The process keeps repeating until the solid part is built.

Step 6. Cooling. After printing, the build chamber needs to cool down before the printed parts can be unpacked. This makes sure that mechanical properties of parts are optimized and avoid warping. But it takes times, sometimes may up to 12 hours.

Step 7. Post-processing. Then the parts are ready to unpack from the build chamber. The next step is to clean the excess powder on the parts, while the powders can be recycled and reused in the next printing. The parts afterwards can be further post-processed by blasting, grinding, and painting, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does printing polypropylene (PP) cost?

Generally, the cost of a PP 3D printed part depends on part complexity, type of printing material, and post-processing. Get an instant quote here.

2. What are the post-processing options for the polypropylene (PP) 3D printed parts?

We provide a wide range of post-processing options for your parts, including tapping, threading, dyeing, grinding, etc. Contact our Customer Success Manger or email hello@wenext.com for more about plastic parts post-processing.

3. How large of a part can I print with polypropylene (PP) materials?

Please check our design guidelines for PP parts here. For more sizes, please contact our Customer Success Manager or email hello@wenext.com.

4. Can I printing moving parts with polypropylene (PP) 3D Printing?

Yes. Please make sure the clearance of the moving sections meets the design guidelines.

5. How to compare polypropylene (PP) and nylon?

Both nylon and polypropylene are durable and resistant to stress, but polypropylene is stronger than nylon. Besides, if parts will be used underwater, polypropylene printed part is waterproof.