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Have you ever looked at a plastic toy or your M2 Materials filament and wondered how it was made? The answer lies in the intricate world of supply chains and chemical processes. One of the most popular plastics is ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), which is widely used in the manufacturing of toys, automotive parts, and household items. In this article, we will take a deep dive into the supply chain and chemical process of making ABS plastic, including its price trends, major suppliers, and original sources. What is ABS plastic? ABS plastic is a thermoplastic polymer made from three monomers:...

Stratasys 3D Printer Build Volumes Deconstructed [Fortus 900mc Crowned King]      How does your printer volume compare to its cohorts? With a serious flair of practicality, we thought it would be helpful to deconstruct the build volumes for a fleet of Stratasys 3D printers. As one would expect, not all Stratasys machines are created equal, especially regarding their build volumes. Build volume, derived from the build envelope, is the available space inside of the 3D printer to print parts. This cube-shaped space, or volume, inside the printer is also known as the build chamber. Another term to define is...

Contrary to popular belief, everyone has trusted an engineer with their life. In fact, every time you get in an elevator, drive over a bridge, or lay down to sleep you are putting your life in the hands of an engineer. Majority of the time we lend this trust without a single ounce of hesitation but, would you trust a 3D printed part with your life? Our engineer said he would, read on to see if he survived. The Evolution of 3D Printing The 3D printing industry has witnessed significant development since its inception in 1981. In particular, additive manufacturing...

With the ongoing growth of the FDM 3D printing industry, there comes along an increasing need to understand the health implications of such work. I am specifically referring to 3D printing with ABS, HIPS, PLA, and other plastic filaments whereby gas and particle emissions are historically known to be high. Please note that I am writing this article so all my customers, and well basically everyone who uses an FDM printer, including the employees and their families, stay healthy and safe. First, it’s important to be aware that the fumes you smell when printing aren’t just melty plastics in excess...

Advancing at well over Mach III, breaking news events reporting never-before-seen innovative 3D printing technology seems to be a common occurrence, every 30 minutes or so. If you type in any search engine “3D printing” or “new 3D printing technology” you will be confronted with almost 80 million hits, good luck trying to sort your way through that mess. Unless you are intimately connected with developing 3D technology, which I happen to be, then scant chance you will have the technical chops to distinguish hype from reality. I have encountered countless interactions with people asking me about the newly reported...