More and more 3D printer manufacturers want to add a dimension to the original technology. Some have entered the light curing product series, while others focus on particle 3D printers. In August 2021, piocrat3d, a well-known brand focusing on 3D printing equipment manufacturing, announced the launch of the first industrial 3D pellet printer.


Granular 3D printing

In most people's impression, FDM 3D printing process is mostly manufactured layer by layer by depositing molten material (usually in the form of plastic wire), which is indeed a classic printing mode. However, recently, a new method based on the principle of FDM is emerging, which changes the raw material of printing from wire rod to plastic particles or other granular raw materials, which is particle 3D printing.

Granular 3D printing is a new 3D printing method, which uses granular materials to manufacture parts layer by layer. More and more companies are developing machines that use this type of material, and even those standard 3D printers can be modified to be compatible with granular materials.

So, what's unique about piocrat3d's granular 3D printer?

Piocreat3d said that the novelty of the machine is the use of a unique flat screw extrusion technology, which allows 3D printing of various granular materials. This includes resin particles, metal particles and high-performance thermoplastics such as PEEK.

Printing with granular materials has two advantages:

● granular materials are usually much cheaper than materials in the form of filaments, so the system is expected to save manufacturers a lot of costs.
● granular raw materials also help to improve printing speed, so delivery time is expected to accelerate.
In addition, the printer can strictly control the volume of extruded material by adjusting the pressure in the print head, the switch of the valve and the feeding speed. Piocreat3d has developed a special temperature control system to control the surface temperature of printing parts, so as to improve the printing intensity.