All You Need to Know About Wood 3D Printing

When we talk about additive manufacturing and materials, we often think of plastics or metals. However, the current offering has grown significantly over the years and we can now produce parts with a wide variety of materials, from ceramics to food to stem cell-laden hydrogels. Among these amazing materials is wood. Now compatible with processes such as filament extrusion or even powder bed methods, wood 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular.

According to a report published by the journal Nature, humans have already lost 54% of the total number of trees on our planet. Deforestation is a real threat today and it is crucial to rethink the way we consume wood. Additive manufacturing could be the key to more sustainable use of wood because it is a production technique that uses only the necessary material and can design objects from recycled materials. We could therefore 3D print parts that would be transformed back into raw material if they are no longer useful in order to start a new production cycle.

3D printing of wood allows to create original decorative pieces (photo credits: Fortus)

Extrusion Wood 3D Printing

One way to 3D print wood is to extrude filaments. It should be noted that these materials are not made of 100% wood. They actually contain 30-40% wood fiber and 60-70% polymer, which serves as a binder. An interesting aspect of the manufacturing process itself is that these filaments allow you to experiment with their temperature to generate different colors and finishes. In other words, if the extruder reaches high temperatures, the wood fibers burn, creating darker tones in the pieces. Keep in mind, however, that this material is highly flammable. If the nozzle is too hot and the filament is not extruded quickly enough, the print can be damaged or even catch fire.