Materials

Material Testing of 2PP 3D Printed Parts Has Been Successful

There is now a wide variety of processes in the field of innovative 3D printing technology. One of these is so-called two-photon polymerization (2PP), which is often used in applications for 3D printing in the micrometer range, such as in…

Material Testing of 2PP 3D Printed Parts Has Been Successful
3Dnatives

There is now a wide variety of processes in the field of innovative 3D printing technology. One of these is so-called two-photon polymerization (2PP), which is often used in applications for 3D printing in the micrometer range, such as in micro-optics and micromechanics. The process is also attractive for industrial applications and high-volume production. Considering that this method is used for high-precision applications, the standardization of material testing of 2PP 3D printed parts is highly relevant. This ensures, for example, that the parts produced have a certain level of quality and safety.

Now, in a multinational collaboration as part of a study by researchers from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and RWTH Aachen University as well as material experts from UpNano GmbH, standardized material testing of (macroscale) 2PP 3D-printed parts, such as 35 mm test specimens in accordance with the ISO standard, has now been achieved for the first time. Through this, it has been possible as well to learn more about the mechanical properties of these parts.

2PP-3D-printed parts

The NanoOne 2PP 3D printer

The study, which was published in “Advanced Materials”, represents the first testing of 2PP 3D-printed bulk samples with regard to their mechanical properties in the mm to cm range using standardized methods. The new findings are significant in that they help 2PP 3D printing to develop into a manufacturing method for mass production. This follows from the fact that the study establishes procedures for material testing that can meet the requirements of ISO standards. The study was carried out using the NanoOne 2PP 3D printer and resin materials. The research team’s results show that UpNano’s UpPhoto and UpDraft resins for macroscopic test specimens not only outperform traditional resin-based 3D printing with acrylic resin (ETA/TTA) in terms of material quality, but also require no post-treatment as they solidify quickly on their own.