Should you adopt 3D printing for plastic end-use parts? The Complete Guide

What is a plastic end-use part exactly?

An end-use part is a manufactured good that is either ready to market, part of an assembly of products or ready to be used in the internal operations of a company. A plastic part ready to market could be a plastic cover or medical model, for internal use it could be a customized jig or even a fixture. Finally, an end-use part such as a plastic clamp can be used on an assembly line to hold parts while they are being put together.

In other words, plastic end-use parts are useful for a number of applications and sectors. When looking at 3D printing technologies, we are now aware of the benefits of using these instead of traditional manufacturing methods for many industries. But how much exactly are you benefiting from the adoption of additive manufacturing? In order to answer this question, we spoke to one of the industry’s experts, Hubs. They were able to give us some practical advice and examples by comparing 3D printing technologies (FFF, SLA, DLP, SLS, MFJ) with traditional manufacturing processes for different applications.

1. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)

Fused filament fabrication, also known under the trademarked term Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), starts with a roll of thermoplastic filament. The filament is fed into a heated nozzle, melted, and extruded: creating a three-dimensional object layer by layer. This is the most common additive manufacturing process, also easy to use, and widely available – these three elements make this process economical with quick production times, an important benefit for many companies.