How to Achieve Quality ABS Parts at Scale With Additive Manufacturing?

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the polymer 3D printing market is growing, with a calculated value of $1.7 billion in 2023 and an estimated $4.4 billion by 2028. Among the most widely used thermoplastics in the manufacturing industry is ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), best known for its impact resistance, low temperature resistance and light weight. Thanks to these characteristics, it is used in numerous applications: prototypes, appliance parts, car interiors, gears, valves, tools, etc.

The most widely used production method for large-batch ABS parts is injection molding, but additive manufacturing is equally used for prototyping and small runs. A limitation in this field is that encountered by the segment of users who are scaling up their production and therefore need to move quickly from prototyping to volume production. Evolve Additive Solutions’ Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process (STEP) technology fits into this market segment, offering itself as a viable alternative to injection molding for the production of quality ABS parts at scale. How? Let’s delve deeper.

Set of ABS brackets 3D printed using STEP technology.

How Does STEP Work?

Evolve’s STEP technology is part of the additive technology family, but it does not correspond exactly to any of the processes currently outlined in the international standard ISO/ASTM 52900:2021, which describes additive manufacturing processes.