Shanghai Electric Adopts High-Performance 3D Printing Solution From IEMAI and Victrex

High-performance plastics for additive manufacturing are seeing significant demand at the industrial level. Many companies are already taking advantage of 3D technologies and advances in materials to produce parts with higher mechanical properties. One such company is Shanghai Electric, a leading global provider of industrial quality system solutions, with a focus on energy, manufacturing and digital intelligence integration. The company has turned to Victrex and IEMAI’s high-performance material 3D printing solution for the creation of a special-purpose binocular camera mounting bracket. This implementation aligns with a growing move towards manufacturing lighter parts that still have superior properties.

The use of advanced plastics is expanding significantly around the world, with a clear trend observed in the additive manufacturing sector as well. In fact, according to a study published by Markets and Markets, the market for high-performance polymers for 3D printing is expected to reach a value of $362 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth of 24%. This demand is due, among other factors, to the fact that low-cost plastics, such as ABS and PLA, do not offer enough strength for end-use parts in the most demanding industries. Meanwhile, high-performance 3D printing polymers make it possible to create engineering parts with high strength, light weight and durability. These benefits were key to the manufacturing of the mounting bracket carried out by Shanghai Electric thanks to materials from IEMAI and Victrex.

Shanghai Electric is turning to high-performance polymers to make a special-purpose binocular camera mounting bracket

PEEK 3D Printing for Binocular Cameras

Binocular cameras provide stereo vision thanks to the depth information obtained from the scene (done by calculating the disparity between two cameras), thus achieving 3D reconstruction and depth perception. However, the accuracy and stability of the calibration of the positions between the two cameras greatly impact the reconstruction’s accuracy. It is for this reason that there are high demands on the stability and conformal accuracy of the binocular camera mounting bracket. Thus, the overall performance of the materials used for the bracket are key, as it may be subjected to extreme temperature and humidity differences or external force conditions. In this context, the use of high-performance materials for 3D printing was the best option.