The 5-6 steps mentioned in the manuals each contain nuances that need to be fine tuned until you reach a process that most suits the equipment available. The actual process of compression moulding PEEK is also not straightforward. And since PEEK is still a low volume polymer – even processing 4-5 Kgs a day can be significant. In India, however, where labour is inexpensive, this is not a huge cost factor – it only limits volumes. Compression moulding is known for low productivity and even a large processor is only able to consume 20-25 Kgs per day of production. However, against this saving, the time consumed to make a 50mm part would be many times what extrusion would take. Furthermore, if the part has an internal diameter the saving is even more, as the same cannot be attained in extrusion for large diameters. Over a 50mm length, this saves almost 25 Grams per part – which is significant when we consider the cost per Kg. The stock piece for a part measuring 70mm in diameter can be moulded as 72mm, rather than using a 75mm rod. The benefit of compression moulding PEEK over, say extrusion is that we are able to make customized dimensions based on the customer drawings. In reality, the process is time-consuming, highly sensitive to the exact process needed and very specific in the type of tooling required. In most manuals, the process is outlined in 5-6 basic steps, which at first glance make PEEKappear a very friendly material to deal with. There are many challenges in compression moulding PEEK and most of these do not get explicitly highlighted in manuals and guidebooks. Again, we have touched on some of these points in our earlier article – but as we have delved deeper into PEEK processing, many new findings have arisen.Ĭompression moulding PEEK not a simple affair Some of these are technical in nature, while others relate to the commercial issue (PEEK is very expensive) and how clients respond to PEEK. Nonetheless, it is very much a niche market – even among speciality polymers.īeing present in the PEEK market as a processor poses many challenges. Small as these numbers are, keep in mind that semi-finished PEEK sells at anywhere between US$275-US$400 per Kg – so in value terms, the market is not as small as the volumes suggest. Of this, most of the material is imported as semi-finished rods and sheet, with only 12-15 Tonnes being processed from resin indigenously. The total consumption is only about 35 Tonnes. PEEK in India is a small market in terms of volumes. Although we have already blogged extensively on the benefits and properties of PEEK, our own experience in dealing with this material serves to explain much of the commercial and technical queries surrounding this material. We discovered the benefits of PEEK in one such exercise. Initially, this was at the behest of existing customers, but over time our expertise in machining plastics meant that we were comfortable offering a variety of options to our clients, rather than try and force fit PTFE into their application. we started our journey with PTFE and gradually expanded into other polymers. Both have advantages for different applications.īelow is a chart showing the more common types of filament, along with their transition temperatures, bed temperatures, and ideal printing surfaces.At Poly Fluoro Ltd. The most commonly used filaments are PLA and ABS. It comes in two diameters 1.75mm and 2.85mm. After the filament is extruded, it cools and becomes the surface the next layer is deposited on top of.ģD printing filament is sold in spools ranging in weight from 0.5 kg to 10 kg. 3D printing filament is a thermoplastic, or polymer, that melts when heated and is extruded through a nozzle layer by layer to create a three-dimensional object.
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