JuggerBot 3D, an industrial 3D printer OEM, has added Airtech Advanced Materials Group’s Dahltram I-350CF, a 20% carbon-fiber reinforced polyetherimide (PEI), to its Material Card suite.

Airtech Advanced Materials Group, a leader in specialty additive manufacturing materials, offers an expansive portfolio of thermoplastics that consistently serves the aerospace, high-performance automotive, marine, and motorsport sectors. 3D printed tools and end-use parts contribute to increased efficiency, flexibility, and aerodynamics during use.

“The qualification of Dahltram I-350CF through JuggerBot 3D’s Material Card platform further signifies our commitment to progress in additive manufacturing by collaborating with an industry-leading OEM geared to fuel innovation in the markets we serve,” said Gregory Haye, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Airtech Advanced Materials Group.

The Material Card is moving to the apex of high-performance thermoplastics, with Dahltram I-350CF being the newest addition for JuggerBot 3D users. First unveiled at RAPID+TCT 2023, this digital suite addresses skills gaps and streamlines operation – leveraging findings from material testing to fuel data-driven process control. Material Cards also provide critical safety and material properties for 3D printed parts – helping engineers and designers better predict the performance of printed items.

“Airtech is a global leader in 3D printing, offering great materials for production molds, dies, forms, and fixtures. They add deep expertise in design and preparation of 3D printed tools, as well. The I-350CF Material Card and collaboration with Airtech enhances our user’s ability to deliver high-quality tooling and parts that are critical to their customers,” said Daniel Fernback, Vice President of JuggerBot 3D.

The Tradesman Series P3-44, known for its robust construction and capability, is designed to handle large-format printing of a wide range of performance thermoplastics. Its features, including its heated build chamber, precision control systems, and sophisticated calibration processes, make it a suitable platform for leveraging the unique properties of Dahltram I-350CF.

Airtech’s screening process for the qualification of Dahltram parameters on the large format pellet system establishes baseline mechanical and physical properties such as tensile strength/modulus, elongation at break, flexural strength/modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), glass transition temperature, and more. Coupling this rigorous testing process with JuggerBot 3D’s Material Testing & Assessment procedure, large areas of process parameters are defined for the successful repeatability and reliability of each print.

Weber State University’s Miller Advanced Research and Solutions (MARS) Center, a Utah-based composites center established to address industry deficiencies in high-temperature composites supporting hypersonic vehicles, rocket motors, and other energy and space applications, were the first users of the Dahltram I-350CF Material Card. “As soon as we started running PEI, it became very clear why the Material Card exists. It’s the best way to build,” said Derek King, Research Technical Lead at the MARS Center.