Innovatefil PP Support

Sometimes in additive manufacturing the printing of very complex parts is required, especially in the industrial sector. Due to the limitations of FFF 3D printing, certain angles and elements cannot be 3D printed without the help of support structures and support filaments. While some polymers cooperate with support materials smoothly, PP (polypropylene) tends to be quite challenging in that respect. The PP based breakaway Innovatefil PP Support filament by Smart Materials 3D is a solution to those problems and a game changing support material for the Innovatefil PP filament.

Video 1: The Innovatefil PP Support filament. Source: Smart Materials.

The reason why the Innovatefil PP Support filament is indeed innovative lies in the interesting properties of PP as a polymer and a 3D printing material. PP does not adhere to other materials very well, and even using soluble supports such as PVA, BVOH, HIPS (the most common support options for PP) can prove frustrating, not to mention that it requires the use of solvents and additional equipment, and it implies lengthier post processing.

While PP does not adhere well to other materials, it adheres to itself extremely well due to being a non-polar polymer. This means two things - the desired great adhesion between layers and almost isotropic mechanical properties of a 3D printed part but also challenging support removal if PP is used as its own support (a quite common practice). Removing PP supports from PP parts manually is nearly impossible and requires cutting or mechanizing, which can ruin surface finish or even damage the part.

Image 1: A part 3D printed with the help of the Innovatefil PP Support filament. Source: Smart Materials.

As an answer to these challenges, Smart Materials has enriched the PP Support filament with special additives that make the Innovatefil PP filament adhere very firmly to the support structure, avoiding deformation. Once the part is printed, the support can be easily removed manually, without the need for solvents or tools.

Image 2: Removing the Innovatefil PP Support filament from the 3D printed part. Source: Smart Materials.

Polypropylene’s low density and weight, and great resistance to impacts make it a very popular 3D printing material for many applications across sectors, especially in the production of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles. The fact that now the Innovatefil PP filament has its own dedicated PP based breakaway support filament means increased efficiency and effectiveness in production workflows with the Innovatefil PP filament due to shorter and more economical post-processing and a perfect finish in every time.