在金属添加剂制造领域，金属（例如具有出色拉伸强度和低密度的钛）非常适合轻巧应用，因此对这些材料的需求继续增加。
聚合物添加剂制造的趋势是，具有高杨氏模量，热电阻率或拉伸强度的热塑性塑料越来越有吸引力。尽管迄今为止，这些材料的使用已经得到缓和，但问题在于，大多数添加剂制造硬件系统无法可靠地打印这种高温和功能聚合物。例如，融合细丝制造（FFF）受喷嘴温度以及构建板和信封的温度的限制。
PEEK and ULTEM are two high temperature functional thermoplastics that offer high thermal resistivity up to 350 °C for short time frames, chemical resistance and wear characteristics, and low density. These characteristics make PEEK and ULTEM ideal for application in the aerospace industries due to their light-weighting potential.
For example, noncritical legacy parts formerly made from aluminum may no longer be in production. In this case reverse engineering and additively manufacturing a component with a strong, lightweight material such as ULTEM becomes an ideal cost-effective solution to creating a one-off component.
除了降低的吸湿性和更高的拉伸强度以及生物渗透性外，PEEK具有比ULTEM更高的热电阻率。因此，PEEK也适用于航空航天行业的应用，但是由于其生物相容性，现在已将其视为定制骨科植入物的涂料。
Until now, a combination of price and technical barriers has reduced the appetite for these thermoplastics. In terms of price, ULTEM is manufactured exclusively by Sabic and users have little choice but to accept the market value. PEEK, however, is manufactured by a range of formulators, so end users can shop around for the best deal. However, even with greater consumer choice, PEEK filaments cost upwards of $700-1000 per kg.
不netheless, the technical barriers that once precluded the use of these high temperature thermoplastics on Fused Filament Fabrication printers are being addressed. Previously the preserve of the Stratasys Fortus line, ULTEM and PEEK can now be reliably extruded on a range of new printers that have been commercialized since 2015. Of these, the INTAMSYS Funmat HT stands above the rest with an affordable price point of $5,000 per printer. With new printers coming to market over the next year, the benefits of ULTEM and PEEK look set to be enjoyed by a much broader audience than before.
IDTechex在报告中讨论了更多：3D印刷材料2018-2028：技术和市场分析.
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