PP (also known as polypropylene) is the latest material in the Ultimaker series. Despite being one of the most widely used plastics in the world, it is difficult to use in 3D printing.
With Ultimaker's optimized PP material and these helpful tips, you'll be able to start exploring the possibilities of this material.
So what's so special about PP? It has many valuable properties that make it a versatile material.
Topping the list are its excellent fatigue resistance and toughness.
PP won't lose its shape or function from repeated bending and is almost impossible to break, making it an excellent choice for critical 3D printing activities.
Think of the hinge on a bottle cap – it's likely made of polypropylene. With good chemical and water resistance, it's widely used in manufacturing containers for storing liquids.
However, we do not recommend using 3D printed products for food or beverages, as Ultimaker 3D printers are not designed to be food-safe.
Achieving Perfect PP Prints
Let's look at how we can achieve the best results using PP to 3D print a three-part container: a bottle, a nozzle, and a cap.
For printing the body of the bottle, we used one of Cura's special modes – Spiralize Outer Contour. Instead of building the model in separate layers, the glass plate gradually moves down as the nozzle travels, much like printing a single continuous layer. This "spiral" effect means your PP bottle won't have seams created by continuous operation.
The thin single-layer wall thickness means the bottle will be soft and squeezable, utilizing PP's properties.
If you need a completely waterproof model, you'll find one or two small leaks that you can repair with a soldering iron. Alternatively, print your model with slightly thicker walls for a more reliable waterproof seal.
This was the only custom setting we used in Cura for this model.
For all other settings on the bottle and for printing the nozzle and cap, we used the Fine (0.1 mm) quality profile for PP and let Cura do the rest.
You'll notice that when printing with PP, Cura creates a larger brim around your model than with other materials. This is to help with bed adhesion and can be removed with scissors or a knife afterward. For best results, we also recommend using an adhesion sheet on the build plate.
What to Print with PP
PP is widely used by engineers and manufacturers worldwide. Its flexibility and durability, combined with good chemical, water, and electrical resistance, make it very practical.
Therefore, if you are developing an idea for an object that will be produced in PP, you can prototype it with an Ultimaker 3D printer using the same material.
Have you already tried printing with Ultimaker PP?
For a complete guide on printing with PP, please read our tutorial article
Original article link:https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/51209-beginners-guide-to-3d-printing-with-pp