{"id":10044,"date":"2026-06-18T09:51:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T07:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brain4industry.cz\/?post_type=blog&p=10044"},"modified":"2026-06-18T10:12:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T08:12:22","slug":"materials-for-additive-manufacturing-interview","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/brain4industry.cz\/en\/blog\/materials-for-additive-manufacturing-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Materials Expanding the Possibilities of Additive Manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The market for metal materials used in additive manufacturing is experiencing steady growth, closely linked to increasing demand. Nickel- and titanium-based alloys are the most widely used materials, playing a key role in aerospace and defense applications. Titanium remains a material of significant commercial value, with powder prices ranging from approximately EUR 100 to EUR 200 per kilogram depending on particle size distribution. Growing attention is also being paid to sustainability, metal powder recycling, and supply chain optimization, all of which are essential for the long-term stability of the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar trend can be observed in polymer materials. Their consumption has reached nearly 20,000 tonnes and is expected to increase to approximately 30,000 tonnes by 2029. PA12 remains the most widely used material; however, demand for TPU is growing rapidly, with an estimated annual growth rate of around 18%. Filament materials such as ABS, PA6, PP, PLA, and PETG are also widely adopted, and their consumption is expected to continue increasing through 2029. Despite the broad range of available resins, this segment is developing at a slower pace, and users often face challenges in navigating the large number of material options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development of new materials<\/a> is accompanied by increasing efficiency of additive manufacturing technologies and software solutions, enabling more effective material utilization, waste reduction, and design optimization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marek Havel<\/a>, R&D Manager at Brain4Industry, discusses the current capabilities and future directions of materials for additive manufacturing in an interview with Adelaine Rozinkov\u00e1, PR & Marketing Specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Materials Used in Additive Manufacturing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the most interesting materials that can be 3D printed today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is a very broad question. Different materials will be considered interesting by different users depending on their specific applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For FDM technologies, filled filaments are particularly attractive. Materials containing wood particles or fiber-reinforced composites are available, offering excellent strength and stiffness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For SLA<\/a> and other resin-based technologies, one of the major trends is the development of elastomeric resins used for applications such as bicycle saddles, protective components, or functional parts. Another important trend across SLA and other resin technologies is the increasing focus on material recyclability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In SLS technology, recycled carbon fibers are becoming increasingly common. These fibers are chopped into very short lengths, allowing them to be easily incorporated into the material while remaining only marginally more expensive than virgin alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For SLM technologies, difficult-to-machine metals such as titanium, tungsten, or Inconel alloys are particularly attractive. When additive manufacturing technologies are capable of processing these materials, they provide a significant advantage. A titanium component produced by additive manufacturing may cost approximately twice as much as an aluminum component, whereas the cost difference in conventional machining can be substantially greater. As a result, manufacturing titanium parts through 3D printing<\/a> can be highly economically attractive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another important category consists of biocompatible materials used in medical applications<\/a>, including titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Printing with copper is another promising direction. It requires a green laser and is currently still in the early stages of commercialization, but it offers significant potential\u2014for example, for manufacturing 3D-printed electric motor coils with improved efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any other materials worth mentioning?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, ceramics are a good example. They have become relatively common and enable a wide range of highly interesting applications. Imagine a material similar to that used for ceramic knives\u2014even products of this type can now be 3D printed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These applications typically rely on technologies similar to SLA printing<\/a>. The material is supplied as a resin with a high ceramic content and is subsequently cured using UV light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Parts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How do the mechanical properties of additively manufactured components compare with those produced by conventional manufacturing methods?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For metal parts, mechanical properties are generally comparable to cast components and, in some cases, can even exceed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For plastics, the mechanical properties are typically somewhat inferior to those of injection-molded parts. This is primarily due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing process and the anisotropic nature of the material structure. However, these limitations can often be compensated for by selecting a higher-grade material or by implementing design modifications that improve the final performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, performance depends not only on the manufacturing technology itself but on the combination of material selection, component design, and optimization for the chosen production process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multifunctional Structures and the Development of Multi-Material Printing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recently, there has been considerable discussion about the enormous potential of software for generating lattice structures and simulating their properties\u2014the possibility of producing a single part from one material while achieving different mechanical properties through its internal structure. Could you elaborate on this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The potential is enormous. However, it lies less in the printer itself and much more in the software. Whether it is an FDM, SLA, or SLS printer, the machine can produce variable internal structures without any difficulty. The real challenge is designing and modeling those structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without tools comparable to advanced CAD systems, this is extremely difficult. While it is technically possible to create such structures in software like Blender, most of today’s software solutions still do not fully exploit their potential. At the same time, rapid development is underway, with new software products emerging that make it possible to harness the full capabilities of complex lattice structures while remaining intuitive and easy to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The range of potential applications is particularly exciting. Imagine bicycle saddles or shoe insoles with locally optimized properties based on different load conditions, or a drone wing printed as a single component that incorporates flexible sections capable of moving or deforming as required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you see the future of multi-material printing and intelligent structures heading?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, multi-material approaches are becoming less dependent on the printer itself and increasingly focused on how the structure is designed and utilized. I see significant room for further advancement because the current state of the technology still falls short of what we can realistically envision for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are already printers designed specifically for multi-material manufacturing. A typical example is an FDM system equipped with two print heads. Another approach is Material Jetting (MJ), which operates similarly to an inkjet printer by depositing microscopic droplets of material. These systems can process two materials simultaneously and even combine them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if one material is rigid and the other is a very soft rubber, they can be deposited in specific ratios or as adjacent droplets to create a material with properties that lie between the two extremes. This enables the production of a broad spectrum of mechanical characteristics and smooth transitions between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such printers already exist, but personally I no longer see substantial room for breakthrough improvements in this area. The technology is available; however, it is more expensive than conventional solutions and is economically viable only for specific applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another particularly interesting multi-material technology is SLM equipment capable of processing two different metals. For example, combining steel and copper could make it possible to manufacture an electric motor as a single printed component that would only need bearings installed and electrical connections completed before use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main challenge is that the metal powders become mixed during the manufacturing process. Separating and cleaning a mixture of materials such as stainless steel and copper afterwards is far from straightforward. Everything I have seen so far remains at the experimental stage. Before commercial adoption becomes feasible, this process will need to be solved both economically and technologically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What This Means for Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The portfolio of materials available for additive manufacturing is expanding rapidly, ranging from composite polymers and biocompatible metals to ceramics and experimental copper-based applications. However, the true potential lies not only in the materials themselves but in their combination with intelligent design, simulation tools, and structural optimization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brain4Industry helps companies transform these possibilities into practical solutions from material selection and testing to component design and implementation in production.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are considering additive manufacturing to drive product innovation, reduce weight, or optimize production costs, Brain4Industry experts can help you identify the most effective solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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