Can one print magnetic objects using 3D printing?
Print an object with a void and before the void is closed insert your flavor off magnet. And voila magnetic 3d printed objects.
There are ABS-based filaments which are weakly conductive (for shielding purposes and, lately, as sensors), but for what I know no magnetic filaments are available yet.
Thanks
How do they make filaments? Couldn’t they mix in the right kind of metal powder? That’s how they make magnetic paint (though w/dubious success).
@Lydia_S Problem is it would have a very high potential for clogging your hot end. Or cutting/scaring your hot ends nozzle making the plastic come out in uneven rates and diameters.
Not to mention the metallic build up inside and on your nozzle.
@Jeremy_G_WeisTek_Eng
A strong magnet would be attracted to the nozzle and would destroy the print. It’s not a magnetic object anyway.
Best solution I see is to print, then magnetize the object. And yes some plastics can be magnetized.
Which plastic, might I ask, can be magnetized ?
Fascinating! Magnetic plastic! Really gets the wheels turning.
#juliusgreen So what are you thinking of making?
@Shachar_Weis
I only know that they exist and that there’s a book on how to magnetize non-metals. You’ll have to research.
@CornGolem only if the nozzle was made out of a metal with magnetic properties, a lot of people use this method to implant magnets into printed objects as well as RFID tags.
@Lydia_S I want to make funny shaped magnets
How fun! I’m an abstract artist. Would you like to have one of the images I drew but won’t be using/selling?
For powder printers, you can add iron filings to the source powder to make the printed part magnet reactive. The iron ratio will need to be pretty high to have enough magnetic material for the printed part to behave as a strong magnet. Your source powder and binder chemistry will determine how high the iron ratio can go and still have the part stay together. PVA might work well.
I meant I draw funny shapes and I could let you have an image and create a 3d version of it. My profile pic is an example of my work.
@Lydia_S , you might find this pretty entertaining ( http://www.instructables.com/id/magnetic-silly-putty/ ). While, @Jeremy_G_WeisTek_Eng , I reckon clogging potential won’t be higher than that shown by sandstone- or wood fiber-filled filaments for which higher temperatures would burn the natural filler. Plus metal flakes are already beingadded to ‘exotic’, commercial available filaments.
@CornGolem , most nozzles are brass for it is a performing material in terms of stiffness, strength and - most conveniently - ductility, but I agree with @Jeremy_G_WeisTek_Eng that austenitic SS print heads do see a sensible reduction in the effect.
@Danny_Thorpe , some service bureaux do in fact produce magnetic components with ferromagnetic martensitic SS. Plus, parts built with SLS of polymer-coated metal powders have been reported to show magnetic properties, though I might not be wrong if I say that such composite is no longer available.
Look at this work: the authors made carbon-based conductive polycaprolactone material. Exchange carbon by magnetic particles and you’ll get your magnetic material. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0049365
Those are high efficiency black carbon fillers by Cabot Corp. Unfortunately, resistivity shown by black carbons is insufficient for many applications. Many have tried printing low melting temperature alloys. Some others (reportedly @John_Sarik and Microsoft Research) are going for shielding copper paints and similar.
Doing my MSc thesis on that (Oh man, I love my job!)