Industrial high-end 3D printing service
FKM Additive manufacturing plastic
Expert advice, material portfolio, machine capacities, finishing and quality assurance
Additive manufacturing with plastic
Additive manufacturing with plastics has revolutionized industrial production from the very beginning thanks to its design freedom, speed and cost efficiency. With this technology, complex components, prototypes and series products can be manufactured precisely and economically. FKM has been a pioneer in this field since 1994 and offers comprehensive solutions from production to post-processing, specializing in the powder-bed-based process of selective laser sintering (SLS).
Additive manufacturing technologies at FKM
Selective laser sintering is based on powder bed technology, in which plastic powder is melted layer by layer using a precise laser. The advantages of the SLS process lie in tool-free production and the ability to create geometrically sophisticated structures such as intricate designs, moving components or internal cooling channels directly in a single pass.
Materials and material diversity
FKM provides a wide range of plastics and polymers for 3D printing. These include PA 12, PA 11, TPU, PEEK and innovative materials such as polyamide 613, which combines the best properties of PA 6 and PA 12. All of these materials offer different mechanical and thermal properties that can be tailored to specific applications.
Advantages of additive manufacturing with plastic
Additive manufacturing offers numerous advantages that make it particularly attractive for industries with high requirements:
- Creation of complex geometric shapes and filigree structures
- Production of prototypes and series components directly from CAD data
- Fast production of small batches
- Possibility to easily customize components
- High design freedom
- Sustainable thanks to reduced material consumption
- Time- and cost-efficient production of components
- tool-free production
FKM machinery for plastic components
As we are constantly maintaining and expanding our machinery, we can also provide larger SLS printing capacities at any time. If you are asking yourself the make-or-buy question: why not combine the two sensibly? Thanks to our claim to proven technological leadership and our focus and experience in the powder bed, we can provide you with advice and support. Thanks to highly efficient job combinations of different parts made from the same material, we can produce cost-efficiently and quickly.
Plastics & filled polymers at FKM
Design recommendations for 3D plastic parts
Consider where mechanical forces actually act on the component and where material can be reduced. The integration of functions into the component and the combination of several parts into one is also possible with the SLS process. Our design recommendations summarize what you should consider when developing plastic components for 3D printing.
Surface technology is the key to series production
The FKM full-service portfolio in the field of surface technology
Surface technology for additive manufacturing Plastics
These include coloured infiltration (dyeing), coloured painting, shot blasting, barrel finishing, gas or water-tight infiltration and machining. We are setting new standards in the surface treatment of laser-sintered plastics with our specially developed FKM smooth® process. This stands for a particularly uniform and complete surface treatment.
Assembly of laser-sintered plastic parts In our assembly department, we complete your 3D-printed plastic parts. For example, we assemble standard thread sets and other standard purchased parts into SLS components so that they can be used immediately as fully functional and installable components in your series production. In prototyping, we bond several SLS components to produce the desired prototype.
Quality assurance and testing technology
It ranges from process validation before 3D printing to monitoring the ongoing 3D printing process and component inspection after printing. The printing process and the materials used are also documented. With our in-house test laboratory, we have been setting standards in AM quality assurance for many years. We test the 3D-printed metal parts with optical measurements, tensile tests, density measurements, Shore hardness measurements and surface roughness tests. In addition, we constantly monitor the quality of our 3D printing powders using special particle measurements.
Areas of application for printed plastic components
Additive manufacturing with plastic is used in many industries:
- Automotive industry: lightweight and robust components for vehicles
- Aerospace: complex and weight-optimized structures
- Medical technology: customized prostheses and implants
- Mechanical and plant engineering: rapid production of prototypes and small batches
FKM - Your partner for the additive manufacturing of plastic parts
Additive manufacturing with plastics is constantly evolving. New materials such as polyamide 613 open up additional application possibilities and increase the quality of components. The method is therefore a key technology in modern production. With a wealth of expertise, innovative technologies and a wide range of materials, FKM supports companies in meeting their individual production requirements.
FKM remains a pioneer in the industry through continuous research and development. Benefit from our many years of expertise and state-of-the-art technologies. Whether prototype, series production or individual solutions – we are your partner for high-quality and efficient results.
Contact us to discuss your project with us and realize innovative manufacturing solutions.
We answer your questions
Here you will find answers to the most important questions about additive manufacturing with plastics.
The key benefits include:
- High freedom of design and geometry
- Production of prototypes and small series directly from CAD
- tool-free production
- Sustainable use of materials
For companies, this means lower up-front costs, faster implementation and high flexibility – ideal for frequently changing components or individual requirements.
FKM processes PA 12, PA 11, TPU, PEEK and the high-end material polyamide 613, among others.
Depending on the requirements – such as temperature or chemical resistance, elasticity or mechanical load – the right material is selected individually. Tip: Specify your application conditions (temperature, load, environment) when making an inquiry – this will enable FKM to recommend the optimum material.
FKM works with 28 SLS machines and completes over 8,500 orders a year.
This means that even larger batch sizes and short delivery times are possible without any problems – true industrial scaling.
FKM relies on multi-stage quality assurance – from process validation and monitoring during printing to the final component inspection. This includes optical measurements, tensile tests and density measurements. This ensures that every component reliably meets the specified requirements.
The options include colored infiltration, painting, vibratory grinding, infiltration and machining.
The in-house “FKM smooth®” process achieves particularly uniform, high-quality surfaces – ideal for visible parts or medical technology applications.
Typical areas of application are the automotive industry, aerospace, medical technology and mechanical and plant engineering.
Wherever lightweight construction, functional integration and short development times are required, additive manufacturing shows its strengths.
The process includes:
- Advice on feasibility and choice of material
- Design recommendation (design for additive manufacturing)
- Printing and post-processing
- Quality assurance
- Delivery of ready-to-install parts
Tip: Send your CAD data or requirements at an early stage – this speeds up the process and saves costs.
FKM is your high-end 3D printing service provider
for ready-to-install parts made of plastics, filled polymers or metal.
From materials consulting and design optimization to joint project co-engineering, we are our customers’ experts and partners for tricky tasks. With our complete after-print service consisting of testing technology with IATF certification and a range of surface technology with various finishing processes, we have been offering 3D printing services as a complete solution for almost 30 years – from a single source, with a lot of understanding.