Positive properties of PPs:

PP (Polypropylene) is a unique plastic that has beneficial properties, but is not traditionally the best for 3d printing due to some of it’s thermal properties. Benefits of polypropylene include flexibility and fatigue resistance allowing for useful bendy parts or hinges (apprx 1-2 mm thick), high chemical and heat resistance, resisting deformation up to 150-170 degrees celcius. It is lightweight and low density, even being able to float. It is also fairly strong, but can be weak to stresses that would pull layer lines apart.  

Our printer has a max print volume of 552 x 740 x 765 mm, which is much larger than desktop printers. 

PP printing limitations:  

The printer has a 1.8 mm nozzle, so walls need to be at least that thick, resulting in a lower resolution product than most modern table top printers. It has a minimum layer height of 1mm, so it will be printed upwards in increments of 1mm, and it cannot print things smaller that height.  

Polypropylene is prone to warping, especially on long straight objects (eg. a ruler) or at sharp corners (<120). These concerns may not be a big problem for small or thin objects, or ones that can be printed vertically. 

Small layers (smaller than a circle with a diameter of 1 inch) can cause melting and disfiguration of the object. It is possible to work around this by using extra material such as a second object, a small tower, or using a cooling fan. 

Holes: it is hard to get clean holes that are not vertical, but they can be drilled out fairly easily after the fact. 

Top surfaces: It is best to avoid large, flat, top surfaces, but it is possible to print the object upside down if the bottom surface is not large and flat as well. 

We are not able to print overhangs of more than 40 degrees cleanly. It is possible to use supports to do so, but this will require more material and significant post processing, in addition to potentially harming the outer surface of the object 

We may not be able to print an exact copy of what you need, but we are confident we can print something to get the job done.