With the positive feedback received from the Belzona 9621 – Live Leak 3D Seal, Belzona has been

trying
to find new ways to incorporate the 3D printing technology into our scope of solutions and application
techniques.

Most of the times, fabricating a metal piece with a machine shop can be, not only time consuming, but
very costly depending on the size and material chosen. 3D printing the formers for a shaft repair proved
to be more efficient than having the formers made out of metal. The advantages of 3D printing are the
turn around time to have the former printed, the easiness on designing a different former depending on
the defect’s diameter/length and the convenience on the use of plastic formers, being easier to carry
and handle during the application.

As we pursue new opportunities using this technology, it is important to understand the differences
between printing methods and the reason why printer prices can go from a couple of hundred to several
thousands dollars. There are many different printers available in the market, but the ones more
applicable for Belzona solutions, in terms of cost and accessibility, are the Fusion Deposition Modeling
(FDM) and the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).

FDM (Fusion Deposition Modeling) – It is the most common method in the market and more appropriate
for beginners. This method consists of a thermoplastic fillament (2) that is heated up to its melting point
on the nozzle of the printer (4), that start, layer by layer, building the piece designed on the bed of the
printer (1). This method prints from bottom to top, so any parts that are overhanging would need a
support structure (5), that are usually already a feature of the printers, but they have to be removed
after done. This method will not present the best finish, the layers can be noticed on the final piece. For
a shaft repair, in which the finish of the application is important, you would need to sand the piece,
beginning from a rough grit sand paper going up to the finer ones, in order to smooth the surface the
best way possible.

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) – A thin layer of powdered plastic is heated by a laser just below its
melting point, fusing them together. The machine then, lowers its bed and a new layer of powder is
placed right above the first layer fused previously, and this way, layer by layer, the machine forms the
3D structure. This method allows for prototypes with better mechanical properties than FDM, since they
are more solid, working better for our situation. The final finish of the print is good enough without the
need of further fine sanding to make it more smooth.
As we continue the investigation into this new technology, any feedback from you, distributors and
consultants, will be greatly appreciated. If you come accross any opportunites and ideas on how to use a
3D printed piece for a Belzona repair, please contact TKL at tkl@belzona.com.