3D PRINT COMPOUNDS | TECHNOLOGY
PEEK performance Another key player in the high perfor- mance additive manufacturing sector is Victrex. The company says that incumbent PEEK materials used in most 3D print applications are based on grades originally designed for conventional manufacturing methods such as machining and injection moulding, while its Victrex AM 200 filament is specifically developed for this new production technology. Victrex says that while the good mechanical
properties of PAEK are in demand for high-perfor- mance 3D printed parts these could often not be realised with existing PEEK and PEKK choices. The company says repurposing injection moulding PEEK into filament fusion additive manufacturing, for example, typically results in weak parts because of poor interlayer bonding. Its new material is designed to address this weakness. The first 3D printing equipment supplier to offer
Victrex’s new AM PAEK filament is China-based Intamsys. It reports that in its manufacturing equipment the Victrex AM 200 filament delivers higher Z-axis strength and has shown up to 80% strength in the X-Y direction with a better fused filament forming (FFF) printing adaptability than existing PAEK materials. “Our test results to date have shown that the
Victrex AM 200 filament has a better interlayer adhesion than other PAEK materials on Intamsys machines,” says Charles Han, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Intamsys. “Compared with unfilled PEEK, it is designed with slower crystallisa-
tion, lower melt temperature and a viscosity fine-tuned to the filament fusion process, such as easier flow in the build chamber
after leaving the nozzle. Higher flow in open air (low shear rates) also
promotes interlayer bonding and stability during printing. All of this contributes to an improved interlaminar
adhesion, easier printing (less shrink and warp), and a better suitability for FDM 3D printing, compared to other similar options, based upon the testing we have done at Intamsys up to this point.” The Intamsys tests were performed on a number
of different printers including its smart dual nozzle Funmat Pro 410 3D Printer. This industrial-grade, high-temperature 3D printer can print parts up to 305mm by 305mm by 406mm and can handle a variety of complex structures. It can print a number of materials, including PEEK, carbon fibre rein- forced PEEK-CF, PEKK, PC, PC-ABS. Intamsys is also part of Victrex’s filament fusion
network, which aims to facilitate the use of high- performance Victrex AM materials based on PAEK
Below: This shoe insole was printed by SLS using a partially bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane from Covestro
Left: An
engineering component produced in Victrex AM 200 PAEK filament
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IMAGE: COVESTRO
IMAGE: VICTREX
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