TECHNOLOGY | 3D PRINT COMPOUNDS
Stratasys adds Covestro products
Stratasys announced in April that it has completed the acquisition of the additive materials business of Covestro, which includes R&D facilities and activities, global devel- opment and sales teams across Europe, the US and Asia, a portfolio of approximately 60 additive manufac- turing materials, and an extensive IP portfolio of hundreds of patents and patents pending. It paid around €43m for the business. On the materials side, the deal includes the Somos photopolymers for stereolithography and DLP, Addigy powders for Selective Laser Sintering and High-speed Sintering and Addigy filaments. According to Stratasys, the IP portfolio and talent acquired will help it address new applications in key technology categories including
Left: Covestro’s 3D print materials business expands Stratasys’ AM materials portfolio
SLA, P3/DLP, and powder bed fusion including Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF). It says it complements its expertise in PolyJet and FDM. Days after the Covestro acquisition completed, the Stratasys board rejected an unsolicited acquisition proposal by Nano Dimension, a rival 3D print systems developer that
using recycled PETG or recycled carbon fibre material. It is also examining different material types for SLS and BAAM platforms, although those compounds are still in the early developmental stage. Pasquale says that, overall, compounding for 3D print now accounts for 25-40% of its revenue. LNP Thermocomp AM DC0041XA51, from
Below: Internal view of the build chamber in UltiMaker’s new S7 FDM 3D additive manufacturing system
SABIC, is a 20% carbon fibre reinforced flame- retardant compound for 3D printing of parts using Pellet-Fed Additive Manufacturing (PFAM). Accord- ing to the company, it is the first PFAM non-halo- genated compound to comply with both EN45545 and US NFPA 30 standards for interior and exterior railway applications. The compound is said to process at high printing speeds and moderate tem-
already holds a 14.5% stake. The Stratasys board said the $1.2bn proposal undervalues the company, while Nano Dimension’s pending court litigation with its largest investor raised questions over its ability to progress it. �
www.stratsys.com �
www.nano-di.com
peratures, maintaining its structural integrity during printing while delivering a finished part with good dimensional stability and low warpage. The lower density of carbon versus other struc-
tural fibres enables the design of thinner parts that can contribute to net-zero carbon goals, according to SABIC. Compared to thermosets formulated with halogen-based flame-retardant additives, the new LNP Thermocomp AM compound offers greater design flexibility and eases recycling, it says. It is well suited for printing medium-sized and large parts in small build numbers, making it suitable for produc- tion of rail guards and bumpers as well as interior claddings, side panels, partition walls, ducts, and seating components. SABIC says that CAF, a multinational supplier of
comprehensive transit solutions for railway net- works, is using the new Thermocomp material to 3D print large replacement parts such as hatches. This enables the company to minimise lead times and reduce inventory. Also new from Sabic is LNP Thermocomp 6C004XXAR1 PC/PBT, a compound with 20% carbon fibre that delivers improved chemical resistance compared to ABS/PC. It also offers good sag and warpage resistance and has been printed successfully on large-format additive manufactur- ing machines.
SABIC has also extended the colour options for 22 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2023
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: ULTIMAKER
IMAGE: STRATASYS
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