TECHNOLOGY | 3D PRINT COMPOUNDS
Right: This detailed porous structure is printed in Victrex PEEK using Bond3D technology
Polymaker’s Fibre Adhesion Technol- ogy is claimed to improve layer adhesion of fibre reinforced materials by optimising the surface chemistry of the fibres. This achieves better dispersion and bonding to the polyamide matrix and results in improved strength in the z-axis and reduced mechanical anisotropy when compared to pure PA6 printed parts. This in-house technol- ogy was developed exclusively to combat the problem of adding fibres to filaments.
Lifting performance Victrex has developed a number of new PAEK materials for use in 3D print filaments and powders. The company says that these new solutions deliver better results with improved mechanical properties in printed parts and offer easier printing than past attempts to use PEEK in additive manufacturing. Victrex has invested in Netherlands-based
machinery and software company Bond to optimise its polymers for additive manufacturing. “Our investment in Bond’s 3D technology is a logical way to accelerate 3D printed PAEK/PEEK parts to market,” says Jakob Sigurdsson, Victrex Chief Executive Officer. “We need to ensure that all the key elements, including material,
process and hardware are aligned to fulfil our goal of enabling our customers to manufacture 3D printed
PAEK components for critical high performance
applications. We are now at a stage where the technology is sufficiently developed to embark on exciting development programmes.” Bond’s technology is capable of printing
complex, functional parts made of PEEK with good mechanical properties, including in the z-direction. This enables additive manufacture of high strength, isotropic parts with properties comparable to conventional moulded or machined PEEK parts. Victrex and Bond will initially focus their collabora- tion on demonstrating potential in spine repair and semiconductor applications. These will use com- mercially available products such as PEEK-OPTIMA from Invibio Biomaterial Solutions (Victrex’s medical business) or Victrex PAEK thermoplastic. In the future, this ability to print functional parts
Graph showing effect of Polymaker’s Fibre Adhesion Technology on z-axis tensile strength Source: Polymaker
from existing PEEK grades may also have value in other traditional Victrex markets such as aerospace, energy and automotive. “We found that the market needs strong functional parts made from high performance polymers that can be used not only for prototyping but for production,” says Gerald Holtvlüwer, Chief Executive Officer, Bond High Performance 3D Technology. “With our dedicated focus on 3D printing technology for high perfor- mance polymers, we were able to develop a technology to achieve the full strength of existing
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