INNOVATION | 3D PRINTING
Right: Evonik has launched a materials
campaign for 3D printing
are suitable for use in clean room environments – something that customers have already proven in practice. They produce very few emissions, are dust-free and have a build chamber that is usually made from stainless steel. Process quality can be documented reliably, and components can be clearly traced as and when required. Evonik has launched a 3D-printable PEEK (polyether ether ketone) filament as an implant- grade material for medical applications. The company says that the material can be used for developing and manufacturing custom-made plastic implants that meet the requirements of ASTM F2026 (the standard specification for PEEK polymers for surgical implant applications). VESTAKEEP i4 3DF PEEK filament is an implant- grade material based on VESTAKEEP i4 G, a highly viscous, high-performance polymer from Evonik, which offers biocompatibility, biostability, x-ray transparency and easy handling. The filament is produced under cleanroom conditions and then subjected to stringent quality management standards for medical materials. The high-perfor- mance material was developed for fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. The natural-coloured
PEEK filament, which has a diameter of 1.75mm, is wound on 250g or 500g spools suitable for direct use in standard FFF 3D printers for PEEK materials. Evonik is also offering a testing-grade version of its PEEK filament. The term refers to a class of material having the exact same product properties as the implant grade, but without the documentation needed for approval in medical technology applications. This offers a cost-effective way of adapting the processing characteristics of the high-performance plastic to a given 3D printer. Evonik has also introduced its first software tool for 3D printing based on Castor technology. The tool helps manufacturers save costs by choosing the right additive manufacturing process depending on geometry, material and financial analysis of the part being designed. The new software has been developed by Castor, an Israeli start-up in which Evonik’s Venture Capital invested in late 2019. Castor offers a software technology that assesses a part’s printability, recommends the best printing material and estimates its cost and lead time. The technology helps manufacturers decide if and how to apply 3D printing to their production processes. Evonik also produces a full range of additives
Right: Victrex is optimising new PAEK polymers for the latest EOS laser sintering platform
36 INJECTION WORLD | June 2020
that can modify material properties, for example, improving the flowability or making the finished part more robust. The software is complementary to computer-aided design (CAD) solutions and customers can analyse their existing CAD files of large assemblies or of many single parts, simulta- neously. More specifically, the software performs a comprehensive technical and economic analysis which results in a simple report showing the break-even point for additive manufacturing versus traditional manufacturing methods. Victrex, in collaboration with the University of
Exeter in the UK, has completed commissioning of the new EOS P 810, laser sintering platform for high temperature polymers. The strategic arrange-
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: VICTREX
IMAGE: EVONIK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
