MATERIALS REVIEW | NPE 2018
as power tools, where a saving in weight can ease handling.
Underlining the importance of the US market for its long term growth, SABIC Executive Vice Presi- dent for Petrochemicals Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh said the company planned to double its manufacturing footprint in the country over the next five years and expand sales from 3.0m to 6.0m US tons (2.7m to 5.4m tonnes) by 2022. A key element in this
growth is the planned 1.8m tpa ethane cracking joint venture with Exxon Mobil, which will include two new PE polymerisation units. However, Al-Fageeh said the company’s move to more differentiated products and a sectorial approach to the market will also play a major part – he cited the formation earlier this year of three new business segments targeting caps and closures, industrial hygiene and thin wall packaging as examples of this more application-focused approach. Al-Fageeh said the combination of SABIC’s own C4 and C6 polyolefin technologies with the C8 technologies from its partnership with South Korea’s SK Chemical gives it a considerable resource. “We have the technologies to make sure we have the right backbone for our products,” he said. New polyolefin introductions at the show included a family of soft feel PP compounds for production of matt-finished automotive parts such as seat and console cladding and door panels. Indian car maker Tata Motors is already using a 25% glass reinforced grade from the range to produce the steering column shroud and speed- ometer cluster cover for its Tiago hatchback, eliminating the need for paint and achieving a near 30% cost saving per part. SABIC also announced three new additions to its additive manufacturing filament product line – Ultem AM1010F for general high temperature applications and Ultem AMHU1010F and Lexan AMHC620F for healthcare – as well as previewing some new development products. The latter included a breakaway support material and an Extem polyimide for high performance products. All are suitable for use with FDM machines. Extem also featured in a micromoulded IR optical sensor. Produced by Swiss company Soprod in multi-cavity tooling, the part is claimed to provide the transparency required for proximity and gesture-recognition sensors in smart electronic devices (typically produced in glass or thermoset
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epoxy) together with the temperature resistance needed for flow soldering and more competitive cost.
One of the more unusual items on display on
the BASF stand was a prosthetic limb with a 3D printed leg socket produced in a short carbon fibre reinforced Ultramid PA grade using a new additive manufacturing technology developed by Essentium that is claimed to optimise layer fusion. One of the challenges of producing fibre reinforced parts by additive manufac- turing is to achieve high strength between the build
layers (z-direction). Texas, US-based Essentium has developed a
technique called FlashFuse that combines plasma and nanotechnology to create a strong bond. It can be integrated as an option on its latest HSE high speed FFS (filament fusion system) additive manufacturing machine. FlashFuse uses a special carbon fibre reinforced filament coated with a carbon nanotube filled surface layer. During the build process, a plasma energy field is created at the print head that heats the nanotubes and welds the layers together, according to the company. The result is said to be parts with isotropic properties close to or matching injection moulding. The technique is being employed by Essentium subsidi- ary TriFusion Devices to create the prosthetic sockets, which are lined with a 3D printed TPU surface. The Ultramid/ TPU sockets are lighter than traditional carbon fibre alternatives and can be produced more quickly – around 8 hours compared to three days. In addition, the use of a thermoplas-
tic resin means the shape of the socket can be adjusted to accommodate changes in the user’s body shape over time. And, if replacement is required, a new socket can be rapidly built from the stored 3D data.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.shell.us/poly-e �
www.rtpcompany.com �
www.sabic.com �
www.basf.com �
www.essentium3d.com
May 2018 | INJECTION WORLD 37
Left: Steering column for the Tata Tiago SUV produced in SABIC’s new soft feel PP grade
Left: The socket for this prosthetic limb is 3D printed in a short carbon fibre reinforced PA from BASF
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