Arkema is establishing contacts with new partners to extend the application of its high-performance material solutions to the field of 3D manufacturing of composite materials.
As a pioneer and leader in high-performance polymers for 3D printing and composite materials, Arkema continues to develop its additive manufacturing technology and provides innovative new solutions for the production of continuous fiber composite components using 3D printing technology.
The group will work with new partners to develop new and more effective materials to provide a new perspective in high-tech applications and meet the growing demand for lightweight materials.
As a business of Arkema, Continuous Composites and Sartomer recently announced a collaboration to combine Continuous Composites ’patented continuous fiber 3D printing technology (“ CF3D ”) with Sartomer ’s N3xtDimension UV curing resin solution.
This technology combines the advantages of composite materials with a fast curing 3D printing process to create a non-autoclave composite material production technology that does not require molds.
Compared with the traditional composite material process, CF3D technology significantly reduces the production cost of using lightweight materials, thereby providing users with greater flexibility and production speed.
This new technology that combines the dual advantages of 3D printing and composite materials will provide new perspectives and new applications in the fields of aviation, automotive, energy, and construction to meet the growing demand for lightweight materials.
Through this joint development agreement, Sartomer is investing in research and development of resin solutions customized for CF3D technology to meet the mechanical performance requirements of different industries and to commercialize the resin solution.
In addition, Arkema has collaborated with the 9T laboratory in Zurich, Switzerland.
As a startup specializing in 3D printing of thermoplastic composites, 9T Lab has developed a technology that uses additive manufacturing and advanced software algorithms to automate the manufacture of composites. This technology will enable the use of Arkema ’s Kepstan PEKK materials. Mass production of composite parts is possible: the special properties of Kepstan PEKK polymer combined with the design software of 9T Labs bring convenience to the manufacture of high-performance parts.
Arkema and 9T Laboratories will jointly develop the market and focus on high-volume production applications and material certification to accelerate the widespread adoption of these technologies.
The group will continue to innovate and strengthen cooperation with its customers and technology partners such as Continuous Composites and 9T Laboratories to shift new applications to 3D printing and accelerate the deployment of these technologies in a wider range of industries and applications.