Materialise Company announced that it has developed a method based on selective laser sintering that makes it possible to use 100% recycled powder in 3D printing.
Bluesint PA12 is a material and manufacturing innovation, and has been used as a way for Materialise to eliminate waste in 3D printing. It follows a life cycle analysis (LCA) conducted with BASF, which shows that 3D printing has a greater impact on the environment than traditional mass production methods.
Life cycle analysis studied the production of 1 million pairs of midsoles, and evaluated the environmental impact of all the states of the product during the life cycle, comparing 3D printing with polyurethane casting. It found that 3D printing has a “greater impact” on climate change, and Materialise therefore believes that further investment is needed to improve the sustainability of 3D printing technology.
Bluesint PA12 is one of the results of this research. It is said that the parts produced by this method have similar mechanical properties to the standard PA12, but the powder that is usually wasted during the printing process (up to 50% when using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology) can now be repeated Use, allowing users to make choices not only based on technical specifications, but also based on environmental impact.
"With Bluesint PA12, we can significantly reduce powder waste," commented Jurgen Laudus, Vice President and General Manager of Materialise Manufacturing. "Bluesint PA12 represents an important step in making 3D printing more sustainable, and it is also an example of how we enable our customers to make choices for sustainable development."