Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) and German new material startup AM Polymers GmbH (AMP) have signed a joint development and commercial cooperation agreement on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) powder products for industrial 3D printing.
AMP is located in Germany and specializes in the production and sale of thermoplastic powders with "plug-and-play" processability and partial properties for selective laser sintering (SLS) and powder bed fusion (PBF) processes. Through this partnership, the two parties are jointly developing new powder products for the production of industrial additives from PBT resins, which are specially optimized based on the chemical expertise of MCC Group. The test version of Rolaserit PBY01 powder is about to be released in Europe for customer evaluation.
PBT 3D printed parts, including test pieces as mechanical characteristics, automotive brake fluid pumps, and electronic control unit boxes. The fracture of the test piece proves that the test piece has high ductility, because the fracture is transverse, not parallel to the layer, which is a failure mechanism similar to that of traditional injection molded parts.
This partnership provides MCC and AMP with an opportunity to further expand their 3D printing product portfolio. SLS/PBF is a process for users to achieve complex geometric structures in a short production cycle. PBT powder has good mechanical properties, and its moisture absorption performance is much lower than that of SLS and PBF process commonly used material polyamide 12. Therefore, MCC and AMP expect the new PBT powder products to be used in industrial applications such as automotive and aerospace. This new partnership allows MCC and AMP to further accelerate the growth of 3D printing.