Sculpteo and BASF announced the launch of four nylon PA11 3D printing powders made from renewable castor oil.
It is said that these bioplastics have good chemical resistance, elongation at break and durability and are available through Sculpteo's catalog. These new products were released after BASF and Sculpteo released materials for the automotive industry in the summer, 12 months after the former acquired the latter.
Ultrasint PA11 and PA11 were developed for selective laser sintering (SLS) and HP's multi-jet fusion (MJF) technology, respectively, with high ductility and impact strength, and the ability to withstand high mechanical loads and stresses. It is reported that its applications include medical parts, parts requiring impact resistance and living hinge applications.
At the same time, Ultrasint PA11 ESD has electrostatic discharge characteristics, as well as good mechanical and thermal characteristics, which enable it to be used in some products in the electronic field to "improve process safety." These may include electronic enclosures, as well as fixtures and tool parts. BASF and Sculpteo also released an Ultrasint PA11 CF, which is a carbon fiber reinforced material, which partners believe is one of the most powerful materials in the 3D printing industry. The material combines high ductility, impact performance and high rigidity, and is said to be able to meet the "highest performance requirements". At the same time, because it can promote the reduction of wall thickness, it can also achieve lightweight design.
Formulated by experts within the BASF Forward AM brand, both Sculpteo and BASF believe that the new material will enable the company to produce industrial components more sustainably. The ability to obtain such expertise to improve the services it provides to the market is one of the main reasons why BASF agreed to acquire Sculpteo. In just 12 months, it has now launched more than 6 3D printing materials aimed at improving the industrial application of additive manufacturing technology.