Solvay announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) to jointly develop new high-performance additive manufacturing (AM) wires for Stratasys' FDMu00AE system F900® production-grade 3D printer.
"Stratasys customers are constantly looking for a wider variety of high-performance materials. At the same time, many Solvay customers expect our high-performance polymers to be used in Stratasys' industrial-grade 3D printing systems. This important collaboration between the two companies has prompted Solvay is able to meet rapidly growing demand, "said Christophe Schramm, Solvay Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit, Additive Manufacturing Business Manager.
As part of a joint development plan, Solvay and Stratasys will jointly develop a high-performance additive manufacturing (AM) wire based on Solvay's versatile Radel® PPSU (polyphenylene sulfone) polymer, designed to Meets stringent FAR * 25.853 compliance requirements for aerospace applications. Both companies plan to commercialize this new Radel® PPSU wire by 2020. Applications that meet the specific needs of other additive manufacturing (AM) end markets will also launch corresponding high-performance products.
"Solvay is a trusted industry leader in providing diverse, reliable materials for the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. We are proud of this new cooperation agreement, which will empower our customers to further develop Our FDM 3D printers are in production, "said Rich Garrity, president of Stratasys.
With 25 years of history, Solvay's Radel® PPSU material grades have been developed specifically for aircraft cabin interior components. The product meets all commercial and regulatory requirements for flammability, smoke density, heat release and toxic gas emissions. All grades also have excellent chemical resistance and extraordinary toughness.
"The partnership with Stratasys is an important step in Solvay's strategy to better serve our customers and build a solid, diverse Additive Manufacturing (AM) ecosystem. Solvay's material selection and expertise and Stratasys's The combination of high-quality, repeatable 3D printing capabilities will open up new possibilities for additive manufacturing in today's "traditional manufacturing" markets, "Schramm said.
Solvay announced the news at the Rapid + TCT (Booth # 747) in Detroit, Michigan, May 21-23.