28-Oct-16 Global supplier of high performance polymers Solvay is taking a leadership role in aligning its specialty polymers and engineering plastics with the fast-growing trend toward additive manufacturing (AM)/3D printing technologies. Solvay’s expanding 3D printing capabilities are part of the group’s global leadership in advanced light-weighting solutions to replace metals. Used mostly in transport where they help reduce the weight of cars and planes and therefore CO2 emissions, they also allow for more design flexibility, lowering waste.
As part of this commitment, and building on Solvay’s established AM technical center and production facility for Sinterline Technyl in Lyon, France, Solvay has opened a new laboratory at its Research & Innovation Center in Alpharetta, Georgia, to forward the development of its advanced materials for AM. In addition, Solvay has established a facility at its campus in Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to AM software design and development powered by Digimat from e-Xstream, an MSC Software company. Solvay is also creating a powerful network of solution providers across the AM value chain from universities to equipment manufacturers.
“Additive manufacturing has emerged as a complementary plastics conversion technology of its own right and is increasingly advancing the particular needs of highly complex parts not possible through conventional melt processes,” said Brian Alexander, head of additive manufacturing for Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit. “As the processes and equipment develop, there is still a lack of reliable high performance materials sourcing and standardization. Solvay is determined to play a leading role in expanding the available polymer choice and optimizing the supply chain for AM based on a solid understanding of the technology and comprehensive customer support.”
AM processes can improve productivity by quickly converting digital designs into functional parts for low- to medium-volume production without the time or cost required to first build a molding tool and prototype. Thus, they can significantly accelerate the time-to-market for OEMs and tier suppliers. AM significantly reduces production waste, optimizes the supply chain, eliminates tooling and speeds the time to market for new designs requiring the same high performance expected from traditional polymer conversion methods. In contrast, however, it lends itself to a revolutionary democratization of manufacturing through digitization and file, rather than part transfer.
Solvay has many years of experience in SLS with its range of Sinterline Technyl polyamide 6 (PA6) materials which exhibit much higher stiffness and thermal resistance than competitive PA11 or PA12. They are available in neat and glass-bead filled grades, suitable for use in demanding automotive, transportation, and construction SLS applications. In addition, an unfilled grade has passed compliance testing for USP class VI medical applications.
Solvay is developing other specialty polymers for AM in Alpharetta, including AvaSpire polyaryletherketone (PAEK), KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and Radel polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) for fused filament fabrication (FFF), and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) compatible with SLS. Several products will be available for sampling by the end of 2016, including neat and fiber-filled grades of Solvay’s KetaSpire PEEK and Radel PPSU for FFF 3D printing process.
With its acquisition of Cytec, Solvay has gained a leadership position in PEKK, a material that has proven itself for SLS AM processes.
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