German RepRap
German RepRap
DSM has announced a partnership with Chromatic 3D Materials and German RepRap which will see the partners work together to facilitate 3D printed polyurethane parts.
It represents an expansion of DSM and Chromatics’ collaboration which commenced last year and has focused on thermoset materials for the additive manufacturing market.
Bringing in German RepRap and its extrusion-based 3D printing equipment, the partners are to market Chromatic’s FlexTune line of flexible, high-performance polyurethane elastomer materials around the world. The companies believe the FlexTune materials will be suitable for the additive manufacture of noise-reducing buffers and mechanical clutches for power transmissions in the automotive space, gaskets for the brake systems in the rail industry, and for the production of personalised insoles in the footwear market.
“Many high-performance parts require a degree pf flexibility in their daily use,” said Hugo da Silva VP Additive Manufacturing at DSM. “Removing barriers that stand in the way of adoption of this technology by teaming up with partners like Chromatic and German RepRap clearly underscores the power of DSM’s 3D printing ecosystem. Combining these partners’ expertise across the 3D printing value chain helps make 3D printing more attainable and offers manufacturers a complete solution. Together, we can unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing and scale 3D printing to industrial production levels.”
“Elastomers are no longer just for prototypes, but durable enough to withstand the rigours expected of performance materials in commercial applications,” added Cora Leiberg, CEO at Chromatic 3D Materials. “The partnership of DSM’s market knowledge, German RepRap’s advanced printing capability and Chromatic’s ability to adapt thermoset materials to additive manufacturing is an exciting leap forward for the industry that we are proud to be engaged in.”
Meanwhile, DSM has also recently announced its collaboration with Shapeways, which will look to combine the pair’s materials and digital manufacturing expertise to enable 3D printing on-demand at scale.
“We at Shapeways believe that the power of additive manufacturing and simplified product creation increases scalability and greatly enhances traditional manufacturing solutions,” commented Greg Kress, CEO at Shapeways. “By collaboration with DSM, a highly esteemed science-based company, Shapeways B2B solutions will continue to scale the accessibility of 3D printing across a multitude of sectors.”
