Solder pallets in Carbon Fiber Peek and Fiberglass Peek produced with Impossible Objects' Composite Based Additive Manufacturing process.
Impossible Objects has struck up a joint development agreement with building and industrial materials provider Owens Corning in a bid to establish new materials for its composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) technology.
The collaboration is expected to enable the production of stronger parts at lower costs compared to other 3D printing processes. In a press release, the companies emphasised the potential benefits of additive manufacturing with fibreglass composites which promise greater strength-to-weight ratios compared to aluminium, lower costs, high-temperature performance and greater chemical resistance.
Dr. Chris Skinner, Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Composites, Owens Corning said: “We seek to be at the forefront of new processing and new applications involving Composites. We have found the Impossible Objects technology and know-how potentially transformative for the conversion of some applications to composites. Because we believe it can be successful and deliver value to the market and our customers, we’ve entered into a joint agreement to support the development further.”
Owens Corning joins BASF and TIGER Coatings as the latest materials partner on Impossible Object’s CBAM technology, which can process a range of material combinations including carbon fibre and fibreglass paired with PEEK, PA 6, PA 12, elastomerics and most other thermoplastics. Though, this isn't the company's first foray into the additive manufacturing industry as the profiles for Owens Corning's glass fibre-reinforced filaments have been available via Ultimaker's Material Alliance Program since 2018, while its XSTRAND business line, which carries these filaments, was acquired by BASF last year.
By combining high-performance polymers like Nylon and PEEK with carbon fibre and fibreglass sheets, the CBAM process can create strong, lightweight and resilient parts and is said to do so up to ten times faster than conventional extrusion-based 3D printing systems. Illinois-based Impossible Objects first introduced its CBAM technology in 2017 with the Model One system and launched its current CBAM-2 system in 2019. The machine has since been adopted by major customers including Ford Motor Company, Jabil and the United States Air Force, and was recently made available to customers across Europe through a new partnership with Ricoh 3D.
“Our CBAM process is a revolution in 3D printing, with faster speeds, better material properties and wider material selection,” Robert Swartz, chairman and founder of Impossible Objects added. “This collaboration with Owens Corning will allow us to quickly experiment with and refine new materials to significantly lower cost and bring unprecedented options for additive manufacturing.”
The two companies believe this partnership will enable the CBAM process to scale and ultimately complete with high-volume manufacturing methods such as injection moulding with the additional benefits of reduced lead times, tooling and assembly costs, and mass customisation.
Want to discuss? Join the conversation on the Additive Manufacturing Global Community Discord.
Get your FREE print subscription to TCT Magazine.
