Prodways
Prodways P2000 ST
Prodways ProMaker P2000 ST.
Prodways has announced a series of 3D printing system sales to leading material specialists including BASF and DSM.
The company will see seven selective laser sintering platforms installed at the facilities of three European chemical outfits as they look to test materials, develop applications and manufacture parts.
BASF has been a strategic partner of Prodways since 2016, when the materials supplier purchased a ProMaker P1000 machine and the 3D printing vendor integrated a BASF-developed PA6 polymer into its portfolio of laser sintering materials. Four years on, the pair have extended their partnership with BASF purchasing four Prodways SLS platforms. The materials giant is to harness this new 3D printing capacity for research and development purposes and part production using its range of PA6 materials and a newly developed polypropylene.
DSM, meanwhile, is to welcome two ProMaker P2000 ST (super temperature) machines after also expanding its relationship with Prodways. The super temperature model of Prodways’ P2000 offering boasts a maximum chamber temperature of up to 280°C and an eight-zone heating system to better control the chamber and enable more consistent mechanical properties. DSM will use the machines to test powders and produce parts – the P2000 ST supports a range of PA12, PA11, PA6 and TPU grades – while Prodways will also begin to sell DSM’s Arnite AM1210 polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) material. The Arnite AM1210 has been tested on Prodways’ P4500 machine and is said to have excellent electrical, mechanical and flame-retardant properties, which make it a suitable material for a range of applications in the electronics space.
The third chemical company to invest in Prodways’ 3D printing technology has been named as Arkema, who will install a ProMaker P1000 to develop and test ‘cutting edge’ applications. Prodways says the three transactions ‘confirm the growing importance of 3D printing for advanced applications at industrial scale.’
