Parts printed in VICTREX AM 200 filament.
High-performance PEAK and PEAK polymer specialist Victrex has announced the official launch of its VICTREX AM 200 filament and named Chinese 3D printer manufacturer INTAMSYS as its first reseller.
The UK founded company designed the PAEK-based filament specifically for extrusion-based additive manufacturing to overcome common challenges of 3D printing with traditional PEEK materials. Parts printed in VICTREX AM 200 are said to possess very high wear, temperature and fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance to fluid/chemicals.
Jakob Sigurdsson, Victrex CEO said: "This new generation of Victrex additive manufacturing PAEK filament represents an important step forward for Victrex and we are excited now to work closely with INTAMSYS. Due to excellent cooperation with companies and institutions that pursue innovation in additive manufacturing, such as INTAMSYS, as well as Victrex´s continued research, we have been making sustained progress toward creating truly innovative components based on the design freedom of additive manufacturing, combined with the high performance of PAEK polymers."
INTAMSYS, the first company announced as part of Victrex´s proposed filament fusion network, is believed to have tested the filament on a number of its additive machines including the FUNMAT PRO 410, which is capable of processing a variety of high-performance materials such as PEEK, PEEK-CF, PEKK, PC and PC-ABS. According to those tests, Victrex's filament is said to deliver a higher strength in the Z-axis and has shown up to 80% strength in the XY direction compared to current alternatives.
Charles Han, Founder and CEO at INTAMSYS commented: "Our test results to date have shown that the VICTREX AM 200 filament has a better interlayer adhesion than other PAEK materials on INTAMSYS´ machines. Compared with unfilled PEEK, it is designed with slower crystallisation, lower melt temperature, and a viscosity fine tuned to the filament fusion process, such as easier flow in the build chamber after leaving the nozzle. Higher flow in open air (low shear rates) also promotes interlayer bonding and stability during printing."
Han concludes that these properties lead to improved layer adhesion, less shrinkage or warping, and a greater suitability for material extrusion-based 3D printing compared to similar options.
Earlier this year The University of Exeter also began working with Victrex's PAEK materials on an EOS P 810 system in an effort to validate Victrex’s low-melting point PAEK materials against SLS and material-extrusion 3D printing processes.
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