Rapid advances in 3D printing are changing the way products are manufactured in many industries, as industry leaders continue to develop more efficient and effective technologies. 3D printed materials are being used to solve problems across a wide array of markets and applications. Arkema Group’s new commercial platform, 3D Printing Solutions by Arkema, supports the 3D printing sector as it grows into a major industrial manufacturing technology.
Led by its flagship brands including N3xtDimension® liquid resins, Rilsan® biosourced polyamide 11, and ultra-high-performance Kepstan® PEKK polymer, Arkema’s product offerings span all major 3D manufacturing technologies in partnership with the market’s major equipment manufacturers.
Sartomer, a business line of Arkema, works with additive manufacturing innovators to develop solutions and custom formulations supporting new applications and performance demands. The UV-curable liquid resins in Sartomer’s ever-growing portfolio of N3xtDimension® products are specifically designed to advance the high-performance characteristics of 3D-printed products. These advanced solutions for UV-curable additive manufacturing allow customers to leverage exceptional freedom of design, high resolution, wavelength independency, excellent processing and regulatory compliance.
Power of Partnerships
Success in additive manufacturing applications requires new material development and collaborative partnerships. Seventy-five percent of Arkema’s active product development is with its partners. At Arkema’s 3D Printing Center of Excellence for UV-curable resins at the Sartomer Americas headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, our chemists and customer partners create cutting-edge 3D printing resins through advanced materials research and development of new chemistries.
In addition to technical partnerships, Sartomer provides proven commercialization support to help additive manufacturers achieve faster time to market. Collaboration in planning, implementation and management of the process—from materials development to production— delivers solutions that add value, efficiency and an overall competitive edge. The benefits are wide-reaching for many markets including medical, dental, electronics and sporting equipment.
Innovative Liquid Resins for UV Curing
N3xtDimension® liquid resins are market-leading solutions for UV-curable 3D printing. The engineered resins deliver a targeted performance, such as flexibility, impact resistance, water solubility, castability or prototyping, while providing excellent printed properties. The custom liquid resin systems include state-of-the-art oligomers and monomers, which offer a unique toolbox to customize and optimize the properties of end formulations. In addition, custom resins can be co-developed with partners to meet application-specific properties.
N3xtDimension® resins are ideal for multi-jet printing (MJP), stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP) and binder jetting (BJ) 3D printing technologies.
Sartomer Americas is introducing eight new N3xtDimension® engineered liquid resins at the Additive Manufacturing User’s Group (AMUG) Conference in Chicago, Ill.
- N3D-I2100 for impact resistance has an optimal viscosity for easy handling and formulating for a diverse range of printing equipment. It imparts excellent impact resistance to functional parts such as snap-fit buckles and dental models, as well as 3D printing prototypes.
- N3D-F2110 for flexibility delivers a wide range of physical performances. Its ease of handling makes it an excellent starting point for new formulators targeting flexible thermoplastic-like performance.
- N3D-P2120 for high-quality prototyping provides targeted cure speed and physical durability while maintaining a low enough viscosity to ease handling and mixing.
- N3D-C1700 for casting applications is a low-viscosity resin that provides easy formulating, high resolution and clean burnout.
- PRO13944 is a non-yellowing, high-performance resin capable of polymerization-induced phase separation for improved toughness.
- PRO14072 is a ceramic binder offering high green strength and flexibility in technical ceramic formulations.
- PRO14131 is an impact-modifying resin offering improved impact performance without sacrificing hardness or rigidity.
- PRO14213 is a unique oligomer with moderate molecular weight designed for formulating flexible and elastomeric resins with good recovery and higher hardness and rigidity than existing solutions.
Customized engineered resins, chemist-to-chemist support and industry partnerships give additive manufacturers the technological and market edge they need to be at the forefront of 3D printing innovation. Learn more about these latest material offerings at the AMUG Conference & Expo, March 31–April 4, 2019 at Booth P8. Arkema and Sartomer experts will be available to discuss how our additive manufacturing solutions can be customized to your application.
By Sumeet Jain, Global Business Director for 3D Printing at Sartomer