Somos PerFORM HW: Royal DSM Develops New Material for Origin 3D Printing System

While 3D printing users may often enjoy squirreling themselves away in their workshops or labs, spending hours tinkering just to see what they can come up with next, the industry itself is built on many partnerships and collaboration. As you are busy going about your normal day, scientists and engineers in research and development labs in many different countries are deep in concentration, creating new materials, software, hardware, and systems for 3D printing objects and parts for a wide variety of applications. The latest partnership, between Royal DSM and Origin is a perfect example of such commitments, as they work together in creating new materials and the hardware to use it.

Royal DSM is an expansive, global science-based company headquartered in The Netherlands. With a focus on nutrition, health, and sustainable living, they continue to grow stronger and are very open to dynamic partnerships furthering their mission. For months now, they have been working on a new photopolymer material that was customized for Origin, meant to complement their programmable photopolymerization (P3) technology.

Origin is known for the open ecosystem concepts, which fits right into DSM’s general mission to build an overall 3D printing ecosystem globally—with both attempting to promote accessibility to additive manufacturing and assist in accelerating adoption of the technology.

“The quality and surface finish we’re seeing with Somos® PerFORM HW on Origin’s P3 process are outstanding and unparalleled,” says Noud Steffens, Market Development Director Additive Manufacturing at DSM. “Origin provides an unprecedented degree of control so users can get consistent commercial-grade results using Somos® PerFORM HW and soon other DSM materials.”

DSM’s new Somos® PerFORM HW will not just be incorporated into the Origin lineup, it was specifically optimized for the innovative San Francisco-based company to offer similarities with Somos® PerFORM, with material properties that allow the manufacturing of strong, stiff, temperature-resistant parts—often required for aerodynamic modeling and rapid tooling.

 “We’re excited that DSM is joining our open network of material partners and broadening the potential applications available to our users,” says Chris Prucha, Origin’s CEO and co-founder. “DSM is the market leader in world class photopolymers with decades of experience developing unique photo-reactive chemistries. Together we are addressing today’s manufacturing challenges for customers.”

The two companies announced in their recent press release sent to 3DPrint.com that there will also be more materials available for the Origin platform soon, as they continue to work closely together improving materials and seeking out new applications for use.

As 3D printing flourishes from a relatively unknown technology meant for prototyping into a billion-dollar consumer-driven industry capturing the interest of users around the world, many companies have taken a jack-of-all-trades business model and marketing mentality, offering a one-stop shop for their customers. Others, however, may find one strength and continue reinforcing it in search of excellence—while reaching out to entrepreneurs and organizations to complement what they have created, bringing the full commercial picture together as DSM has done with other partners like Ultimaker, FormFutura, and Adaptive3D.

Will you be attending the RAPID + TCT conference in Detroit from May 20-23? If so, check out Origin’s printer (Booth #2153) and the new optimized materials from DSM (Booth #303) which will be ‘available for sampling’ with the launch of Origin’s new hardware.

[Source / Images: Royal DSM/Origin]