Huntsman Introduces IROPRINT 3D Printing Materials for FDM, SLS and SLA

In July, the Preview Press Conference for the ongoing K 2019 International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber was held, and the Huntsman Corporation took advantage of the preview to share details of its new range of 3D printing materials. K 2019 is currently taking place in Düsseldorf Messe through October 23rd, and Huntsman is on the show floor to officially introduce its new IROPRINT range of additive manufacturing filaments, powders, and resins.

The new IROPRINT AM platform is made up of three different kinds of urethane-based materials:

• IROPRINT F filaments – high performance thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials, with consistent diameter, for extrusion-based 3D printing methods
• IROPRINT P powders – high performance powder-based TPU materials for high speed sintering (HSS) and selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing methods
• IROPRINT R resins – durable, soft, one-component liquid resin systems for digital light processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), and other radiation-curing 3D printing methods

Stephane Peysson, Global Business Development Manager at Huntsman

“Since unveiling our IROPRINT additive manufacturing platform at the K preview in July, we’ve been busy dealing with enquiries from companies that are interested in using the materials. This includes printer companies that want to know more about what the range has to offer – as well as product designers in the footwear industry and beyond,” said Stephane Peysson, Global Business Development Manager at Huntsman. “We have some really exciting projects in the pipeline and are looking forward to having further interesting discussions at K with key decision makers from the materials world.”

During the K-Show this week in Germany, Huntsman will demonstrating its new IROPRINT materials in action live at its booth. An Ultimaker S5 3D printer will be busily printing IROPRINT F filament, and visitors will be able to see and touch several items at the booth that have already been 3D printed, so they can see for themselves the elasticity of the new tough yet flexible material range.

IROPRINT F 80213 filament has a shore hardness of A85, and delivers less friction in filament guiding tubes, which makes it far easier to print than other soft TPU filaments. Because this unique material is a polyether-based TPU, it is hydrolysis resistant, and is also the only polyether-based TPU that works on the desktop Ultimaker S5.

“We see a great deal of customer interest in flexible materials. I am very happy to see that Huntsman’s new TPU filament prints so well on Ultimaker printers. It is a great addition to the Ultimaker Marketplace and opens up many new applications for our customers,” stated Bart van As, Product Manager Materials at Ultimaker.

While Huntsman designed its IROPRINT range of materials for use in the footwear industry, there are many additional applications for the product platform. For example, durable yet soft objects that require rubber-like characteristics, such as bushings, consumer wearables, flexible ducts, grips, grommets, seals and gaskets, and vibration-dampening components, could really benefit from the advantages offered by the IROPRINT line.

You can visit Huntsman Corporation at the K 2019 trade fair this week at Booth 22 in Hall 8A.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

[Images: Huntsman Corporation]