Roboze & Solvay: Partnering to Push the Limits of 3D Printing Polymers

Collaborations are the key to success for many innovators within the 3D printing realm, and especially as hardware, software, and a host of new materials—like specialty polymers from Roboze and Solvay—are being released with the excitement for Formnext beginning to build. Taking place in Frankfurt from November 19-22, the massive show caters to visitors engaged in additive manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing, giving them the chance to see new products like the materials Roboze and Solvay have been developing to offer even higher performance in 3D printing.

Centered in Bari, Italy, Roboze was founded by CEO Alessio Lorusso and his team in 2013. Now, they are partnering with global materials and chemicals experts, Solvay (headquartered in Brussels, Belgium), using Roboze AM technology to complement Solvay specialty polymers.

This new high-performance material portfolio is meant to accelerate AM processes for on-demand part manufacturing exponentially. Again, hearkening back to their line of Roboze Argo Production 3D printing solutions (which we reported on recently in regards to a new amorphous thermoplastic polyimide filament: SABIC’s EXTEM AMHH811F), Roboze is advancing further now with Solvay specialty polymers KetaSpire® PEEK and KetaSpire® Carbon PEEK filaments.

The Roboze team states that these new materials will ‘enable metal replacement,’ allowing for superior prototyping, tooling, and end-use production of parts. The 3D printer manufacturer also expects to see their hardware stepping in as the standard for the fabrication of parts using PEEK filaments produced by Solvay–offering some of the highest performance materials possible in FDM (FFF) 3D printing.

“This partnership with ROBOZE is part of our strategy to build a powerful open system eco-system of 3D printing solutions tailored to our AM-ready high-performance materials,” says Christophe Schramm, Business Manager for Additive Manufacturing at SOLVAY Specialty Polymers.

“ROBOZE’s technology is a great fit for our KetaSpire®. PEEK and KetaSpire®. Carbon PEEK filaments, and ROBOZE’s market approach perfectly matches our ambition to offer a superior solution to our customers. We look forward to working together on enabling high quality parts printing for our customers, notably in the Oil & Gas and industrial markets.”

What you should know about these superior filaments:

• KetaSpire® PEEK offers excellent temperature resistance
• Maintains mechanical properties even in an environment up to 240°C (464°F)
• Offers higher fatigue & impact resistance than other high-temperature polymer solutions in the market.
• Provides 60 percent more ductility
• KetaSpire® Carbon PEEK complements KetaSpire® PEEK with added strength for complex applications

“Investing in your goal with a company like Solvay, always active in the research and innovation of materials engineering in different industries, is an opportunity that makes us very proud. I am sure that, in order to make a difference in the market and offer solutions for the digitalization of manufacturing globally, it is necessary to leverage our investments with collaborations between companies, people and competences, belonging to different sectors. It is by merging our expertise that we will reveal the real value that a technology like Roboze can offer to today’s and tomorrow’s manufacturers,” says Lorusso, Roboze founder, who was named as a ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ in 2018.

If you are attending Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt (from November 19-22), be sure to visit the Roboze booth 121-C61.