SABIC launches additive manufacturing materials range at Formnext

AMNovember17News - sabic
AMNovember17News - sabic

SABIC has introduced to the European market a family of high-performance THERMOCOMP AM compounds to address the requirements of large format additive manufacturing.

At Formnext 2017, on stand 3.1-G78, the company is exhibiting these eight new compounds, developed for use in large-format pellet-fed extruders. Print parameters and mechanical property data for the materials – developed by SABIC using test specimens printed on the company’s in-house BAAM printer – are available to aid customers in expediting material selection and optimising processing conditions. Because they are reinforced with carbon or glass fibres for added strength, the new THERMOCOMP AM compounds can be used for demanding applications in the tooling, aerospace, automotive and defence industries.

“Large format additive manufacturing is opening up tremendous new opportunities for producing large, complex parts with speed and precision,” said Stephanie Gathman, director, Emerging Applications, SABIC. “We are committed to providing the advanced material solutions customers need to win. Beyond innovative material development, SABIC also supports customers with world-class processing, design and testing capabilities at our U.S. Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. These resources help customers accelerate application development for large printed parts.”

SABIC’s first eight reinforced THERMOCOMP AM compounds for large format additive manufacturing are based on four of the company’s amorphous resins: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyphenylene ether (PPE), polycarbonate (PC) and polyetherimide (PEI). These resins exhibit good creep behaviour versus semi-crystalline resins, and reduced deformation under constant pressure.

Further, these materials exhibit lower shrinkage during cooling, which means greater dimensional stability and less thermal expansion during part use.

Each of the THERMOCOMP AM materials is reinforced with carbon or glass fibre, depending on the degree of stiffness and dimensional stability required.

“As adoption of large format additive manufacturing increases, SABIC plans to expand our THERMOCOMP AM portfolio and other material offerings to meet evolving customer needs,” said Joshua Chiaw, director, LNP Compounds and Copolymers, SABIC. “We have a wide array of thermoplastic resins, fillers and reinforcements available to us. For instance, to meet industry requirements for materials with higher chemical resistance and stiffness, we are currently evaluating new large format processes and compounds containing semi-crystalline resins such as PBT, PA, PPS and PEEK.”

SABIC is showcasing at Formnext a section of a yacht hull from Livrea Yacht that was printed on the company’s BAAM machine in its Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing in Pittsfield. The hull is a result of a collaborative design effort between SABIC, Livrea Yacht and 3D design and engineering software provider, Autodesk. Using Autodesk Fusion 360 design software and SABIC’s processing expertise on the BAAM equipment, the three companies selected two materials from the THERMOCOMP AM portfolio: a carbon fibre-reinforced PPE compound for the hull’s outer layer, and a carbon fibre-reinforced PEI for the inner lattice support structure.

“The process of using large-format additive manufacturing enabled Livrea Yacht to eliminate the need for moulds and prototyping, which can be costly and inefficient,” said Mike Geyer, director of Evangelism and Emerging Technology at Autodesk. “The 3D printed hull is lighter and stronger, and can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost and in half the time, giving Livrea Yacht a competitive breakthrough that would not be possible with traditional fabrication. We are entering a very exciting time for complex, high-speed additive manufacturing.”

www.sabic.com

www.mesago.de

Company

SABIC

Related Articles

TCT 3Sixty brochure

If you’re a designer, engineer or manufacturer looking to evaluate, adopt or optimise 3D printing for your business, TCT 3Sixty is the event for you.
1 year ago Sponsored Content

From ideas to reality

Proto Labs director, Damian Hennessey looks at how the UK aerospace industry is undergoing a transformation via the increasing adoption of digital manufacturing processes.
7 years ago Features
Most recent Articles

Carter enjoys success at HAI HELI-EXPO event

Acknowledged as the World’s largest vertical aviation conference and trade show, HAI HELI-EXPO 2024 provided precision bearing specialists Carter Manufacturing a perfect opportunity to exhibit its extensive range of aerospace bearing installation, removal and testing tools, along with PMA bearing options.
1 day ago News

Login / Sign up