Arkema expands high-performance solutions to the 3D printing of composites

Arkema (Colombes Cedex, France) is working to expand the use of its high-performance solutions to the 3D manufacturing of composite materials with the help of new partners. 

Continuous Composites (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, U.S.) and Sartomer (Colombes Cedex, France), an Arkema Business Line, recently announced a partnership combining Continuous Composites’ patented continuous fiber 3D printing technology (CF3D) with Sartomer’s N3xtDimension UV-curable resin solutions. This technology combines the power of composite materials with a snap-curing 3D printing process to create a mold-free and out-of-autoclave composite manufacturing technology. CF3D significantly reduces the cost of manufacturing with lightweight materials offering users greater flexibility and speed of production compared to traditional composite processes. Through this joint development agreement, Sartomer is investing in the R&D and commercialization of resin solutions tailored for CF3D meeting the mechanical properties of varying industries.

In addition, Arkema has partnered with 9T Labs (Zurich), a start-up specializing in the 3D printing of thermoplastic composites that has developed a technology that automates the manufacture of composites using additive manufacturing (AM) and advanced software algorithms. The technology will reportedly enable the mass production of composite parts using Arkema’s Kepstan PEKK. Arkema and 9T Labs will jointly develop the market, focusing on high-volume mass-production applications and material certification in order to accelerate large-scale adoption of the technology.

Through these partnerships, Arkema says it seeks to convert new applications to 3D printing and accelerate the deployment of these technologies in a wide range of industries and applications.