In keeping with the company's tradition of working closely with its customers to develop materials, Arkema is proud to announce collaboration with HP Inc. on its new Multi Jet Fusion™ technology. A key part of HP’s recent announcement is an Open Platform for materials in which suppliers can qualify new materials to run on HP Jet Fusion 3D printers. Arkema plans to utilize HP's Open Platform to drive innovation and help final customers create more 3D printed production parts. Arkema’s customers span a variety of markets, including consumer goods, automotive, aerospace, sports, and healthcare, among others. All of these customers could potentially benefit from the availability of more 3D printable materials.
The accelerating growth of 3D printing technology is the result of revolutions in creating and sharing digital files, the development of printing hardware, and the innovation of high performance materials to print the final parts. As a designer of innovative materials and solutions, Arkema has include 3D printing materials in one of its main R&D platforms, called "lightweight materials and design". This collaboration with HP illustrates Arkema's commitment to broadly develop 3D printing technology and allows our final customers to transform their supply chains from "just-in-time" delivery to "here-and-now" production.
"Arkema believes that the future of 3D Printing for production parts will be driven by the development of application specific materials," said Adrien Lapeyre, Arkema's Global Market Manager for Technical Polymer Powders. "The HP Multi Jet Fusion Open Platform is a great concept that should accelerate the adoption of 3D Printing, which is why Arkema is happy to collaborate with HP to design new materials and uncover new applications to help our customers realize the full potential of 3D Printing."
The HP Open Platform, a new business model for the industry, will allow Arkema to leverage its wide portfolio of materials (Rilsan® fine powders, Rilsamid® polyamides, Kynar® resins, and Pebax® copolymers, among others) and engage customers in new 3D Printing applications. As customers continue to push for more productivity, better performance, and wider material selection, Arkema will be able to respond through the HP Open Platform.
"A key piece of HP’s strategy in 3D Printing is breaking down the barriers that have inhibited the market, including expanding the materials options that are available," said Stephen Nigro, president of HP's 3D printing business. "Arkema's customer focus and proven ability to innovate makes them a great fit for the Open Platform and we are excited to see what they bring to market."
Rilsan, Rilsamid, Kynar and Pebax are registered trademarks of Arkema.
Multi Jet Fusion is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.