【3D Printing News】2019 K Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber: A Hotbed of New Materials!
Held every three years in Germany, the "K Trade Fair" is the leading exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry. In response to the booming development of 3D printing, globally renowned material suppliers are eagerly showcasing their 3D printing materials. The 2019 K Trade Fair attracted 225,000 visitors from 165 countries and over 3,300 exhibitors from around the world, including no less than 80 members of the Ultimaker 3D Printing Material Alliance.
"The crowds at the 2019 K Trade Fair reflect the enormous emerging materials market in recent times," said Ultimaker's VP of Product, Paul Heiden. "We are delighted to see 3D printing taking a leading position among raw material suppliers." In addition to the Ultimaker Material Alliance, the latest applications of various additive manufacturing technologies, such as SLA resin 3D printing and SLS powder sintering, were also on display, collectively driving the development of the 3D printing industry.
A Show of Strength
"Lehvoss Group" used the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle at the exhibition to print their new LUVOCOM®3F filaments, suitable for high-performance industrial applications. These come in four different materials, primarily PAHT® and PET, with two of them being carbon fiber reinforced, offering high processability, low warping, and excellent durability and stability.
French company Arkema, on the other hand, created more added value in terms of durability, sustainability, and design. They even used their new flexible nylon Pebax material in an Ultimaker S5 to print shoe insoles and sneaker midsoles; and Kynar fluoropolymer filament for 3D printing automotive parts and consumable components.
Adrien Lapeyre, Global 3D Printing Market Manager at Arkema, emphasized: "The 2019 K Trade Fair paid great attention to sustainable materials, which aligns with our FFF 3D printing material philosophy. The final parts 3D printed for customers using Ultimaker received great feedback, and we hope to explore more related applications. We believe 'extreme worlds demand extreme materials,' and collaborating with Ultimaker 3D printing has also demonstrated higher quality for us."
Not to be outdone, DSM also used Novamid®ID 1030-CF10 in an Ultimaker S5 to print Ducati motorcycle accessories, demonstrating how 3D printing can provide alternative production methods for the automotive industry.
Swiss company Clariant also shared their vision for the circular economy, waste reduction, and plastic recycling at this exhibition. They offer eight materials in the Ultimaker Cura Marketplace, including glass-reinforced or carbon fiber-reinforced PA6/66, PETG, and ESD-safe materials, among others.
The two Iglidur materials from German company Igus GmbH are extremely wear-resistant, even offering lifetime durability, and are applicable to a range of uses from product prototyping to small-batch manufacturing. Their development engineer, Niklas Eutebach, stated: "3D printing applications have attracted attention across numerous industries, as reflected by the large number of services we provide to customers every day, and this accelerates the development of more new materials to meet market demand."
BASF, meanwhile, highlighted at the exhibition how the "Ultimaker Material Alliance" enables new and faster industrial applications through FFF 3D printing. The latest partner of the Ultimaker Material Alliance, US-based Huntsman, showcased their IROPRINT F 80213 filament, an 85A Shore hardness TPU. It offers less friction, overcoming the difficulties typically associated with printing TPU, and provides a new option for the footwear industry.
New Applications, Easier Than Ever
Exploring these new materials can be simple. Download the latest version of Ultimaker Cura for free and download official optimized 3D printing parameters from the "Marketplace," allowing you to easily achieve stable printing results. Alternatively, you can refer to high-quality 3D printing services. We will continue to share the latest information on 3D printing and manufacturing processes. Be sure to like and follow our Facebook page to get the latest news first-hand!Follow our Facebook page to stay updated:https://www.facebook.com/3dmart.com.tw/
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