Essentium Inc., a leading provider of 3D printing technology for additive manufacturing, announced that it is partnering with LEHVOSS Group, a leading innovator of chemical and mineral specialties, to develop high-performance materials for additive manufacturing. Created specifically for industrial-scale extrusion-based 3D printing processes, the materials meet the standards required for industry applications in aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, biomedical and electronic manufacturing sectors.
The high cost of 3D printing materials has been a significant obstacle hindering additive manufacturing innovation. In addition, the low performance of materials optimized but not developed for 3D printing has inhibited additive manufacturing success. Manufacturers want polymers they trust and that offer certified standards in their applications.
Essentium and LEHVOSS are addressing this challenge by combining LEHVOSS’ extensive experience in thermoplastic high-performance compounds with Essentium’s expertise in polymer and composite chemistry to develop engineering-grade materials for additive manufacturing to be precisely tuned and certified for a wide range of industry applications.
After two years of collaborative research and development, Essentium has launched a line of PEEK and High-Temperature Nylon (HTN) materials using LUVOCOM® 3F compounds. These materials for additive manufacturing offer easy printability and non-warping properties, as well as heat and chemical resistance and high mechanical strengths, enabling quality end-parts that can withstand the rigors of the factory floor. Certified on the Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSETM) 3D Printing Platform, the materials are suitable for applications such as mechanical engineering, medical technology and parts subject to high stresses for the engine compartment and drive train in the automotive sector.
Speaking about the partnership, Thomas Collet, Director 3D Printing Materials & Marketing, LEHVOSS Group said, “Partnering with Essentium is a win-win for our industrial customers. Essentium is at the forefront of material science and together we will create a wider range of 3D printing materials certified to meet the performance standards they expect in their end-use parts. Not only will this speed time-to-market and lower the cost to produce the highest quality parts, it will also spur innovation for new additive manufacturing applications.”
According to Brandon Sweeney, Ph.D., Head of R&D for Materials and Co-founder, Essentium, Inc., “While there are many compounding companies that optimize materials for 3D printing, few can rival LEHVOSS’ manufacturing knowledge and their approach for designing compounds specifically for extrusion-based 3D printing processes. With LEHVOSS we have a true partner who shares our passion in applying material science innovation to accelerate industrial-scale additive manufacturing. We have already seen strong demand for our PEEK and HTN materials and look forward to developing new materials that give manufacturers the trust and confidence to shift from prototyping to full-scale production using 3D printing.”
About LEHVOSS Group: The LEHVOSS Group under the management of Lehmann&Voss&Co. is a group of companies in the chemicals sector that develops, produces and markets chemical and mineral specialities for various industrial clients.
About Essentium: Essentium, Inc. provides industrial 3D printing solutions that are disrupting traditional manufacturing processes by bringing product strength and production speed together, at scale, with a no-compromise engineering material set. Essentium manufactures and delivers innovative industrial 3D printers and materials enabling the world’s top manufacturers to bridge the gap between 3D printing and machining and embrace the future of additive manufacturing.
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