Forward AM, the brand of BASF 3D Printing Solutions, and Photocentric, a leading manufacturer of 3D printing equipment and photopolymer resin materials, are collaborating to work closely in R&D to develop innovative functional visible light materials by optimizing both photopolymer resins and printer parameters.
The strategic partnership aims to expand the combined material offering. With this extended portfolio of advanced materials, the two companies plan to drive the mass-scale production of 3D printed components.
The agreement enables Forward AM, the brand of BASF 3D Printing Solutions, to broaden its portfolio by offering photopolymer resins specifically developed for the leading-edge Photocentric LCD daylight printers.
In turn, Photocentric will offer a new range of tailor-made photopolymer resins within a dedicated “Ultracur3D® Powered by Photocentric” portfolio. This range will initially consist of ten products specifically developed and optimized to work seamlessly with the unique Photocentric LCD daylight technology and will be progressively extended going forward. “Ultracur3D® EPD 1006 Powered by Photocentric” will be the first in this series of pace-setting 3D printable photopolymer resins that the two partners will market jointly.
The combination of innovative 3D printers from Photocentric and Forward AM’s high-performance photopolymer resins now means major industrial manufacturers can achieve high-quality results at a very competitive cost per part. Designed for rapid, reliable scale-up, the partnership’s new combination of the latest material and printer technology makes a substantial contribution to the industrialization of Additive Manufacturing.
Commenting on furthering their collaboration with Photodentric, François Minec, Managing Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions said, “From the very beginning of our cooperation, together we have aimed to extend the possibilities of advanced photopolymer resin solutions to address the enormous spectrum of applications opened up by the outstanding performance of this Additive Manufacturing technology. We believe the combination of the expertise gained through decades of BASF research into 3D printing materials, our unique material portfolio, and Photocentric’s remarkable printer technology genuinely has the potential to enable cost-competitive parts printing and thus make mass-manufacturing of functional end-use parts a reality.”
Dr. Piotr Bazula, Global Product and New Business Development Manager Liquid Formulation Solutions, BASF 3D Printing Solutions added, “The new chemistries we have harnessed for our product offering enable us to meet our customers’ very high mechanical performance demands and realize their mass-scale applications. At the same time, we are intentionally offering industry-disruptive prices on the formulated bulk resin to the market: Jointly we want to move the Additive Manufacturing business towards higher productivity and lower prices per printed part.”
According to Paul Holt, Managing Director, Photocentric Ltd., “Photocentric is deepening its partnership with BASF to facilitate the custom mass-manufacture of components in a wide variety of industries. Together we have created a unique combination of software, hardware, and chemistry that removes obstacles to using Additive Manufacturing in mass production. Working with Forward AM, we have developed a portfolio of products that delivers the required functional properties perfectly, enables high-resolution mass manufacture, and thereby adds real customer value.”
Sally Tipping, Sales Director, Photocentric Ltd. commented, “This extended range of high-performance materials now allows our customers to take full advantage of the large build volume, speed and reliability of Photocentric printers, to move towards the cost-effective, large-scale production of end-use parts.”
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