Arkema establishes Center of Excellence to advance 3D printing resins technology

French specialty chemical giant Arkema has been expanding its interest in additive manufacturing in recent years. The company produces both thermoplastic powders (for SLS and MJF) and photopolymer resins through its Sartomer division. Now Arkema will further grow its AM activities by opening a new 3D Printing Center of Excellence at its Sartomer Exton, PA facility.

In this advanced R&D lab, Sartomer and its partners will further develop cutting-edge 3D printing resins through innovative material research and collaboration. This new center will complete the Arkema’s worldwide R&D network dedicated to the development of advanced material for additive manufacturing.

“Sartomer is a historic partner for 3D printing pioneers. We’re launching the 3D Printing Center of Excellence to deepen our support of the visionaries working to develop innovative 3D printed materials,” said Sumeet Jain, Global director 3D printing at Sartomer.

Sartomer, a Business Line of Arkema, is a pioneer in designing engineered resins for UV-curable additive manufacturing marketed under its N3xtDimension brand. These photo-cure 3D printing materials yield products with thermoplastic-like mechanical properties for applications such as dental, sports and electronics.

The 3D Printing Center of Excellence will house most UV based technologies: stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), and Multi Jet Printing (MJP) to name a few. It provides a collaborative space for chemists and application engineers to develop custom resins for customer needs.

 “3D printing will further expand into mass manufacturing through innovative advanced material technologies and partnerships with market leaders.”Guillaume de Crevoisier, Global Business Director 3D Printing at Arkema

This advanced lab will complete the existing R&D network of the Group dedicated to the fast growing 3D Printing market, a driver of Arkema’s future growth. Arkema is ideally positioned to bring 3D Printing to a full manufacturing scale with a unique line-up of polymer materials available in filament for extrusion, in powder for sintering and in liquid for UV curing, backed by a deep understanding of end-user applications and needs.

The grand opening of Sartomer’s 3D Printing Center of Excellence, based in Exton, PA, is scheduled for July 30th 2018.