New partnership aims to deliver high-performance materials for additive manufacturing

Essentium, a 3D printing technology provider for additive manufacturing, has announced its partnership with LEHVOSS, an innovator of chemical and mineral specialties.

Together, the two organisations aim to develop high-performance materials for industrial-scale additive manufacturing.

The partnership will aim to combine LEHVOSS’ extensive experience in thermoplastic high-performance compounds, with Essentium’s expertise in polymer and composite chemistry, to develop engineering-grade materials precisely tuned and certified for a wide range of industry applications.

Previously, the high cost of 3D printing materials has been a significant obstacle hindering additive manufacturing innovation. Additionally, the low performance of materials optimised but not developed for 3D printing has inhibited additive manufacturing success. Manufacturers want polymers they trust and that offer certified standards in their applications.

Following two years of collaborative research and development, Essentium has launched a line of PEEK and High-Temperature Nylon (HTN) materials using LUVOCOM 3F compounds. The materials claim to offer easy printability and non-warping properties, as well as heat and chemical resistance, and high mechanical strengths. This means the materials possess quality end-parts that can withstand the rigors of the factory floor.

As they are certified on the Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSE) 3D Printing Platform, the materials are suitable for applications such as mechanical engineering and medical technology, as well as other sectors.

Thomas Collet, director 3D printing materials and marketing, LEHVOSS Group, commented on the announcement: “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.”

Brandon Sweeney, head of research and development for materials and co-founder, Essentium, added: “While there are many compounding companies that optimise 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.”