Evonik and Lehvoss have collaborated to develop a fiber-reinforced polyamide, PA613, designed for powder mattress processes in industrial 3D printing. This materials, geared toward attaining efficiency ranges akin to injection-molded elements, is important for particular elements and spare elements markets. The innovation lies within the integration of high-strength XCF fibers, generally utilized in injection molding, into the PA613 polymer, which is understood for its low moisture absorption, excessive temperature stability, and course of stability in laser sintering.

The problem in creating fiber-reinforced polymers for powder mattress processes like laser sintering is sustaining fiber integrity. Usually, such processes enable important geometric freedom, important for complicated geometries designed for injection molding. Nevertheless, mixing fibers into plastic powders presents security dangers and dealing with challenges. The novel method by Evonik and Lehvoss circumvents this by making certain fiber lengths are preserved throughout the particles.

“The truth that the primary automotive OEMs have already certified for spare elements manufacturing exhibits that we’re heading in the right direction,” stated Marcus Rechberger, product supervisor for Luvosint on the Lehvoss Group.

“However, in laser sintering, there nonetheless must be lots of willingness to innovate in an effort to develop much more industrially related supplies – together with machines optimized for this – in an effort to carry industrial 3D printing into “sequence “!”.

Luvosint PA613 9711 CF, the product of this growth, requires a construct chamber temperature of 195 °C, making it suitable with commonplace laser sintering machines. It’s aware of CO2, diode, or fiber lasers.

This materials’s growth represents a major stride in broadening the scope of supplies accessible for industrial 3D printing, notably for supplies able to replicating or surpassing strategies like injection molding. Such supplies have the potential to vastly broaden the realm of sensible purposes for 3D printing applied sciences.

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