10.25.16
Solvay announced at K 2016 that it is committed to taking a leadership role in aligning its specialty polymers and engineering plastics with the fast-growing trend toward additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, better known as 3D printing.
Solvay’s expanding 3D printing capabilities are part of the group’s global leadership in advanced light-weighting solutions to replace metals. Utilized mostly in transport at present, where they help reduce the weight of cars and planes and CO2 emissions, they also allow for more design flexibility, thereby lowering waste.
As part of this commitment, and building on Solvay’s established AM technical center and production facility for Sinterline Technyl in Lyon, France, Solvay has opened a new laboratory at its Research & Innovation Center in Alpharetta, GA, to forward the development of its advanced materials for AM. In addition to this, Solvay has established a facility at its campus in Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to AM software design and development powered by Digimat from e-Xstream, an MSC Software company.
“Additive Manufacturing has emerged as a complementary plastics conversion technology of its own right and is increasingly advancing the particular needs of highly complex parts not possible through conventional melt processes,” said Brian Alexander, head of Additive Manufacturing for Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit. “As the processes and equipment develop, there is still a lack of reliable high performance materials sourcing and standardization. Solvay is determined to play a leading role in expanding the available polymer choice and optimizing the supply chain for AM based on a solid understanding of the technology and comprehensive customer support.”
AM processes can improve productivity by quickly converting digital designs into functional parts for low to medium volume production without the time or cost required to first build a molding tool and prototype. Thus, they can significantly accelerate the time-to-market for OEMs and Tier suppliers
AM significantly reduces production waste, optimizes the supply chain, eliminates tooling and speeds the time to market for new designs requiring the same high performance expected from traditional polymer conversion methods.
Solvay’s expanding 3D printing capabilities are part of the group’s global leadership in advanced light-weighting solutions to replace metals. Utilized mostly in transport at present, where they help reduce the weight of cars and planes and CO2 emissions, they also allow for more design flexibility, thereby lowering waste.
As part of this commitment, and building on Solvay’s established AM technical center and production facility for Sinterline Technyl in Lyon, France, Solvay has opened a new laboratory at its Research & Innovation Center in Alpharetta, GA, to forward the development of its advanced materials for AM. In addition to this, Solvay has established a facility at its campus in Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to AM software design and development powered by Digimat from e-Xstream, an MSC Software company.
“Additive Manufacturing has emerged as a complementary plastics conversion technology of its own right and is increasingly advancing the particular needs of highly complex parts not possible through conventional melt processes,” said Brian Alexander, head of Additive Manufacturing for Solvay’s Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit. “As the processes and equipment develop, there is still a lack of reliable high performance materials sourcing and standardization. Solvay is determined to play a leading role in expanding the available polymer choice and optimizing the supply chain for AM based on a solid understanding of the technology and comprehensive customer support.”
AM processes can improve productivity by quickly converting digital designs into functional parts for low to medium volume production without the time or cost required to first build a molding tool and prototype. Thus, they can significantly accelerate the time-to-market for OEMs and Tier suppliers
AM significantly reduces production waste, optimizes the supply chain, eliminates tooling and speeds the time to market for new designs requiring the same high performance expected from traditional polymer conversion methods.