Polymaker, based in Shanghai, is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printed materials. The company launched the Polymaker industrial product line at TCT Asia this spring. In the same week, Covestro will launch a new polyurethane material in 2017. Two years ago, two materials companies joined forces to create the new polycarbonate 3D printing lines, the Polymaker PC-plus and Polymaker PC-max, designed for small 3D printers that incorporate Covestro's PC resin; the pc-max is a small One of the strongest engineering materials for 3D printers.
Covestro and Polymaker continue to deepen cooperation, as today's two companies announced the launch of the new material U1000 and U0174D, for extrusion 3D printing. Polymaker's marketing manager Luke Taylor said that 'in the expanding Polymaker industrial system, We are very proud to have added two new materials to our portfolio. "Both of these new materials use Covestro's TPU resin and are partially modified by Polymaker to achieve their mechanical properties.
Both of these materials are very different from the existing TPUs on the market that use flexible materials that are harder and easier to print than flexible materials and yet have good toughness and adhesion.
The new high-performance plastic U1000 and U0174D 3D printing materials are available in the Polymaker industrial chain, which provides powerful industrial 3D printing materials for a broad range of industries including aerospace, automotive, medical and general manufacturing.
'We are pleased to partner with Polymaker, a newcomer to the 3D printing industry.' 'Yvonne, corporate development manager for Covestro Additives, said their innovation and quality requirements match Covestro's values and we look forward to the future Do more projects together.
More and more areas are using 3D printing technology for parts production, which makes the supply of advanced materials is becoming more and more important.
Material scientists at Polymaker and Covestro said the U1000 and U0174D have some unique features that provide solutions for new applications, meaning new customers will emerge in a variety of industrial markets. '
Dr. Luo Xiaofen, President of Polymaker, said: "We are very excited about both materials and will be able to achieve a great deal of new applications and open opportunities in various industries." Both the U1000 and U0174D are thermoplastic polyurethanes, TPUs, A specialty of Bayer MaterialScience, which is actually an independent affiliate within Bayer, formerly known as Bayer MaterialScience.
TPU allows permanent bonding between 3D printed layers, providing great flexibility and abrasion resistance due to its elastic properties.
Yvonne said: "Polyurethanes are an incredible multipurpose chemical that can be used to make a variety of materials."
Although most conventional TPUs are rubbery and soft, the new U1000 and U0174D are tough, just like engineering plastics, both of which have good heat resistance, adhesion and mechanical properties for durable parts, Such as fixtures, molds, structural components and tools.
U1000 and U0174D differ from other high performance plastics in that they require less print conditions, such as high chamber and nozzle temperatures: They can be printed on almost any thermoplastic extrusion 3D printer if the conditions are milder, however, these new There are some obvious differences between materials: Toughness U0174D is more like a semi-crystalline plastic such as polypropylene with excellent fracture toughness, whereas U1000 still has a high modulus such as glass and polymer like polystyrene and polycarbonate .