Forward AM, BASF’s 3D printing arm, and materials and systems manufacturer Photocentric have unveiled the first two new materials in their new product line, ‘Ultracur3D EPD – Powered by Photocentric.’
Ultracur3D EPD 1006 and Ultracur3D EPD 2006 resins are both now available on the market and are suitable for functional parts in prototyping, engineering, and serial production of automotive parts.
“We believe the excellent combination of Forward AM’s expertise in 3D printing materials, our unique material portfolio, and Photocentric’s advanced printer technology will open the door to cost-competitive component printing and thus make the mass-manufacture of functional end-use parts an industrial reality,” said François Minec, managing director of BASF.
“Consequently, we are jointly introducing a series of materials dedicated and designed to benefit the customer, with excellent characteristics that perfectly match the technical capabilities of our partner’s printing machines.”
BASF and Photocentric’s partnership
The Ultracur3D EPD line has been developed as part of BASF and Photocentric’s ongoing strategic partnership, which first began in 2018 with the intention of combining their resources in order to advance the mass manufacturing of 3D printed parts.
BASF introduced its first two custom-made materials for Photocentric’s systems, BASF ST45B and FL300W at Formnext 2019. Just like the latest resin launches, these materials were designed to integrate seamlessly with Photocentric’s LCD Daylight Technology, featured within its latest LC Maximus system.
The companies first announced the launch of their Ultracur3D portfolio earlier this year, revealing that an initial line of 10 visible light photopolymers would soon be available to the market.
According to the firms, the current resin launch represents ‘a new pillar’ in their alliance, which will continue to foster close research and development (R&D) collaboration to develop innovative functional materials.
The new materials
Ultracur3D EPD 1006 and Ultracur3D EPD 2006 are the first two materials released as part of the new product line. Parts printed with these resins will demonstrate high stiffness, flexibility, and be capable of movement without breaking. According to Forward AM and Photocentric, the new photopolymer product portfolio will enable a wide range of versatile 3D applications at a competitive cost.
The launch of the Ultracur3D EPD 1006 and EPD 2006 will be followed by the release of four additional resins throughout the first quarter of 2021.
“We are excited about launching this great new resin, the Ultracur3D EPD line, with BASF,” said Paul Holt, managing director of Photocentric. “Our joint ambition from the outset was to make a significant difference to industrial manufacturing – not just additive manufacturing. Our belief has always been that as soon as we provide superior final-part characteristics at credible prices, we will enable the beginning of scaled-up component manufacture.
“Now for the first time we are creating a genuine and compelling alternative to conventional injection molding.”
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Featured image shows “Ultracur3D EPD1006 Powered by Photocentric” is the first in a new portfolio of 3D printing resins developed in partnership with Forward AM. Photo via Photocentric.
