Versatile applications, ready for industry scaling-up.
Covestro, a leader in high-tech polymer material solutions, joined hands with Raise3D, an innovative 3D printer manufacturer, to showcase a variety of 3D printing applications at ChinaCoat 2017 in Shanghai, highlighting the huge potential of 3D printing in commercialization with proven cases.
With high demands for 3D printing in a wide array of industries, including sports footwear, medical and dental, industrial engineering and automotive, the 3D printing market has been thriving in the last few years. According to a recent study by Deloitte, the global market for 3D printing will increase from USD 4.8 billion today to USD 20.5 billion by 2020. However, the growth depends on a number of factors, including the availability of suitable materials and processes.
“The development of appropriate printing materials is one of the key factors in scaling up the 3D printing market. We want to leverage our expertise in material science to help advance the development of 3D printing and speed up the commercialization of new 3D printing applications along with leading players across the process chain such as formulators, machine makers and designers.” said Yvonne Wang, Market Development Manager of 3D printing APAC at Covestro.The collaboration with Raise3D is one of the examples how Covestro works with the whole value chain.
“Our 3D printers are proven to be a safe choice for rapid prototyping capability, and also for short-run manufacturing, ” said Song Yong, Vice President responsible for marketing at Raise3D, “The large print volume, the material diversity and the high volumefast processing capability make our printers unique in the market.”
Orthotics tailor-made within 3 days
3D printing is a technology that can positively transform the healthcare sector, achieving perfect fit for each patient with much shorter lead time.On the show is a 3D printed leg guard based on high performance and light weight polycarbonate materials. 3D printing can create personalized leg guard that fits perfectly with leg shape, ensuring greater comfort and faster recovery for patients. It only takes 2 to 3 days from the scanning process to 3D file development, production and installation of orthotics. In comparison, the traditional technology with plaster will take nearly 2 weeks. Raise3D printers enables high surface quality orthotics with big size and complex structure.
Individualization trend for footwear
3D printing technology can open up full freedom to creative design and allows complex structure with seamless appearance. With this technology, we can create fully functioning shoes that perfectly fit consumers,offering opportunities to individuals, designers and artists to make custom shoes.
When it comes to sports footwear, its advantages become even more obvious.The shoes can be designed accordingly to exactly fit sportsperson’s feet so as to provide greater flexibility and comfort, which allows more natural movement of the feet. Moreover, 3D printing can reduce material consumption, enable one-stop production and thus benefit sustainability.
Based on Covestro’s thermal plastic polyurethane materials with different hardness and strength, 3D printed midsole or lattice heel allows footwear reinforced and optimized structure with lighter weight.The hollowed crossed-sections also help heat to dissipate faster.
Cost effective and highly customized security drone
Prototyping is one major application area for 3D printing. It allows manufacturers to achieve higher accuracy and develop reliable end products with lower cost and shorter lead time.
For instance, by applying 3D printing with Covestro’s polycarbonate materials, the security drone producer is able to produce highly customized parts that are traditionally difficult to mold. Since the 3D printer can withstand temperatures up to 300℃, it is more flexible for the producer to choose the right material for each component: high strength for the frame and motor mount, lightweight for the camera shroud, and flexible impact-absorbing for the feet.
New material options for industrial 3D printing
Covestro is developing a comprehensive range of filaments, powders and liquid resins for all common 3D printing methods.
The company markets products with a variety of properties like toughness and heat resistance as well as transparency and flexibility that support a number of new applications. Covestro’s efforts will make a key contribution to advancing the use of 3D printing in industrial mass production.
1. Filament made of polyurethane and polycarbonate for applications such as athletics, medical or electrical
2. Powder using polyurethane for applications like footwear
3. Liquid resin, also using polyurethane, for a variety of applications
ChinaCoat 2017 attendees are invited to visit Covestro’s booth (W2, D05-12), where they can communicate with experts about the company’s portfolio of materials for industrized 3D printing and see various samples printed with different technologies and materials as well as plastic parts produced by Raise3D printers.
About Covestro:
With 2016 sales of EUR 11.9 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics, sports and leisure, cosmetics, as well as medical and chemical industries. Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has 30 production sites around the globe and as of the end of 2016 employed approximately 15,600 people (full time equivalents).
About Raise3D
Raise3D designs and manufactures innovative and top performing 3D printers specializing in 3D printing solutions for corporate users. With their offices in the USA, Netherlands and China, Raise3D establishes the proximity to offerthe best approach to each market.
Raise3D products are pushing the standards of FFF 3D printing and becoming the industry benchmark for prototyping and short-run manufacturing in a variety of industries.These include: automotive, aerospace, healthcare, machine manufacturing, education, research, props, and more.
Raise3D products include the FFF3D printers N1, N2 and N2 Plus, eachwith single and dual extrusion versions, as well as software such as the ideaMaker slicer and RaiseCloud print management software.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro AG’s public reports, which are available on the Covestro website at www.covestro.com. Covestro assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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