Arkema opens Global Center of Excellence for 3D Printing in Normandy
The center will focus on powder-based polymer additive manufacturing
French specialty chemicals company Arkema today inaugurated a new Global Center of Excellence for 3D Printing at its Cerdato Research & Development Center in Serquigny, Normandy. The new facility will focus on driving the adoption of AM within the region, with a particular focus on high-performance polymers for powder-based 3D printing.
The new Center of Excellence was opened in collaboration with the Normandy Region and is expected to play an integral role in the area. Through the center, Arkema will work closely with Normandy-based companies and training organizations to drive the adoption of powder-based AM for new applications.
According to Arkema, the center will have a dual objective. One the one hand, it will offer collaborative spaces for the center’s research teams as well as an environment where products can be developed using commercial 3D printers from leading companies like EOS, HP and Prodways.
The second objective will to become a part of an ecosystem made up of local industries and training organizations by offering various partnership opportunities. For instance, the center could collaborate on technical or economic feasibility studies related to the use of AM for industrial parts. The center will also host demonstrations to create more awareness about AM in the region. Giving companies in the region access to state-of-the-art systems will hopefully help them to transition to using AM more frequently.
The Cerdato Research & Development Center in Serquigny—where the new Global Center of Excellence is based—is Arkema’s largest research lab for advanced materials. While the new center will focus on powder-based AM processes, the France-based company also has other centers across the world, including a center in Exton, Pennsylvania that is dedicated to photocure liquid resins, and a filament-focused facility in King of Prussia, PA.
The new Global Center of Excellence for 3D Printing in Normandy was inaugurated today in the presence of Thierry Le Hénaff, Arkema’s Chairman and CEO, and Hervé Morin, President of the Normandy Region. In attendance were many customers and local representatives.
