DuPont to launch new engineering-grade 3D printing materials this May

DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, has announced the upcoming debut of a range of new advanced 3D printing materials. The new materials, to be unveiled at RAPID + TCT 2019 on May 23, will comprise of a series of new semi-crystalline products.

Though not many details about the new 3D printing materials have been disclosed, DuPont says the products will expand its 3D printing portfolio significantly and will offer clients more manufacturing agility through the seamless transition between different 3D printing scenarios while maintaining consistent properties. The new semi-crystalline materials are also expected to open up new opportunities for scaling and accelerating production while minimizing operation costs.

In recent years, DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers has been increased its interest in additive manufacturing, developing a range of AM-friendly materials. Presently, the company offers a range of advanced 3D printing filaments, including Hytrel Thermoplastic Elastomer and Zytel Nylon Polymer—AM grades adapted from DuPont’s trusted industrial materials. Most recently, DuPont introduced a series of high-performance carbon- and glass-filled filaments in its Zytel filament family.

The new semi-crystalline 3D printing materials will be unveiled for the first time at RAPID + TCT this May, in Detroit, Michigan. At the event, Jennifer L. Thompson, PhD, R&D Programs Manager for DuPont Transport & Advanced Polymers, will present a technical paper highlighting the new engineering-grade materials and discussing alternative 3D printing processes, such as pellet extrusion modeling, and more.

As DuPont continues to expand its 3D printing materials portfolio and other established chemical companies ramp up their AM materials development, it is increasingly clear that new, engineering-grade materials will unlock applications for industrial 3D printing. Presently, processes such as injection molding are compatible with many more material types than 3D printing, so leveling out the playing field a bit by developing more AM material grades will help to push the technology ahead.