BASF and HP Strengthen Collaboration to Develop New 3D Printing Materials

Chemical company BASF and HP are collaborating on the development of new 3D printing materials for the HP Multi Jet Fusion Open Platform, that allows customers to select a material supplier and contact them directly to develop materials for specific applications. 

By teaming up, the two companies aim at accelerating the learning cycle on requirements and specifications necessary to develop materials for large-scale production. BASF builds on its broad product portfolio of materials for the development of new 3D printing materials, as Tim Weber, Global Head, 3D Materials & Advanced Applications at HP explains: “BASF brings tremendous expertise in materials for mass production to the 3D printing industry. By partnering with companies that have a long history in developing new materials with customers in the manufacturing industry, we want to bring 3D printing from small batch series to industrial large-scale production.”

BASF currently also develops several materials and formulations for all established 3D printing technologies to produce parts made of plastics, ceramics or metal. The company has recently launched Ultrasint PA6 X028, a polyamide-6 powder for sintering that provides superior mechanical stability and higher heat resistance compared to other polyamides currently used for additive manufacturing.

“We are working to develop durable materials that can be used for goods such as automobiles, electronics, sports articles or materials for the machining industry,” said Dietmar Geiser, responsible for BASF’s 3D printing strategy at BASF New Business. To coordinate its 3D printing market development activities and innovation strategy, BASF has established a new dedicated business unit in BASF New Business GmbH (BNB) and created an Application Technology Center for 3D printing in Heidelberg, Germany. This center is dedicated to developing customized material solutions and downstream applications for customers.