Asahi Kasei expands into the North American 3D Printing Market

Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei has launched sales of filaments for 3D printing in North America through Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc (APNA). The launch will begin with filaments from the company’s line of modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) resins, XYRON, and will then expand to include the polypropylene (PP) group Thermylenes.

“Asahi Kasei has a proven history of being a resin and compounding technology leader,” states Todd Glogovsky, President and Chief Operating Officer at APNA. “3D printing is a rapidly growing field, and we have the people and skillset to develop, enhance, and exceed the needs of hobbyists and OEMs alike.”

As a first step, APNA aims to succeed in the North American market through filament sales, with the goal of expanding globally later. The company will start with XYRON™, which offers impressive printability (low deformation, high dimensional stability), heat resistance and impact strength. Thermylene filament, which features high tensile strength and temperature resistance, will be introduced next.

“This is a great opportunity to grow the usage of our award-winning product portfolio for new markets and application spaces,” states Nihir Bhuva, Strategic Business Director for APNA. “Besides having industry expertise, we plan to provide our partners with design and simulation services through CAE. This will help show our commitment to growth from proof-of-concept to the execution stage.”

Asahi Kasei already offers comprehensive support for the development of customer products using CAE engineering services for technical plastic products. This well-established CAE service has now been extended to 3D printing. In addition, Asahi Kasei Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) invested in CASTOR Technologies Ltd, an Israeli start-up specializing in 3D printing technologies, in May 2023. Through this investment, Asahi Kasei is developing specialized 3D printing software to adapt its approach to the specific needs of consumers.

“We will continue providing superior quality and reliability to customers, and with CASTOR, we will drive more excellence through our CAE services,” states Glogovsky. “This is an exciting time to dive into a new industry and show why we are industry leaders through the success of our partnerships.”