Solvay Engineering Plastics has announced that it will launch a new 40% glass-filled grade of its range of Sinterline polyamide 6 powders designed for selective laser sintering (SLS) at Chinaplas this week. Speaking to the press, the group also stated that in coming years it expects its engineering plastics business to expand compounding capacity by 25% in China.
Frank Laganier, Solvay Engineering Plastics Asia-Pacific Region Director said during the event: "Since 2006 we have been increasing on a regular basis. We see now that our capacity is close to saturation, so we are looking to expand our capacity in 2015."
On the subject of the new SLS powders, Laganier said: "With Sinterline we offer a material to design with 3D printers, and to produce protoype parts in a very short time without any investment in injection moulds. So we are introducing this new range of glass-filled material which meets the most stringent requirements."
The new SLS powders are designed for higher-performance rapid prototyping and low-volume series applications in China and other Asian markets, in particular for engineering plastics applications in automotive under-the-hood components, electrical and consumer goods. The range is based on the same resin chemistry as Solvay’s established Technyl polyamides.
And it seems that the market is already showing interest in glass-filled SLS products in other parts of the world.
Yannig Berthe, Prototyping Service Manager at Mecaplast Group, a European specialist in automotive equipment said: “Today, the rapid prototyping of new developments is key to allow OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers gain time-to-market, and the closer to the final product we are on prototypes, the more efficient our final qualification trials will be.”
“We are extremely interested in the possibilities of benefiting from a material such as this 40% glass reinforced Sinterline grade which allows the rapid creation of functional parts combined with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties,” added Anthony Guerin, Handles R&D Expert at U-Shin, a group specialised in vehicle security systems.
Solvay says that time savings can be achieved because the powders can provide more predictable results in functional prototype testing, and can reduce requirements for pre-production tooling. Among others, the product is being aimed at small-series PA6 applications, such as for heavy-duty vehicles, motorsports and automotive aftermarket parts.
“Rapid prototyping is characterised by growth rates of 15% to 20% each year, and the Chinese market has emerged as one of the most dynamic Asian investors in additive manufacturing technology,” said Albert Huang, Global Automotive Marketing Manager for Solvay Engineering Plastics. “Our new glass-filled Sinterline supports this growth in automotive and a wide range of other key markets, where Solvay is already playing a leading role with Technyl polyamides.”
Solvay says that the grade also exhibits a tensile modulus of 6300 MPa at 23°C, combined with a low porosity level of 1.8%, without compromising the surface aspect and resolution provided by unfilled Sinterline.