Join hands! BASF develops 3D printing materials exclusively for HP

Recently, BASF (BASF) and printer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) ) announced a partnership to develop printing materials for HP’s Jet Fusion 3D printers. BASF claims to have a wide range of materials in the chemical industry to develop 3D printing materials.

In terms of materials, HP has cooperated with Evonik and Arkema; ​​now, HP has also reached a cooperation with BASF. According to foreign media reports, HP and BASF are preparing to strengthen their partnership to develop and produce 3D printing materials on a large scale.

According to BASF, which has the widest range of materials in the chemical industry, it develops 3D printing materials for Jet Fusion3D printers. These materials include thermoplastic engineering plastics, polyurethane, acrylic and other photopolymers, photoinitiators, functional additives, stabilizers, pigments, and metal materials. Some of these materials can be used in HP’s 3D printers.

“The partnership with BASF is very beneficial for HP because the company has the expertise in mass-producing 3D printing consumables.” said Tim Weber, HP’s global head of 3D materials and advanced applications. “By partnering with companies with long histories in materials development and manufacturing, we hope to move 3D printing from small batches to large-scale industrial production.”

In order to enable BASF to quickly develop 3D printing materials, HP put forward corresponding requirements and specifications. Not only that, HP and BASF will exchange views again, and after that, BASF will develop a “new material” to enhance 3D printing product design. In addition, the company’s chemical experts plan to expand the range of 3D printing materials, such as the overall combination of plastics, ceramics and metals.

“With HP, we apply our expertise and develop materials in conjunction with our customers’ needs and applications,” says Dietmar Geiser, Head of 3D Printing Strategy at BASF. “HP’s open platform has promoted the advancement of large-scale industrial production of materials, and BASF will play an integral role in the development of this material.”

Unlike laser sintering, HP’s Jet Fusion 3D printing technology applies a layer of fusion agent to the desired shape on a bed of polymer powder, after which the fusion agent and powder fuse with each other. The polymer powder is just a fusion agent applied on the print head, which means that the device needs to create the desired layer shape in a very short time.

In order to cooperate with the development of 3D printing business, BASF has established a 3D printing application technology center in Heidelberg, Germany