The resin 3D printing material developed by Henkel in Germany will be commercialized in 2017

Henkel, is a light curing acrylic, silicone, epoxy A leading global supplier of resins and polyurethane adhesives. It is reported that it is developing a new series of light-curable resin products for SLA and DLP 3D printers, and its first material will be commercialized in 2017.

According to 3D Tiger, although SLA and DLP 3D printers are more expensive than FFF 3D printers, they have incredible high resolution for manufacturing parts. They work by using digitally controlled light projections to create models in a vat of liquid resin, solidifying shapes layer by layer. Formlabs' Form 2 is one of the most popular consumer-grade SLA 3D printers and is widely regarded as one of the best desktop printers on the market, while 3D printing giant 3D Systems, the original pioneer of stereolithography, believes the technology is very It will soon become widely used in the additive manufacturing production line of the future.

German materials company Henkel is planning to release a range of light-curable resin materials for SLA and DLP 3D printing, adding to its extensive portfolio of light-curable acrylic, silicone, epoxy and polyurethane adhesives. According to the company, Henkel will use its technical expertise in the production of multiple materials to create a new family of materials suitable for functional prototyping and production standard additive manufacturing in "areas that are not possible today".

As a supplier of materials to the medical, electronic device and transport vehicle industries, Düsseldorf-based Henkel believes that the company is well suited to develop light-curable 3D printing materials for all these sectors. In order to provide new products to customers as quickly as possible, the company is working to commercialize the first of these materials by 2017. By cooperating with established 3D printing companies and projects, German companies will have almost no problems bringing new products to the SLA and DLP 3D printing market.

In addition to developing new materials for the light-based 3D printing process, Henkel plans to continue making hot-melt adhesives previously used to 3D print automotive parts, filters, medical devices, protective cases for electronic components, furniture, and more. . Building on this experience, the company will seek to develop additional powder and filament materials suitable for selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers, respectively.

"Because of our broad material portfolio and our large customer base across industries, we are well positioned to enable 3D printing solutions for a variety of functional applications," said Corporate Senior Vice President and Global Head of Business Development, Adhesive Technologies Innovation Mike Olosky said. "We strongly believe in the future of additive manufacturing and look forward to realizing its full potential by identifying the right customer application, focusing on the right material, right printing process and utilizing the right software."

One of Henkel's highest-profile 3D printing efforts to date is with DUS Architects, the Dutch firm that built the world's first 3D printed house on a canal in Amsterdam. Earlier this year, DUS Architects used Henkel's material in the construction of the European House in the Netherlands, which was dedicated to the six-month European Union Council presidency in the Netherlands. Henkel material was used to create the building's sleek blue exterior.