From the Sector

Govier plans to scale the organization and take customer focus to the next level to drive growth
Kornit Digital, (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing technology, announced today that Chris Govier has been named Managing Director at Kornit Digital Europe GmbH.

Govier is a proven leader who brings broad experience of supporting customers with industrial digital transformation, a proven record of driving growth, and solid experience building and managing world class teams. In his new role, Govier will oversee Kornit Digital’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and will be instrumental in scaling up Kornit’s business.

Govier previously served in sales and general management roles at Xerox Corporation, and holds a BA from the University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Commenting on the appointment, Gilad Yron, Kornit Digital’s Executive Vice President of Global Business, said, “I welcome Chris on board as the new Managing Director of Kornit Digital Europe. He brings with him solid experience in the analog-digital transition in industrial print and deep regional understanding. Europe has traditionally been a strong performer for Kornit, and Chris’ expertise will help us grow the organization to the next level.”

“This is an incredibly exciting time to join Kornit Digital – their technology, coupled with a passion and drive will significantly disrupt the textile printing industry.” said Chris Govier. “EMEA represents a huge opportunity and I look forward to building on the fantastic success achieved so far.”

First showing of game-changing technology at a European tradeshow includes the recently launched Kornit Atlas, Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro and Kornit Presto
Kornit Digital (Nasdaq: KRNT), a worldwide market leader in digital textile printing technology, has announced details of its corporate presence at Fespa 2019 which will take place in Munich, Germany, May 14-17.

Kornit’s exhibit will focus on the game-changing technology that was unveiled in the beginning of the year and will now be on display for the first time in a tradeshow in Europe: the Kornit Atlas and the Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro. The presence will be complemented by a Kornit Storm HD6, a direct-to-fabric sample area featuring prints from Kornit’s upcoming Presto system and an installation of Colorgate’s Textile Production Server for Kornit.

The Kornit Atlas is a heavy-duty system created for super-industrial garment decoration businesses. It is designed to deliver a typical annual production capacity of up to 350,000 impressions, optimizing production efficiency and cost of ownership. The Kornit Atlas is aimed at highly productive garment decorators, mid to large size screen printers and innovative businesses looking to combine state-of-the art technology with lowest cost of ownership, making it easier than ever to address the requirements of leading and mid-sized brands, as well as new generation digital brands. The Kornit Atlas uses water-based Kornit NeoPigmentTM Eco-Rapid Inks which are eco-friendly, GOTS approved and OEKOTX certified, and serve as the main driver of the retail quality prints.

The innovative technology addresses the growing need for on-demand textile design and production

Kornit Digital, a global market leader in digital textile printing innovation, has announced the introduction of the new Kornit Presto, the only industrial single-step solution for direct-to-fabric printing. The Kornit Presto solution eliminates the need for pre and post treatment of fabric and allows for high-quality printing on a broad variety of fabric types and applications. The Kornit Presto does not consume water in the printing process, making it a environmentally friendly solution.

The new Kornit Presto comes with the NeoPigment Robusto, a Pigment-based ink. Implemented into the Kornit NeoPigmentTM process, the Robusto provides above industry standard wash and rub results and exceptional color fastness across a wide fabric and application range. The Robusto enjoys faster physical and chemical bonding characteristics, enabling a significantly shorter curing time, while providing quality and a wide color gamut.

The Kornit Presto solution suits a wide range of business and application needs in a variety of industry segments, including fast growing segments within the on-demand fashion and home décor markets. It is a highly productive solution, available in multiple configurations and able to print 450 square meters per hour.

Gart Davis, CEO at Spoonflower, the world’s first web-based service for custom, on-demand fabric and design creation and a long-time Kornit customer, commented, “We were thrilled to be able to test the new system and found the Presto to be in a class by itself; it prints beautifully on all kinds of fabrics, in a single-step, with an environmentally friendly dry process, and now at a multiple of productivity.  Our partnership with Kornit continues to be fundamental to our mission to make custom fabric accessible to designers, creative individuals and small businesses all over the world. We can’t wait to get going.”

 

• New game-changing Kornit NeoPoly Technology with industry-first innovation for industrial polyester printing that prevents dye migration.
• New Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro system unveiled at events during April, commercially available immediately.

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing innovation, unveiled the game-changing Kornit NeoPoly Technology, which is the industry’s first digital, industrial process for high-quality printing on polyester.

Polyester is the second largest category in the overall T-shirt market, it is key in the sport segment, and is growing in the athleisure and functional apparel segments. Currently polyester is printed predominantly by analog solutions, which creates major technological, cost and sustainability challenges.  

The new ground-breaking Kornit NeoPoly Technology addresses these challenges with a new process and ink set implemented in the renowned Kornit NeoPigmentTM process. Kornit’s new process handles polyester applications without compromising on design, run size, substrate or labor.

The breakthrough technological innovation is achieved by an innovative ink set and a physical and chemical process specifically developed for low temperature curing, and polyester enhancing functionalities developed to maintain fabric characteristics and provide superior fastness. This unique process prevents dye migration on polyester.  The inks are Oeko-Tex and Eco-Passport certified and do not contain PVCs or other toxic ingredients.

The first system equipped with the Kornit NeoPoly Technology is the new Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro, a member of Kornit’s world-class reliable, highly productive industrial platform. The single-step Poly Pro is the perfect system for the industry, enabling easy and cost effective short-runs and on-demand printing on polyester garments.

• Exclusive market insights, best practices and inspirational thoughts, alongside previews of Kornit’s new dedicated polyester printing technology

Kornit Digital, (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global market leader in digital textile printing technology, invites all textile printers, garment decorators, Kornit users, prospective customers and anyone who is curious about the latest trends and technology in digital textile printing, to its “Kornit Discover” events.

Taking place April 3-4 in the New York Metropolitan area, April 11-12 in Duesseldorf, Germany and April 15-17 in Hong Kong, each event will feature educational workshops with real-world insights delivered by high-level guest speakers. Highlighting the North American event will be a keynote by Breakaway Sports owner Scott Goldstone, multiple case study presentations, and a panel discussion with editors of key publications serving the imprinted apparel industry. The European event will feature a keynote called “The Future of Retail” by futurist Kai Gondlach, a digital transformation review of the textile industry by Tansy Fall, editor-in-chief of Digital Textile 4.0 and an insightful chat with Kornit user Shirtracer, Nuremburg. The Asian instance will feature Ron Gilboa as main speaker and Kornit’s customer Paintory.

Omer Kulka, Kornit Digital’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Strategy, said: “There are still a lot of perceptions and opinions in the market about direct-to-garment printing and what its opportunities and limitations are. Printing on dark polyester is a prime example: there is an opinion in the market that digital printing and dark poly don’t go well together, and we just lifted this barrier. With Kornit Discover, we are creating an industry event that will challenge these established thinking patterns. In fact, we will transform the way visitors think and print!”

• Hexcel’s Composite Innovations For Aerospace, Automotive, Energy And Marine Applications At JEC World 2019 Hall 5 - Stand J41

STAMFORD, Conn. – At this year’s JEC World taking place in Paris on March 12-14, Hexcel will promote a wide range of composite innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, energy and marine markets.

Aerospace Innovations

Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements were developed to complement a new generation of HiFlow™ resin systems, producing high quality aerospace structures using the resin infusion process. HiTape® was developed for the automated lay-up of preforms and HiMax™ is a range of optimized non-crimp fabrics (NCF). Both products incorporate a toughening veil to enhance mechanical properties, meeting the structural requirements for aerospace parts.

Visitors to JEC will see an Integrated Wing Panel demonstrator and an I-beam, both made with HiTape® reinforcements, and an Opticoms rib made with HiMax™ NCF. The Opticoms rib and I Beam were both manufactured using C-RTM (Compression Resin Transfer Molding). They were injected with Hexcel’s RTM6 resin in a process taking less than 5 minutes. The total manufacturing cycle for both parts was just 4.5 hours.

Also among the Aerospace exhibits, Hexcel will display a composite petal for a satellite antenna, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space Italia. The petal is part of a set of 24 deployable structural elements that form the large area reflector assembly used on board Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observation satellites. Thales Alenia Space Italia selected Hexcel’s HexPly® M18 prepreg for this application, acknowledging the superior mechanical and outgassing properties provided.

Another Hexcel prepreg application on show is a “zero” frame, manufactured by Aerofonctions for the engine area of Daher’s TBM 910/930 single-engine turboprop aircraft. Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg was selected by Daher for the “zero” frame – a product developed for Out of Autoclave applications that provides the same high quality and performance as autoclave-cured prepregs, from a simple vacuum bag cure in an oven.

With 50 years of experience behind its comprehensive range of high-strength, high-strain PAN-based carbon fibers, Hexcel continues to innovate, and is introducing two new fibers to its portfolio. HexTow® HM50 combines high modulus and high tensile strength, making it ideal for commercial and defense aircraft and engines. HexTow® 85 was developed specifically to replace rayon-based carbon fiber for ablative applications.

HexTow® carbon fiber holds the most qualified carbon fiber positions on aerospace programs in the industry and is the best unsized fiber available on the market. It provides excellent bonding interfacial properties with thermoplastic matrices and is the best-performing fiber for 3D printing applications.

Additive manufacturing is another area of expertise for Hexcel, using PEKK ultra-high performance polymers and HexAM™ technology to manufacture carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts. This
innovative process provides a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Hexcel is well known for its range of weight-saving, stiffness-enhancing honeycombs and the company adds value by providing a range of engineered core solutions to customers from facilities in the USA, Belgium and the newly opened Casablanca plant in Morocco. Hexcel’s engineered core capabilities enable highly contoured parts with precision profiling to be produced to exacting customer specifications. An example of such a part will be on display at JEC. Made from Aluminum FlexCore®, the part is CNC machined on both sides, and formed and stabilized with both peel ply and flyaway layers of stabilization. Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel core technologies including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.

Hexcel’s Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs.

HexBond™ – the new name in Adhesives

Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil. The company has now decided to unite the range by marketing all of its adhesive products using HexBond™ branding. The comprehensive range of HexBond™ structural film adhesives, foaming adhesive films, paste adhesives, liquid shims, epoxy fillets and Chromium free liquid primers is suitable for a wide range of applications in combination with Hexcel’s prepreg and honeycomb products.

Automotive Innovations

Hexcel’s carbon prepreg patch technology provides an innovative way of locally stiffening and reinforcing metal parts, providing noise and vibration management functionality. HexPly® prepreg patches consist of unidirectional carbon fiber impregnated with a fast curing epoxy matrix that has self-adhesive properties, enabling it to bond to metal in a highly efficient one-step process. These key technology properties are demonstrated in an 18.5kg aluminum subframe (that is 50% lighter than steel equivalents), which was reinforced with 500 grams of HexPly® prepreg and tested by Saint Jean Industries. The part demonstrates a significant reduction in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Other benefits include lower production costs, energy savings, increased driver comfort, production flexibility and part count reduction. With this technology Hexcel is a finalist in the JEC Innovation Awards 2019 in the Automotive Applications category.

HexPly® prepreg patch technology was also applied to a hybrid side sill demonstrator developed with Volkswagen and Dresden University to address future crash test requirements, specifically for electric cars. Combining fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with metal, the hybrid construction allows for optimum performance including weight savings, enhanced safety, increased energy absorption, battery protection in a crash situation and production flexibility.

Hexcel will also display a lightweight CFRP transmission crossmember produced from Hexcel’s high performance HexMC®-i 2000 molding compound. The transmission crossmember was developed in partnership with the Institute of Polymer Product Engineering (at Linz University), Engel and Alpex. As the part connects the chassis together and supports transmission it has to be stiff and strong, resisting fatigue and corrosion. Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 was selected as the best-performing molding compound on the market, curing in as little as two minutes to produce lightweight, strong and stiff parts.
To produce the transmission crossmember HexMC®-i 2000 preforms are laid up in Alpex molds and compression-molded in a v-duo press that was tailored for the application by Engel. Ribs, aluminum inserts and other functions can be molded into the part using the single-stage process, reducing component-count. Any offcuts from the preforms can be interleaved between the plies of material to provide additional reinforcement in key areas - meaning that the process generates no waste.

Other Automotive promotions on Hexcel’s stand at JEC World include a composite leaf spring manufactured by ZF using HexPly® M901 prepreg. In contrast to steel leaf springs, composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. HexPly® M901 prepreg reduces the cure cycle to below 15 minutes and provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure.

Marine Innovations

Hexcel has a comprehensive range of products aimed at racing yacht and luxury boat builders that include America’s Cup, IMOCA class and DNV GL-approved prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for hull and deck structures, masts and appendages.

At JEC World Hexcel will display an IMOCA yacht mast manufactured by Lorima using HexPly® high modulus and high strength carbon fiber prepreg from Hexcel Vert-Le-Petit. Lorima is the exclusive official supplier of masts for IMOCA 60 class racing boats.

Hexcel’s HexTow® IM8 carbon fiber has been selected as the highest performing industrial carbon fiber on the market and will be used by spar and rigging manufacturer Future Fibres to manufacture their AEROrazr solid carbon rigging for all the teams in the 36th America’s Cup.

Hexcel’s HiMax™ DPA (Dot Pattern Adhesive) reinforcements are non-crimp fabrics supplied pre-tacked, allowing multiple fabrics to be laid-up more easily in preparation for resin infusion. Providing an optimal, consistent level of adhesion, they allow a faster and more consistent resin flow, as well as eliminating the use of spray adhesive for a healthier working environment and lower risk of contamination. Simply unrolled and applied to the mold or core layer before the introduction of resin, HiMax™ DPA fabrics are widely used in boat building, where lay-up times can be reduced by up to 50%.

Wind Energy Innovations

Hexcel has developed a range of HexPly® surface finishing prepregs and semi-pregs for wind turbine blades and marine applications. Providing a tough, durable and ready-to-paint surface without using in-mold coats, these products shorten the manufacturing cycle and reduce material costs. HexPly® XF2(P) prepreg is optimized for wind blades and has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, saving at least 2 hours of takt time.

Polyspeed® pultruded carbon laminates were developed for load-carrying elements in a blade structure and are manufactured with a polyurethane matrix that provides outstanding mechanical performance in terms of stiffness and durability. The blade manufacturing process is optimized, with increased throughput. The pultruded laminates are supplied in coils as continuous cross section profiles.
HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics using E-glass, high modulus glass and carbon fibers are also available in a wide range of unidirectional, biaxial and triaxial constructions. HiMax™ fabrics have applications throughout the turbine, from the stitched carbon fiber UDs used in the main structural elements, to glass fabrics and hybrids for blade shells and nacelles. There are also specialist applications such as lightweight fabrics for heated leading edge de-icing zones.

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a company that develops, designs and markets innovative digital printing solutions for the global printed textile industry, today announced it has received an order from DTG2Go, a Delta Apparel, Inc (NYSE American: DLA) company and leader in the direct-to-garment printing and fulfillment marketplace.  
 
The order follows several months of beta-testing of the recently released Kornit Atlas system by DTG2Go, during which Kornit was able to showcase the enhanced features of the most advanced industrial direct-to-garment solution available on the market.  Key features of the Atlas include high volume throughput, attractive cost of ownership and featuring the new NeoPigment™ Eco-Rapid inkset specifically designed for sustainability and retail-quality digital textile printing. Per the agreement, DTG2Go will take delivery of 10 Atlas systems in 2019, along with a significant number of HD upgrades for DTG2Go’s existing Kornit Avalanche systems.  
 
Kornit’s Chief Executive Officer, Ronen Samuel commented, “We are honored to expand our partnership with Delta Apparel as a key technology supplier as they expand their reach with digital printing. Delta’s unique platform strikes at the core of the changing needs in the retail supply chain, by offering a vertically-integrated digital print fulfillment model with quick delivery at an affordable price. The inclusion of the Atlas will greatly enhance the options and capabilities that Delta will be able to offer its customers. The all-new industrial Atlas has leading-edge technology with annual production capacity of over 350,000 impressions and optimizes production efficiency at the best cost of ownership available. We look forward to working collaboratively with Delta to deliver on this order and expand on this important relationship.

• Three companies with complementary strengths team up
• BASF leads a Series A investment round with Materialise as one of the co-investors

BASF Venture Capital is leading the Series A investment round in Essentium, Inc., an innovative developer of disruptive, industrial additive manufacturing solutions headquartered in College Station, Texas. Materialise is one of the co-investors in the Series A investment round in Essentium, Inc. BASF and Essentium have been working together on advanced fused filament fabrication (FFF) solutions using Essentium’s proprietary FlashFuseTM technology for high mechanical strength in the build direction for extrusion printed parts. The two companies are now extending their strategic partnership to establish a consistent global materials supply chain supportive of Essentium’s new High Speed Extrusion (HSE) additive manufacturing platform. Essentium and BASF welcome Materialise to enter this strategic partnership to develop 3D printing software for the Essentium technology. This will allow users to take advantage of the speed of the HSE technology while having immediate access to the full Materialise software capabilities for professional 3D printing. The three companies combine their complementary strengths to jointly advance 3D printing technology and customer value to enable industrial additive manufacturing.

BASF is contributing comprehensive material know-how, a broad product portfolio, and its global network to the partnership. Materialise adds nearly three decades of expertise in the development of innovative 3D printing software solutions. Essentium is addressing additive manufacturing at scale by developing an industrial additive platform truly built for the production floor, providing its FlashFuseTM electric welding technology, and engineering-grade, multi-layer filaments for demanding applications. Together, the three partners intend to innovate solutions with advanced combination of hardware, software and materials to unleash the potential of Essentium’s unique high-speed-printer technology, coordinating their strengths to the best advantage.

“Our joint investment strengthens our co-operations with both Essentium and Materialise and accelerates the innovation potential of this powerful team to the benefit of BASF’s customers,” said Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital.

“With this strategic investment, Essentium and BASF are focusing on improved supply chain performance, material consistency and accessibility. Essentium is also delighted to begin a new partnership with Materialise as the three companies focus efforts toward a new era for smart solutions in the global additive extrusion space. Together, we believe manufacturers everywhere will be able to accelerate production due to increased access to our new solutions, bolstered by a holistic, customer-centric approach,” comments Dr. Blake Teipel, CEO of Essentium, Inc.

“Materialise, Essentium and BASF share a vision for growth in the 3D printing industry that builds on the creation of meaningful applications in an open and vibrant ecosystem”, said Bart Van der Schueren, CTO of Materialise. “This partnership helps to promote a more open market model, which will fuel the adoption of 3D printing in the industrial field by offering users more control, more choice in materials and ultimately lower cost and higher volumes.”

BASF and Materialise are joined by a syndicate of private venture investors. Moving forward, BASF, Materialise, and Essentium will jointly drive the transition from 3D printing to scalable additive manufacturing.

New products for photopolymer and laser sinter printing methods from BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH (B3DPS) are on show from November 13 to 16 at Stand F20 in Hall 3.1 at this year’s formnext fair in Frankfurt. The BASF subsidiary is also announcing several new partnerships for the development and distribution of groundbreaking 3D printing solutions and products.

B3DPS has entered into a strategic partnership with the US company Origin, San Francisco, California for the further development of photopolymer printing processes. “Within the framework of an open business model, we are combining BASF’s material know-how with Origin’s expertise in printer software programming and the manufacture of the corresponding hardware,” explained Volker Hammes, Managing Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH. The collaboration has already shown the first signs of success. Origin has developed a new printing method where BASF’s new Ultracur3D photopolymers can be processed particularly well. The technology offers an optimal combination of a good surface finish and high mechanical stability, while also allowing for high material throughput.

B3DPS is working together with Photocentric, a manufacturer of 3D printers and their corresponding software and materials, on the development of new photopolymers and large-format photopolymer printers for mass production of functional components. Based in Peterborough, UK and Phoenix, USA, Photocentric has developed and optimized the use of LCD screens as image generators for its own printing systems. The two partners plan to offer the industry 3D printing solutions that replace parts of traditional manufacturing processes such as injection molding for small series, as well as enabling the production of large components.

The objective of the cooperation with Xunshi Technology, a Chinese printer manufacturer headquartered in Shaoxing, and operates in USA under the name Sprintray, will be opening new fields of application in 3D printing for the Ultracur3D product range of B3DPS.

Ultracur3D specialties for photopolymer printing processes
B3DPS has grouped well-established and new photopolymers designed for the respective 3D printing processes under the brand name Ultracur3D. BASF has developed unique raw materials for its new products that enable special part properties.
“Our Ultracur3D portfolio enables us to offer customers various UV-curable materials for 3D printing that provide far better mechanical properties and higher long-term stability than most available materials,” explained András Marton, Senior Business Development Manager at B3DPS. He added: “These materials have been developed for functional components that are subject to high stress.”

Expansion of distribution network for filaments
Innofil3D, a subsidiary of B3DPS, is entering into a partnership with Jet-Mate Technology, based in Tjanjin, China, for the distribution of plastic filaments in China. In parallel, a distribution agreement has been concluded with M. Holland in Northbrook, USA for the distribution of filaments in USA. “Since the USA is the largest market for filaments, we intend to strengthen our activities there,” said Jeroen Wiggers, Business Director 3DP Solutions for Additive Extrusion at B3DPS, adding: “Asia is another important market for us. We will be developing further distribution channels there and putting our Ultrafuse filaments on the Asian market in 2019.”

BASF’s portfolio of filaments for 3D printing are comprised of two categories; the well-established Innofil3D filaments based on generic polymers for conventional applications and polymer-based Ultrafuse filaments for advanced formulations used in demanding technical applications. One of the broadest filament selections on the market, this portfolio covers customer requirements ranging from prototype to industrial-scale production.

SLS: new 3D printing material with fire protection classification
New flame-resistant Ultrasint Polyamide PA6 Black FR meets UL94 V2 fire protection standards and is a new material class for use in selective laser sintering (SLS) processes, distinguished by high stiffness and thermal stability. In cooperation with one of the global leaders of public transportation vehicles, B3DPS has developed new components that meet vehicle fire protection requirements. “Together with our partner, we are currently producing prototypes, spare parts, and small series components, and are working to further improve flame resistance to meet additional certification specifications,” explained Hammes.
BASF introduced Ultrasint Grey PA6 LM X085 at AMUG this spring and now is followed by another product on show at formnext. Ultrasint PA6 Black LM X085 is based on polyamide 6, and can be processed at 175-185 degrees Celsius therefore making it suitable for most current SLS machines.

B3DPS adds polypropylene to its 3D printing portfolio
Through the acquisition of Advanc3D Materials GmbH in July 2018, B3DPS has expanded its range with numerous materials for use on laser sinter machines, including polyamide Adsint PA12, Adsint PA11, Adsint PA11CF and Adsint TPU flex 90.
Ultrasint PP is a special highlight. This polypropylene-based product exhibits outstanding mechanical properties and is frequently used in standard industrial production as it offers a good balance between price and performance. Ultrasint PP is distinguished by excellent plasticity, low moisture uptake, and resistance to liquids and gases. Prototypes and small batches can now be produced from the same material as used for traditional serial production. Post treatments such as thermoforming, sealing, and dyeing can be performed after printing.

• Einzigartiges patentiertes 3D-Druckverfahren ermöglicht Herstellung großer Bauteile
• Erstes direktes Investment der BASF Venture Capital in ein chinesisches Unternehmen

Die BASF Venture Capital GmbH investiert in Prismlab, einen führenden Anbieter von 3D-Druckverfahren und 3D-Druckmaschinen mit Sitz in Shanghai, China. Prismlab hat einen patentierten Druckprozess entwickelt, der sich durch eine sehr hohe Druckgeschwindigkeit, hohe Präzision und geringe Druckkosten auszeichnet. Die Venture-Capital-Beteiligung der BASF soll es Prismlab ermöglichen, seine Produkt- und Innovationsentwicklung weiter zu beschleunigen und gleichzeitig seine Reichweite auf dem Weltmarkt zu stärken.

„Das ist unser erstes direktes Investment in ein chinesisches Unternehmen“, sagt Markus Solibieda, Geschäftsführer der BASF Venture Capital GmbH. „Die bahnbrechende Technologie von Prismlab erlaubt erstmalig den 3D-Druck großer und stabiler Teile, zum Beispiel medizinischer Zahnspangen und anatomischer Modelle. Dieses Investment stützt die 3D-Druck-Strategie der BASF, ihre Technologien aktiv weiterzuentwickeln und ihr Produktangebot im Bereich 3D-Druck zu erweitern.“

„China wandelt sich von einer produktionsgetriebenen zu einer innovationsgetriebenen Wirtschaft. Das Investment in Prismlab spiegelt unser Engagement zum weiteren Ausbau unseres Innovationspotenzials in China wider. Die BASF Venture Capital spielt eine wichtige Rolle und hilft uns dabei, potenzielle Partner für unseren Weg zum Erfolg zu identifizieren“, sagt Dr. Zheng Daqing, Senior Vice President, Business and Market Development Greater China.

„Die 3D-Druck-Technologie ist dabei, die Welt zu verändern. Unser Ziel bei Prismlab ist es, diesen Wandel anzuführen und zu beschleunigen, in dem wir besondere, für Kundenwünsche maßgefertigte Lösungen anbieten. Das Investment erlaubt es uns, uns konsequent auf unsere Forschungs- und Entwicklungsaktivitäten zu fokussieren – das ist ein Schlüsselkriterium, um dieses Ziel zu erreichen“, erklärt Hou Feng, Gründer und Vorsitzender von Prismlab.

Prismlab hat mit der „Pixel Resolution Enhanced Technology“ einen patentierten 3DDruck-Prozess entwickelt, der auf der Stereolithographie (SLA) basiert. Mit der SLA können vergleichsweise große Teile aus lichthärtenden Harzen hergestellt werden. Die neue Technologie von Prismlab erhöht die Druckauflösung ohne Beeinträchtigung der Druckgeschwindigkeit. Um die Energiemenge zu erhöhen, die in einen Pixel eingebracht wird, teilt Prismlab jeden Pixel in mehrere kleine Bereiche, die individuell durch Belichtung mit LCDs ausgehärtet werden können. Dies erhöht den Energieeintrag in jeden Pixel deutlich gegenüber ähnlichen Prozessen, in denen jeder Pixel einmalig beleuchtet wird. Dadurch können vergleichsweise große und stabile oder mehrere Teile in einem Produktionsschritt hergestellt werden. Die Nutzung von LCD-Lichtquellen reduziert zudem die Prozesskosten. Dieser Vorteil eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten in der Schuh- und Möbelindustrie.

Neben diesem patentierten Prozess vermarktet Prismlab 3D-Drucker und zugehörige Services. Die Prismlab-Technologie kann in unterschiedlichsten Kundenanwendungen eingesetzt werden. Dazu gehören unter anderem unsichtbare Zahnspangen und medizinische Anatomiemodelle für Ausbildungs- und Trainingszwecke. Bei der SLA härtet ein Laser eine Photopolymer-Lösung schichtenweise aus und formt
so das gewünschte Werkstück. Die Möglichkeiten von SLA- und LCD-basierten Druckprozessen und damit die Größe, Stabilität und Verwendbarkeit der hergestellten Teile sind durch die Größe des Lichtpunkts und die Lichtintensität begrenzt.