High-performance PA6 powders for additive manufacturing speeds the way from design to market
Lyon, FRANCE – May 7, 2014 –Solvay Engineering Plastics, a global leader in advanced polyamide solutions, introduced at Chinaplas 2014 a new 40% glass-filled grade of its range of Sinterline®polyamide 6 powders designed for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The new material meets a growing demand for higherperformance rapid prototyping and low-volume series applications in China and other Asian markets, with a focus on engineering plastics applications in automotive under-the-hood components, electrical and consumer goods.
Based on the same resin chemistry as Solvay’s established Technyl®polyamides, Sinterline®delivers prototyping parts with functional properties and bridges the gap between visual prototyping and injection molded PA6 or PA6.6 components.
Yannig Berthe, Prototyping Service Manager at Mecaplast Group, a European leader in automotive equipment: “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 worldwide leader of vehicle security systems.
This opens significant time and cost savings for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers e.g. in the automotive industry, as it can provide more predictable results in functional prototype testing, minimise the need for preproduction tooling and thus speed the way from design to market. In addition, Sinterline®also has an ideal fit in small-series PA6 applications, such as for heavy-duty vehicles, motorsports and automotive aftermarket parts.
“Rapid prototyping is characterized 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,”says Albert Huang, Automotive Market 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.”
In addition to superior mechanical performance under demanding thermal conditions, the new 40% glass-filled Sinterline®powder grade introduced at Chinaplas exhibits a tensile modulus of 6300 MPa at 23°C, combined with a low porosity level of only 1,8%, without compromising the surface aspect and resolution delivered by unfilled Sinterline®.
Solvay made the announcement at Chinaplas 2014 held from April 23-26 at Shanghai International Expo Center where the company displayed breakthrough innovations and materials which help improve the quality of daily life across five central themes: Move, Connect, Energize, Live and Care.
™ Sinterline is a trademark of Solvay.
® Technyl is a registered trademark of Solvay.
