Development of new materials for additive manufacturing

Das Technologische Institut für Kunststoffe AIMPLAST, Spanien, nutzt einen Freeformer 200-3X für die Erforschung von 3D-Druck-Materialien. Das Kooperationsteam (von links): Dr. Michael Salinas und José Francisco García von Arburg sowie Paula Maestro García, Galileo Roig und Vicente González Giménez von AIMPLAST. (Foto: Arburg) / The Technological Institute for Plastics AIMPLAST, Spain, uses a Freeformer 200-3X for research into 3D printing materials. The cooperation team (from left): Dr Michael Salinas and José Francisco García from Arburg as well as Paula Maestro García, Galileo Roig and Vicente González Giménez from AIMPLAST. (Photo: Arburg)

– Together: Arburg and AIMPLAS research new materials for 3D printing
– Targeted: New materials for applications e.g. in medical technology
– Sponsored: Arburg provides Freeformer 200-3X for research purposes

The renowned Technological Institute of Plastics AIMPLAS in Valencia, Spain, and Arburg have been cooperating in materials research for industrial additive manufacturing since July 2024. The Freeformer 200-3X provided is being used at AIMPLAS to carry out tests to qualify new materials for additive manufacturing. The research team was trained by Arburg experts in September. The common goal is to develop new applications that fulfil the requirements of demanding industries such as medicine.

AIMPLAST relies on Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) with the Freeformer. A Freeformer 200-3X has now been installed at the Plastics Institute. This can process a wide range of commercially available plastic granulates, including medically approved original materials (FDA).

Freeformer additively processes materials for medical technology

The materials being tested include modified original materials, medical polylactides, biopolymers and combinations of these. The plastics experts are working on optimising the materials in terms of properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break, compression set, solubility and water resistance. They will then be used to additively manufacture 3D-printed components for orthoses, resorbable implants and the treatment of bone fractures, for example.

Open 3D printing system for optimised material processing

A major advantage of the Freeformer and the APF process is that the process parameters can be flexibly varied in order to change the component properties in a targeted manner. The program created for the Freeformer allows small series to be additively manufactured in a reproducible manner and the option to further optimise the process individually if required is retained.

Cooperation with rental machine

The cooperation between Arburg and AIMPLAS provides for the Freeformer 200-3X to be loaned for an initial period of one year so that the researchers at the technology centre in Valencia can further develop their tests and experiments. The focus is on medical technology and personalised components. The APF experts from Arburg provided the AIMPLAS team with customised training for this task in September 2024.