2018 annual and sustainable performance report

New Ideas and the Materials to Make Them

Driven by a handful of pioneering sectors, 3D printing is already a game changer for industry. Its growth depends on developing high-performance materials, of which Arkema is a major architect.

The very definition of a cutting-edge sector, aerospace is often an early adopter of new industrial standards. This was true for additive manufacturing, which offers advantages that aircraft makers recognized right away. They were especially keen to lighten the weight of some parts, thanks to the total design freedom allowed by 3D printing combined with materials whose performance is constantly improving. Likewise, automakers have invested significantly in the last few years to convert a growing number of applications to 3D printing, a perfect answer to the market’s major challenges of customization, supply chain optimization, lighter components and waste reduction. The medical industry now produces dental prosthetics, hearing aids, implants and other aids using additive manufacturing and images of the patient’s own body.

A GLOBAL MARKET GROWING FULL TILT

In the Factory 4.0 era, 3D printing has spread from prototyping to small- and medium-batch production and is now moving into a wide variety of fields, including sports gear, start-up production, design, special events and marketing.

According to Wohlers Associates, the global 3D printing market stood at $7.3 billion in 2017 and is growing by over 20% annually. And that’s just the start. For the automotive sector alone, U.S. research consultancy SmarTech Publishing predicts the 3D printing market will reach $5.3 billion in revenue in 2023, rising to $12.4 billion in 2028.

MATERIALS: THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF A LEADING LINE OF SOLUTIONS

As 3D printers become more sophisticated, a major challenge of this revolution is to develop materials that meet manufacturers’ requirements. Since the advent of 3D printers in the late 1980s, Arkema has invested heavily in materials, working with major industrial partners. We now boast a complete line of solutions covering the three main types of additive manufacturing processes. We now boast a complete line of solutions covering the three main types of additive manufacturing processes. For selective laser sintering (powder-bed fusion of fine, thermoplastic powders using a laser), Orgasol^® Invent Smooth polyamide 12 provides a smooth-feel surface that has no equal. Rilsan^® Invent Natural & Black polyamide 11 grades, made entirely from castor oil, deliver mechanical strength, impact resistance and toughness. For digital light processing technologies, a fast process that offers good surface quality, Sartomer’s N3xtDimension^® resins are a global standard. Lastly, slower but inexpensive fused deposition modeling (or fused filament fabrication) uses specific Kepstan^® PEKK or Kynar^® PVDF grades.

A LONG VIEW OF R&D AND PRODUCTION

Our unmatched line allows us to work with customers to design industrial solutions that meet a wide range of specifications, including mechanical strength, heat resistance, flexibility, transparency, color and toughness. Our offering is poised to get even bigger, thanks to a proactive R&D policy. In 2018, Arkema inaugurated a center of excellence dedicated to innovative photocure resins in Exton, Pennsylvania, a sister facility to our King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, center for filament extrusion and Serquigny, France, center for selective laser sintering (SLS). We are also developing a range of additive design services, with the help of advanced 3D modeling and process simulation applications at our Lyon, France, R&D center. Arkema endowed the Design and Modeling of Innovative Materials International Teaching and Research Chair in 2018 with French engineering school École polytechnique, notably for 3D printing.

At the same time, we anticipate growth in demand. Arkema is also girding up for increasing demand by commissioning new production capacity for all materials between 2019 and 2021. Lastly, we reorganized our additive manufacturing offering in 2018, creating the 3D Printing Solutions by Arkema marketing platform to help industry find new applications.