Forward AM and Photocentric Ltd. Launch Visible Light Photopolymer Product Line
• Visible light product offering forms next milestone in the strategic partnership
• “Ultracur3D® Powered by Photocentric” – new portfolio offering, tailor-made to complement Photocentric’s unique LCD machines
• Offering drives further industrialization of mass-scale Additive Manufacturing at
competitive cost
Forward AM and Photocentric, a leading manufacturer of 3D printing equipment and photopolymer resin materials, have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership. Both companies have collaborated closely in R&D to develop innovative functional materials by optimizing both photopolymer resins and printer parameters. The partners are now set to launch a material portfolio that combines their expertise in advanced Additive Manufacturing technology and represents a new pillar of the alliance. With this extended portfolio of advanced materials the two companies plan to drive the mass-scale production of 3D printed components. The agreement enables Forward AM to broaden its portfolio by offering photopolymers specifically developed for the leading-edge Photocentric LCD daylight printers.
In turn, Photocentric will offer a new range of tailor-made photopolymers within a dedicated “Ultracur3D® Powered by Photocentric” portfolio. This range will initially consist of ten products specifically developed and optimized to work seamlessly with the unique Photocentric LCD daylight technology and will be progressively extended going forward. Ultracur3D® EPD 1006 Powered by Photocentric will be the first in this series of pace-setting 3D printable photopolymers that the two partners will market jointly.
The combination of innovative 3D printers from Photocentric and Forward AM’s high performance photopolymers now means major industrial manufacturers can achieve high quality results at competitive cost. Designed for rapid, reliable scale-up, the partnership’s new combination of the latest material and printer technology makes a substantial contribution to the industrialization of Additive Manufacturing.
“From the very beginning of our cooperation, together we have aimed to extend the possibilities of advanced photopolymer solutions to address the enormous spectrum of applications opened up by the outstanding performance of this Additive Manufacturing technology. We believe the combination of the expertise gained through decades of BASF research into 3D printing materials, the BASF Group’s unique material portfolio, and Photocentric’s remarkable printer technology, genuinely has potential to make custom mass manufacturing of functional end-use parts a reality”, explains François Minec, Managing Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions.
“The new chemistries we have harnessed for our product offering enable us to meet our customers’ very high mechanical performance demands and realize their mass-scale applications. At the same time we’re intentionally offering industry-disruptive prices on formulated bulk resin to the market: Jointly we want to move the Additive Manufacturing business towards higher productivity and lower prices per printed part”, adds Dr. Piotr Bazula, Global Product and New Business Development Manager Liquid Formulation Solutions, BASF 3D Printing Solutions.
“Photocentric is deepening its partnership with BASF to facilitate the custom mass-manufacture of components in a wide variety of industries. Together we have created a unique combination of software, hardware and chemistry that removes obstacles to using Additive Manufacturing in mass production. Working with Forward AM, we have developed a portfolio of products that delivers the required functional properties perfectly, enables high-resolution mass manufacture, and thereby adds real customer value”, adds Paul Holt, Managing Director, Photocentric Ltd.
“This extended range of high performance materials now allows our customers to take full advantage of the large build volume, speed and reliability of Photocentric printers, to move towards the cost-effective, largescale production of end-use parts” comments Sally Tipping, Sales Director, Photocentric Ltd.
About 3D Printing Solutions
BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business under the Forward AM brand with advanced materials, system solutions, components and services in the field of 3D printing. BASF 3D Printing Solutions is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF as well as with research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing. Typical industries include automotive, aerospace and consumer goods. For further information please visit: www.forward-am.com.
About BASF
At BASF we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
About Photocentric
Founded in 2002, Photocentric manufactures photopolymer resin and have researched and patented groundbreaking 3D printing technology based on visible light curing technologies. Over the last 20 years they have innovated in a broad range of applications including office stamps, crystal clear polymer craft stamps and more recently – 3D printing. They applied their understanding of photopolymerization to the visible light part of the spectrum, to unlock the powers of using widely available, high resolution LCD screens in 3D printers. Working with their patented daylight curing process, they invented the use of LCD screens as the selective light source for a 3D printer; a technology today that is disruptive to additive manufacturing.
Photocentric are driven by their vision to enable custom mass manufacture. They develop disruptive, fast and large format machines and compatible functional materials. These have been developed for a range of applications. For example, in dentistry, in particular aligner manufacture. Their LC Magna printer enables orthodontists and other dental professionals to batch-produce patient-specific arches for thermoforming aligners in volume; at a cost, speed and scale previously unknown. Other sectors Photocentric provide solutions for include the entertainment, industrial and figurine industries.