Solvay Expands Polymers Offering for 3D Printing Simulation

Solvay Engineering adds 10% carbon fiber-filled KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and neat Radel polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) to e-Xstream’s latest release (2019.0) of Digimat-Additive Manufacturing (AM) software. These products complement the neat KetaSpire PEEK AM filament already available for simulation on e-Xstream engineering’s Digimat-AM platform. 

“Our growing range of AM filaments underscores Solvay’s determination to establish itself as an industry leader in this rapidly evolving market,” says Christophe Schramm, Additive Manufacturing business manager in the company’s Specialty Polymers global business unit. “DigimatAM allows customers to simulate the printing process and successfully predict the thermomechanical behaviour of 3D-printed designs in order to ‘print right the first time’.”

These new materials will benefit from e-Xstream engineering’s Digimat-AM Advanced Solver. This software offers predictive modelling data for Solvay’s AM filaments over a wide range of characteristics, including detailed warpage and residual stress, to help designers and engineers optimize the process and minimize part deformation before printing. Digimat also enables design validation by predicting the printed part performance (stiffness, strength, etc.) as a function of the material and the printing process parameters.

“With the addition of Solvay’s new AM grades, we now have a wider portfolio of 3D printing grades in Digimat to provide cutting-edge new materials to push the design and application boundaries in this dynamic market,” adds Roger Assaker, CEO of e-Xstream engineering and chief material strategist for MSC Software. “As a result of our partnership, we bridge the gap in simulation engineering between high-performance polymers and demanding printing processes such as Fused Filament Fabrication.”

More Info 

Solvay Engineering

e-Xstream 

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.