EXTON, PA — Arkema has opened its 3D Printing Center of Excellence, which is located at its Sartomer Exton, Pennsylvania, facility. In this advanced research and development (R&D) lab, Sartomer and its partners will further develop cutting-edge 3D printing resins through innovative material research and collaboration. This new center will complete Arkema’s worldwide R&D network dedicated to the development of advanced material for additive manufacturing.

Sartomer, a business line of Arkema, is a pioneer in designing engineered resins for UV-curable additive manufacturing marketed under its N3xtDimension^® brand. These photo-cure 3D printing materials yield products with thermoplastic-like mechanical properties for applications such as dental, sports and electronics.

The 3D Printing Center of Excellence will house most UV-based technologies: stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and multi-jet printing (MJP) to name a few. It provides a collaborative space for chemists and application engineers to develop custom resins for customer needs. This advanced lab will complete Arkema’s existing global R&D network dedicated to the fast-growing 3D printing market, a driver of Arkema’s future growth.

"Sartomer is a historic partner for 3D printing pioneers,” said Sumeet Jain, Global Director – 3D Printing at Sartomer. "We're launching the 3D Printing Center of Excellence to deepen our support of the visionaries working to develop innovative 3D printed materials."

Arkema is ideally positioned to bring 3D printing to a full manufacturing scale with a unique line-up of polymer materials available in filament for extrusion, in powder for sintering and in liquid for UV-curing, backed by a deep understanding of end-user applications and needs.

“3D printing will further expand in to mass manufacturing through innovative advanced material technologies and partnerships with market leaders,” said Guillaume de Crevoisier Global Business Director coordinating the 3D printing activities for Arkema.

The grand opening of Sartomer's 3D Printing Center of Excellence took place on July 30, 2018.