These products are designed to help the 3D printing industry become more circular. #Sustainability
This insole is printed by selective laser sintering of some bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Covestro.
During the virtual trade fair of Formnext Connect 2020 (November 10-12), Covestro will showcase products that are fully committed to the circular economy. This includes products made from alternative raw materials, such as recycled plastics and carbon dioxide-based cardyon brand products, which the company says will help the 3D printing industry become more circular.
Covestro will also provide a series of prospects for Addigy materials used in common 3D printing processes on Formnext Connect. Starting at 11:00 am on November 10th, these developments will be presented at an interactive expert meeting in the virtual Covestro studio
"Today, superior manufacturing technology is no longer sufficient to produce truly sustainable products," said Patrick Rosso, global head of additive manufacturing at Covestro. "We want to improve the recyclability of our products while maintaining their superior performance. This is why we are currently developing new, more sustainable products, which are already in the testing phase."
These include particles and filaments made from partially recycled plastic. Some of the raw materials for recycled plastics are post-industrial waste from Covestro’s manufacturing facilities, which can be used as filaments for 3D printing after rework. One of the products developed from recycled plastics is polycarbonate blends, which, like other polycarbonate-based materials, are suitable for applications that require high temperature resistance.
As the cornerstone of sustainable 3D printing products, cardyon brand polyols are also promising, in which CO₂ replaces some petrochemical raw materials previously used. For example, these can be used to produce thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), which can be used as powders or filaments in additive manufacturing.
In addition, Covestro is currently developing some bio-based products for 3D printing, of which nearly 50% of the carbon content comes from biomass. One such material has been used to print insoles using selective laser sintering (SLS).
Since high-performance materials follow the path taken by some commercial resins, agriculture may replace drilling because suppliers rely more on plants than oil or natural gas as raw materials.
While pushing to become a major force in the field of flexible packaging through acquisitions and new product development, this fully integrated thin-film processor and converter has maintained the core value of fast, active and customer-hungry small devices.
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