Lubrizol announced a collaboration with desktop 3D printing specialist Ultimaker to enter the Material Alliance Program. According to Lubrizol, the company is developing a differentiated portfolio of TPU solutions and plans to make the material profiles available in the Ultimaker Marketplace. The goal for this integration is to help expand the choices of materials available, and unlock new and existing applications for FFF, extrusion-based 3D printing, said the company.
Lubrizol will be launching soft TPU solutions with high-demanded features such as renewable TPU, high-heat and fast printing time. The new grades are designed to be suitable for the Ultimaker printers and its software capabilities. These new grades complement the existing Estane 3D TPU portfolio that has grown after close collaboration with customers to cover a broad range of applications in automotive, dental, sports and industrial sectors.
David Pascual, global 3DP marketing manager, said: “Making our TPU material profiles available via the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program will be a step forward to recognising the partnership that the 3DP ecosystem offers. This truly upgrades the Lubrizol presence in the market alongside a reputable brand like Ultimaker. The market will benefit from a very appealing TPU portfolio, while we learn together how to serve our customers and the market. This is a great example of a collaborative approach in 3D printing.”
Bart van As, product manager materials at Ultimaker, said: “I am very happy that Lubrizol is creating special TPU materials for the Ultimaker Marketplace. Their materials are very well respected in the market. We are excited to see which applications these engineered materials will unlock.”