DWS joins Huntsman to bring new resin for SLA 3D printing

Iroprinttm R 1801 resin is a radiation cured, one-component polyurethane resin. Developed by Huntsman, the resin delivers the right combination of elasticity and strength alongside an excellent resolution, high quality surface – and can be used to make footwear components, sports equipment and other products that need to have the look and feel of rubber.

DWS worked closely with Huntsman during the development of Iroprinttm R 1801 resin to ensure that the resulting material was optimised for SLA printing. DWS shared its vast experience in the development of SLA 3D printing systems, which can deliver highly smooth and detailed surfaces and shapes, without the need for long and costly curing processes after printing; while Huntsman shared its technology leadership in UV cured polyurethane technology.

“With the development of Iroprinttm R 1801 resin for SLA, DWS and Huntsman have created a manufacturing solution that will help ease the adoption of 3D printing processes into the manufacturing environment for the creation of a multitude of industrial, rubber-like products, including, specifically, footwear and sports equipment. As a well-established player in SLA, we produce a large range of our own materials for 3D printing. Working with Huntsman, though, we sped up the development of a joint solution, which avoids the post processing complexities of other existing methods, while delivering – at the same time – the desired result in terms of surface quality and definition on finished products,” said Maurizio Costabeber, chief technology officer at DWS.

“This announcement is the culmination of more than two years of close cooperation between DWS and Huntsman - and is our first collaboration in the field of radiation curing 3D printing. This is also the first time that DWS has teamed up with a major polyurethane provider, taking advantage of our world-class equipment, technology and people. As we build our 3D printing ecosystem, we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with DWS, a highly innovative, pragmatic and focused company. Working together with DWS was really easy. As organisations, we are very similar. Both companies have strong links to the families that founded them and are entrepreneurial and flexible. Crucially, we are also both aligned in our commitment to furthering the adoption of 3D printing in mass manufacturing,” said Stephane Peysson, global business development manager at Huntsman.

Both companies will be exhibiting at Formnext from November 19-22, 2019 at Frankfurt, Germany.

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PC)