Victrex Seeks to Reach 3D Printing’s Peak with PAEK

Though 3D printing technologies are continuing to evolve in their own right, the materials that power those technologies will have to expand to match the vast offerings available with traditional manufacturing. For that reason, a growing number of firms are hoping to unlock those same materials for the world of 3D printing. One of the latest is British polymer supplier Victrex, which is looking to bring the power of polyaryletherketone (PAEK) to the 3D printing space.

Victrex PEEK, a specific type of PAEK, in pellet form. (Image courtesy of Victrex.)

PAEK was developed as a strong semicrystalline thermoplastic for traditional manufacturing. Its mechanical strength, temperature stability and chemical resistance has made it ideal for the oil drilling, automotive, and aerospace industries. So far, however, the material has been developed for 3D printing by a handful of firms, such as Arevo Labs, Indmatec and Roboze. While they have created their own PAEK filaments for extrusion-based 3D printing, Victrex has engineered PAEK for both fused filament fabrication (FFF) and selective laser sintering (SLS).

With funding from the United Kingdom’s agency for innovation, Innovate UK, Victrex is heading a consortium of companies to develop PAEK for various 3D printing processes. Established after a conference at the University of Exeter in 2014, the consortium includes a wide range of companies and organizations involved in manufacturing more generally and 3D printing specifically: Airbus Group Innovations, EOS, E3D-Online, the University of Exeter, South West Metal Finishing, Avon Valley Precision Engineering and HiETA Technologies. As the patent holder for the PAEK materials being developed, Victrex was chosen as the leader of the group.

While the University of Exeter has its own experience with 3D printing the specific PAEK material, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), Victrex says that its own PAEK for FFF and SLS is already in use. With the consortium, Victrex hopes to further improve these materials, enhancing the recycle rate of PAEK powders for SLS in order to limit waste and improving the interlayer adhesion and surface finish for FFF.

The project is intended to bear fruit by 2018, with the consortium planning to develop materials for what Victrex describes as “potentially revolutionary aerospace-focused additive manufacturing techniques.”