Dutch multinational DSM has expanded from manufacturing photopolymer resins for 3D printing to developing industrial-grade filaments for extrusion processes. Through plastics distribution firm Nexeo Solutions, users of fused filament fabrication 3D printers can purchase DSM’s Arnitel ID and Novamid ID filaments.
Arnitel ID is engineered as a thermoplastic copolyester filament that is meant to be highly flexible. An elongation at break of up to 400 percent makes it just a bit less durable than other flexible materials, such as thermoplastic urethane (TPU); however, it is billed as being much more resistant against ultraviolet light and harsh chemicals compared to TPU and other flexible polymers. The manufacturer claims that Arnitel ID also does not suffer from buckling, while capable of being printed at higher speeds and with good layer-to-layer adhesion. Altogether, this makes the filament ideal for creating components for electronics and sports applications.
Novamid ID is a polymer that is designed to be a pliable, yet strong, and able to withstand temperatures up to 150°C and severe environments due to its toughness. The filament is advertised as having good layer-to-layer adhesion and bridging capabilities.
Interestingly, these two filament lines are the only two offered by Nexeo Solutions, a company that previously belonged to Fortune 500 company Ashland Inc. This, then, marks the plastics distribution firm’s entrance into the 3D printing space.
DSM has a long, sometimes complicated, history in the 3D printing industry through its materials brand, Somos. As a manufacturer of photopolymer resins for stereolithography (SLA) machines, the company was a third-party supplier for 3D Systems’ SLA 3D printers, until the printer producer introduced radio-frequency identification chips into its resin cartridges to ensure only the use of 3D Systems–brand materials.