K 2019 reflects impact of Ultimaker Material Alliance Program

Marketplace in Ultimaker Cura achieved over 1 million downloads in less than a year

The impact of the Ultimaker Material Alliance Program, initiated in April 2018 by Ultimaker, the global leader in desktop 3D printing, was clearly evident at K 2019, the world’s no. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber. Many of the leading material companies exhibiting at K 2019 showcased the importance of developing materials suitable for additive manufacturing to their business using Ultimaker 3D Printers.

Lehvoss Group demonstrated the new Luvocom 3F filaments on the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, suitable for high performance industrial applications. Under the name LUVOCOM® 3F Filament, four different materials are offered. These are products based on PAHT® and PET, two of them reinforced by carbon fibres. The materials are highly processable, even in an unheated installation space; distortion-free and durable, particularly in the building component.

Arkema shared advanced materials and solutions for strong added performance in durability, sustainability, design, program optimization and reinforcement. At K 2019 Arkema showcased, amongst other applications, foot soles, printed on the Ultimaker S5 with Pebax® material; automotive parts, printed in Kynar® material; and consumer goods parts.

DSM Additive Manufacturing showcased print applications that express the manufacturing of tomorrow. The display of a classic Ducati Motorbike showed how 3D printing offers an alternative production method for automotive spare parts. With 3D printing, a physical warehouse can be replaced by a digital one, saving resources, material and energy, which contributes to a reduced carbon footprint. The material Novamid® ID 1030-CF10 was used to print the parts on an Ultimaker S5.

Clariant shared their vision of a circular economy, waste reduction and plastic recycling at K 2019. In the Marketplace in Ultimaker Cura, Clariant offers eight different materials. Most of them are based on PA6/66 filled with glass or carbon fiber. However, the print profiles for PETG and ESD safe materials can also easily be downloaded.

Igus GmbH presented the material Iglidur in two different compositions. Both materials are extremely wear-resistant and offer full lifetime durability. The material’s applications vary from prototypes and very small quantities to small series and serial production.

BASF 3D Printing Solutions featured the Ultimaker S5 in their additive manufacturing section. During the BASF Live Talk Paul Heiden, Senior Vice President Product Management at Ultimaker, highlighted how the Alliance enabled new industrial applications with FFF 3D Printing.

Huntsman, the latest member in the Ultimaker Cura Marketplace displayed their IROPRINT F 80213 filament, a soft thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a shore hardness of A85. Typically, soft TPU filaments are not easy to print, but IROPRINT F 80213 delivers less friction in the filament guiding tubes, resulting in reliable prints for the footwear sector and other applications that require soft, flexible and durable properties.

The high number of visitors at K 2019 is a good reflection of the immense scale of the material industry. Ultimaker 3D printers were visible on almost every corner of the trade show, providing demonstrable evidence of the capability of the Ultimaker machines to work with a vast range of materials. It is great to see that additive manufacturing is so high on the agendas of many of these leading material companies. The Marketplace in Ultimaker Cura achieved over 1 million downloads in less than a year. This clearly illustrates that users of additive manufacturing need access to a wide range of materials as well as support for the right settings to ensure reliable, effortless and timely print results. By making 3D print profiles available for a rapidly growing range of materials, Ultimaker is leading the market and we will continue to do so, to ensure our users can enjoy a hassle-free 3D print experience with high quality results. I look forward to seeing the progress of our collaborations with the materials industry at K 2022.

Paul Heiden, Senior Vice President Product Management at Ultimaker