Market leaders supply the first polypropylene (PP) for industrial additive manufacturing; joint development of new applications for major customers; joint go-to-market initiatives to expand the market and exploit opportunities for sustainable market impact
- BASF, the world's leading chemical company, is working with technology leader HP to advance manufacturing through innovative new materials, the joint development of advanced applications with market-leading customers and go-to-market initiatives
- First industrial-grade sustainable polypropylene (PP) developed for the HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D Printing System to accelerate manufacturing by providing the best performance/cost ratio
- By jointly developing new PP applications, these material innovations enable first-time partners such as Extol, Forecast 3D, Henkel, Oechsler, Prototal and others to achieve unprecedented levels of profitability, speed up their design process and produce high-quality 3D printed parts faster
- Cooperation enables joint commitment to sustainable production and the development towards a low-carbon recycling economy

BASF, the world's leading chemical company, and HP, the leader in industrial 3D printing solutions, today announced an expansion of their strategic alliance to promote digital manufacturing. Together, the companies are working closely with innovators in the automotive, consumer products, medical and industrial manufacturing industries to open up new market opportunities, develop new best-in-class applications and achieve unsurpassed quality, unprecedented economics and more sustainable manufacturing.
The focus of this expanded collaboration is the market launch of a novel polypropylene (PP) for additive manufacturing. Enabled by BASF, HP 3D High Reusability PP has been developed and qualified for the HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D printing solution to enable companies in all industries to design and produce 3D printed parts faster, more cost effectively, more sustainably and in higher volumes than ever before.
"The expansion of our long-standing partnership with HP is a real testament to our shared vision of transforming industries, enabling sustainable production and creating new market opportunities for customers around the world," said François Minec, Managing Director of BASF 3D Printing Solutions. Last year, BASF 3D Printing Solutions introduced its new Forward AM brand, which aims to take the company one step closer to its goal of driving industrial scalability with future-oriented, state-of-the-art materials and technologies. "The introduction of PP is another important step as we work together on best-in-class materials that have the potential to transform manufacturing for the long term. Together, our teams have succeeded in developing a high-quality, advanced PP that takes full advantage of the features of the advanced HP Jet Fusion 5200 platform - a real asset for innovative companies looking to invest in the transition to digital manufacturing".
"HP and Forward AM by BASF are committed to accelerating the transition to digital manufacturing through innovative and sustainable solutions and materials, opening up entirely new opportunities for companies," said Ramon Pastor, Head of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, HP Inc. "The powerful combination of world-leading materials science and advanced 3D printing capabilities results in superior quality and reliability, advanced workflows and cost savings for customers. We are excited about the impact this new PP will have on designers, engineers and companies around the world from advanced prototyping to the production of mature parts.
BASF and HP have a long history of joint innovation. BASF is a founding partner in HP's industrial ecosystem of 3D printing materials. Together, the companies have already developed a wide range of sustainable and innovative materials, including the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU 01) ULTRASINT, which was launched last year. The new PP, developed for the HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D Printing System, enables complete reuse of collected excess powder, resulting in reduced waste and more efficient manufacturing.
The Forward AM and HP teams are already working with industry leaders such as Extol, GKN Powder Metallurgy/Forecast 3D, Henkel, Oechsler and Prototal to develop advanced applications for the new PP in conjunction with the HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D printing system. Because of its low cost, dyeability, chemical resistance and UV resistance, polypropylene has historically been a highly desirable material for industrial manufacturing with virtually unlimited applications in the world's leading industrial sectors, including consumer products and the $2 trillion automotive market. The availability of a new additive material that replicates a traditional material used for a wide variety of automotive parts, both interior, exterior and under the hood, offers significant benefits to automotive manufacturers.
"We were very impressed by the joint commitment of Forward AM by BASF and HP to accelerate our digital manufacturing initiatives. The introduction of new materials such as PP enables us to design, iterate and manufacture innovative new 3D printed parts for customers in a variety of industries in a way that is as fast as it is cost-effective. We expect to rapidly develop entirely new applications that leverage the inherent advantages of 3D printing in the automotive, appliance and medical industries," said Matthias Weißkopf, SVP R&D, Oechsler AG.
www.hp.com