Materialise is set to expand its 3D printing options as Aluminium becomes the latest material to be added to its growing set of over 20 polymers.
The leading provider of additive manufacturing software and sophisticated 3D printing services, made the announcement at the RapidPro, Eindhoven event yesterday where CEO Fried Vancraen revealed that AlSi10Mg would be the first metal material option to join the Belgian additive manufacturing pioneer’s portfolio of 3D printing polymers.
With a facility of more than 120 3D printers and wide variety of technologies, Materialise has grown into one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive providers of additive manufacturing services.
The addition of AlSi10Mg, an aluminium alloy, will provide users with strength and thermal properties along with low weight and flexible post-processing possibilities for uses across industries such as automotive, aerospace and automation.
Jurgen Laudus, Director Additive Manufacturing Solutions at Materialise, explained: “We believe that offering aluminium alongside a wide range of polymers allows us to be of better service to our customers. Aluminium is a perfect addition to the plastic materials we already offer and it opens doors for new applications.”
Aluminium gives the company’s industrial customers a valuable new tool for various kinds of 3D printing applications. Key areas include housings, ductwork, engine parts, production tools and moulds, both for prototyping and manufacturing purposes.
Materialise has been focused on valuable applications since its inception in 1990. The latest offering builds on some of the comments made in Fried’s presentation at the 3D Printing Conference at CES 2015 where he spoke of the importance of developing 3D printing technology to power crucial applications and add value.
