Asahi Kasei
Asahi Kasei has announced that it has started sales for 3D printing filaments in North America through Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA). The soft launch will begin with filaments from the modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) resin product line, XYRON, then expand to the Thermylene polypropylene (PP) group.
“Asahi Kasei has a proven history of being a resin and compounding technology leader,” said Todd Glogovsky, President and Chief Operating Officer at APNA. “3D printing is a rapidly growing field, and we have the people and skillset to develop, enhance, and exceed the needs of hobbyists and OEMs alike.”
APNA says it has plans to advance two business initiatives targeted at the 3D printing sector to show customers versatility and long-term commitment. The first goal is to deliver success through filament sales in the North American market and then expand globally. This will be started through trialling XYRON, which features properties such as printability, heat resistance, electrical insulation and impact strength.
After XYRON, the next filament launch will use Thermylene, providing high tensile strength, chemical resistance, creep resistance, and elevated temperature performance according to Asahi Kasei. The second goal will be focused on customer support with advanced resources through computer-aided engineering (CAE).
“This is a great opportunity to grow the usage of our award-winning product portfolio for new markets and application spaces,” said Nihir Bhuva, Strategic Business Director for APNA. “Besides having industry expertise, we plan to provide our partners with design and simulation services through CAE. This will help show our commitment to growth from proof-of-concept to the execution stage.”
In May 2023, Asahi Kasei announced that it had made an investment in 3D printing software specialist Castor Technologies Ltd. Asahi Kasei said at the time that the invest will allow the company to ‘pursue synergies’ between its CAE technical service for plastic products and CASTOR’s software.
