Wematter has announced it is working with graphene solutions provider Graphmatech to enhance polymer powders with graphene.
The collaboration was first revealed last year when Wematter CEO Robert Kniola spoke to TCT about the company's SLS offering. By using graphene to enhance polymer powders, the companies hope to provide 3D printing materials that are electrically conductive.
Wematter and Graphmatech will develop an electrically conductive PA11 powder that is mixed with graphene and tailored to the former’s Gravity Selective Laser Sintering system. This material, the companies believe, will be suitable for manufacturers in telecommunications, aerospace and automotive, allowing them to print parts with improved or maintained mechanical properties. Such improvements include electrostatic dissipative performance, shielding and lower resistivity.
“With this new strategic partnership, Wematter and Graphmatech will be able to offer customers in the telecommunications, aerospace and automotive industries a competitive advantage,” commented Kniola. “We see a great potential in working with Graphmatech because they have a proven capability of developing cutting-edge graphene-based materials for SLS 3D printing.”
“The graphene enhanced powder will meet the needs of some of the most demanding customers in the telecommunications, aerospace and automotive industries,” added Dr Mamoun Taher, CEO & founder of Graphmatech. “The Gravity system by Wematter is an appealing SLS system for printing our high-performing graphene-enhanced powders. The innovative powder handling system developed by Wematter makes the Gravity system very user friendly which is key when introducing new powder products to the market.”
