Intended for under-bonnet automotive applications, amongst others, Arnilene AM6001 GF (G) is a glass-filled polypropylene material for fused granulate fabrication 3d printing from Royal DSM in the Netherlands.

DSM-tough-3d-print-material

“Popular for its thermal, mechanical and chemical performance, polypropylene is the second most used polymer worldwide in traditional manufacturing,” according to the company. “Despite broad adoption of 3D printing, no polypropylene has been optimised for additive manufacturing. DSM has now filled the gap.”

The company is aiming at automotive, industrial or infrastructure manufacturers looking to adopt additive manufacturing technology for low volume or decentralised production.

Continuous use temperature can be as high as 130°C.

Fused fabrication leaves a ‘grain’, resulting in anisotropic properties:

• Printed (flat direction) tensile modulus is 6,000MPa or 1,700MPa on-edge (to ISO 527-1/-2)
• Stress at break is 70MPa flat or 18MPa on-edge.
• Strain at break is 3.9% flat or 7.7% on-edge.

“Availability of engineering-grade materials with the right property set is the next step in the additive manufacturing revolution,” said DSM director Geoff Gardner. “Developed by our experts, Arnilene AM6001 GF (G) offers industrial customers an industry-standard material with robust mechanical, thermal and chemical performance in an additive manufacturing format. By using a material they already have experience with, they can fully focus on 3D printing and its benefits for their business.”

The company also claims low carbon footprint, due to reduced energy consumption, and low LCA (life cycle assessment) inherent to the polypropylene chemistry.