BASF 3D Printing Solutions (B3DPS) will be exhibiting at Formnext 2019, the leading sector show for additive-based manufacturing, with an expanded product range and a new brand presence. Sector specialists are warmly invited to meet B3DPS specialists in person from November 19 through 22 at Booth D21, Hall 12.1 at the Frankfurt Trade Fair. With the introduction of its new Forward AM corporate brand, B3DPS continues to pursue its goal of driving industrial scalability as the next phase of additive-based manufacturing. “Forward” stands for future-oriented, leading-edge materials and technology, while “AM” stands for “additive manufacturing”. The new arrow-symbol brand logo and “Innovating Additive Manufacturing” baseline emphasize the company’s dynamic approach to this exciting industrial manufacturing sector.

Extensive product portfolio with expanded service offer                                        

Under the Forward AM brand the company offers end-to-end materials and service solutions along the entire value chain – from an initial product idea right through to its serial manufacture. Forward AM has the most extensive materials portfolio in the industrial 3D printing market today, encompassing powder bed fusion, advanced plastic and metal filaments, and the latest photopolymers.

At Formnext, Forward AM invites visitors to discover the company’s comprehensive additive manufacturing service portfolio for themselves. The range comprises the entire virtual engineering service spectrum, from a component’s initial design concept (“Design for AM”), through simulation (“Ultrasim®”) including printing and finishing, all the way to scanning and testing.

Furthermore, from Q1 2020 the B3DPS portfolio will be complemented by an advanced flexible coating: This is especially well suited to flexible materials such as elastic Ultrasint® TPU 01, developed in collaboration with HP for their Jet Fusion 3D-printer. The new coating can be used in special applications and will be available from Forward AM in black, white, metallic silver, and transparent.

Forward AM is also set to expand its thermoplastic Ultrafuse filament portfolio significantly, starting with the test-marketing of Ultrafuse TPU 95A, Ultrafuse ABS ESD and Ultrafuse PEI 9085. The company will be making sample volumes available as of January 2020, with larger volumes provided from the end of Q1 2020. Moreover, Forward AM specialists will present live at the B3DPS booth the new ceramic filament to Formnext visitors.

Diverse applications and outstanding partnership projects                                  

At this year’s Formnext too, visitors can look forward to example application highlights from Forward AM as well as the latest customer components from a wide range of industrial sectors. The large-format, 3D printed façade elements around one meter across and two meters tall at the B3DPS booth will be the first to catch visitors’ eyes. A 3D printed, full size surfboard made of Ultrafuse rPET recycled filaments is sure to be a further visitor magnet.

The engine brackets developed in collaboration with Daimler have triggered intense interest in the automobile industry and beyond. The polyamide series Ultrasint® PA6 MF material applied here represents a very attractive solution to many manufacturing industries thanks to its extreme rigidity and robustness, as well as its excellent printability on Farsoon high temperature printers. Forward AM’s experts will be demonstrating the possibilities and added value of these and other example 3D printing applications at Formnext 2019. Besides this, interested visitors can find out more about the economic advantages of industrial additive-based manufacturing through clear Use Cases such as the camera housing made with Ultracur3D, which was subjected to a detailed production economics analysis in collaboration with Origin.

3D printed footwear – pacing ahead                                                                              

The footwear industry increasingly favors 3D printing techniques in manufacture. The Forward AM team is driving this topic intensively with sector cooperation partners – and is looking forward to presenting the results live at Formnext 2019!

About BASF 3D Printing Solutions

BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business under the Forward AM brand with advanced materials, system solutions, components and services in the field of 3D printing. BASF 3D Printing Solutions is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF and with research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing. Typical industries include automotive, aerospace and consumer goods. For further information please visit: www.forward-am.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.