Nexa3D Adds TPC to its SLS Materials Portfolio; Introduces QLS 260 Fast Cycle Sintering Platform

Nexa3D, the ultrafast polymer 3D printing leader, announced today at Formnext, the immediate availability of its QLS 260 industrial laser sintering system as well as availability of Evonik’s recently released thermoplastic copolyester powder, INFINAM® TPC 8008 P, for use with Nexa3D’s high throughput QLS-Series powder bed fusion printers.

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The latest QLS 260 fast cycle laser sintering platform from Nexa3D. (Photo: Business Wire)

See QLS Series printers and Evonik INFINAM® TPC in action at Formnext, Nexa3D booth E31 in Hall 11.1, from Tuesday, November 7 to Friday, November 10, 2023.

The QLS 260 builds on Nexa3D’s expanding fast-cycle sintering technology, adding a new on-board nitrogen generator for simplified operation and facility requirements. With the ability to complete an entire production cycle in just 22 hours, the QLS 260 enables daily output, making it a great fit for a wide range of polymer and metal production including manufacturing with Evonik’s INFINAM® TPC 8008 P.

Thermoplastic copolyester, often abbreviated as TPC, is a type of polymer material that falls under the category of thermoplastic elastomer. The material is known for its combination of properties from both polyester and polyether segments in its molecular structure. INFINAM® TPC 8008 P offers a balance of mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

INFINAM® TPC exhibits excellent water resistance, abrasion resistance, and UV stability, making it ideal for many industries, including footwear, orthotic and prosthesis, sporting goods, automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer products. Even with this rugged performance, TPC remains easy to post-process using AMT’s PostPro SF series hardware for vapor smoothing. Typical applications include gaskets and seals, orthotics and prosthetics, sporting goods, and footwear components to name a few.

“Evonik’s INFINAM® TPC is a game-changing elastomeric material for Nexa3D's QLS printers, with a significant mechanical advantage over TPU in durability, ductility, surface finish, and chemical resistance,” said Nexa3D Director of QLS Business Development John Calhoun. “With its premium performance characteristics, coupled with best-in-class throughput of the QLS series printers, it is the perfect solution for scaled production of elastomeric components.”

Nexa3D’s commitment to providing sustainable and scalable manufacturing solutions has been demonstrated by its continued efforts to validate novel production-grade polymers like INFINAM® TPC for its fast-cycle sintering systems and solve the needs of industry for high-performance polymers to open new and improved applications.

“Elastomer-based 3D printing applications play a crucial role in the additive manufacturing value proposition,” says Arnim Kraatz, Director of Powder Bed Fusion at Evonik. “By offering new optimized 3D printing materials like INFINAM® TPC, we enable our customers to take advantage of a unique combination of material properties supporting exploration and scaling up of their new applications.”

In addition to its collaboration with Evonik and AMT, Nexa3D has installed TPC on multiple QLS platforms at JawsTec, a leading additive manufacturing service provider, to provide access to TPC parts across the United States.

JawsTec CEO Oscar Klassen said, “We are excited to provide TPC parts to our customers as a significant step forward in sintered elastomers for serial production of high rebound, high durability soft-touch parts that outperform TPU.”

INFINAM® TPC 8008 P is available immediately and can be ordered through Nexa3D.

Additional information regarding the QLS 260 and INFINAM® TPC 8008 P is available on the Nexa3D website and in the media kit.

About Nexa3D

Nexa3D is passionate about digitizing supply chains sustainably as well as providing ultrafast 3D printing solutions for dental applications. The company makes ultrafast polymer 3D printers that deliver up to 20x productivity gains to professionals and businesses of all sizes. Partnerships with world-class material suppliers and its open materials platform unlock the full potential of additively manufactured polymers for volume production. Automated software tools optimize the entire production cycle using process interplay algorithms that ensure part performance and production consistency, while reducing waste, energy, and minimizing carbon footprint.

For more information on Nexa3D and its products, visit the Nexa3D website, or connect socially on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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