(326c) Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing from a Polymer Materials Manufacturer’s Perspective

Eastman Chemical Company is a large, multinational polymer materials manufacturer currently exploring new materials for additive manufacturing (AM) in the fused filament fabrication (FFF)/fused deposition modeling (FDM) and laser and infrared-based powder sintering areas. When examining 3D printing, many similarities to the industrial development/build-out of injection molding can be found. Both techniques started with rudimentary equipment and, especially, limited materials that hindered true large-scale manufacturing market activation. While it took the dire manufacturing needs of a world war to activate new injection molding systems and polymer materials, modern societal and market drivers such as increased productivity, local production, just-in-time inventory, and individualization are driving additive manufacturing forward. After decades of relatively closed hardware and materials options, open materials approaches by major new 3D printer makers coupled with powerful design-oriented software are finally delivering the tools to rapidly boost end users past the so-called â??hype phaseâ? into true manufacturing-scale sectors. I will talk about Eastmanâ??s efforts to commercialize our materials into the 3D printing space, the upcoming resurgence of FFF printing, why massive parallel AM printing might eventually meet (or even beat) injection molding process speeds, the need to take AM truly to a continuous process, and how we see previously fragmented market areas beginning to focus on tooling, molding, and more personally, unmet needs in sectors such as prosthetics. While 3D printers may not end up in every home, there are solid, new businesses with additive manufacturing as their core just around the corner!