BASF is one of the largest companies in the chemical industry and for several years a leading supplier of consumables for various types of 3D printers. At the Formnext fair in Frankfurt am Main, Zortrax – the leading manufacturer of FDM / FFF 3D printers in Europe, announced the introduction of two Ultrafuse filaments to its wide range of materials. The filaments are dedicated to work with the Zortrax M300 Dual model.
The first material – Ultrafuse PP GF30 consists of polypropylene reinforced with 30% glass fiber. The second – Ultrafuse PAHT CF15 is a 15% carbon fiber reinforced polyamide. PP GF30 has been widely used in the automotive industry for years. It is extremely durable and resistant to high temperatures, so it can also be successfully used in robotics and aviation.
BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 are used extensively in the automotive industry for the production of a wide range of components. The use of these materials for structural and semi-structural parts instead of the more traditional aluminum generates significant weight and cost savings. It is for this reason that various automotive OEMs choose PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 when building e.g. tailgate, instrument panel supports, mirror supports, engine covers, door module assemblies, active air louvers and more.
“The use of plastics instead of metal alloys in all of these applications allows more design freedom for engineers who can achieve optimal shapes and geometries. Saving weight is also key, especially with the recent increase in electric vehicles where relatively heavy batteries have to be compensated by making other components lighter to increase range. All these considerations contribute to the growing popularity of polymeric materials in the automotive industry. In response to this growing demand, we have partnered with BASF to provide Ultrafuse PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 filaments in our Zortrax M300 Dual “- says Michał Siemaszko, Research and Development Manager at Zortrax S.A.
The addition of fiberglass makes the 3D printed models from Ultrafuse PP GF30 extremely stiff. This is especially important in parts used in car interiors. The part that does not give in or deform under stress does not generate creaking noises. Moreover, the material retains this high stiffness over a wide temperature range. The heat deflection temperature of Ultrafuse PP GF30 is 73 ° C at 1.8 MPa and over 127 ° C at 0.45 MPa. This neatly meets the general requirements of car manufacturers who must use materials that retain their properties in the -30 ° C to 80 ° C range for interiors and just above 120 ° C for parts working under the hood near the engine.
PAHT CF15 offers a slightly wider range of operating temperatures. Its heat deflection temperature at 1.8 MPa is 92 ° C and reaches 145 ° C at 0.45 MPa. The addition of carbon fiber guarantees the stiffness of PAHT CF 15 even higher than that of PP GF30. Finally, both Ultrafuse PP GF30 and PHAT CF15 are particularly UV resistant, which means they can be safely used on components exposed to direct sunlight.
The materials can be used to print positioning devices, assembly tools, and various gaskets and covers used in automotive plants. The high wear resistance of PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 filaments increases the service life of such devices, and thus generates significant time and cost savings.
Ultrafuse PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 for the Zortrax M300 Dual 3D printer can be ordered at the Zortrax online store or local resellers. Before work, please dry the filaments in hot air or in a vacuum oven at 60 ° C for 4 to 16 hours before printing. It is also recommended to use the predefined print settings for the best possible results. PP GF30 and PAHT CF15 have strong abrasive properties, therefore a hardened steel nozzle with a diameter of 0.6 mm should be used for 3D printing.
Source: Zortrax press materials
