8 OCTOBER, 2021OPINIONWhere traditional forming processes meet their limitations, additive processes­also known as 3D Printing­pick up the slack: on the basis of a digital three-dimensional blueprint, material is applied in layers on a base surface. After each application the surface is lowered by a fraction of a millimeter and another layer is added. Very soon a three-dimensional structure is produced that corresponds exactly to the digital specification--with no need for special molds or extensive post-processing.Plastics are durable, easily fusible, offer many possibilities with their properties, and are ideally suited for this cutting-edge technology. With polyamide 12 (PA12), Evonik is one of the world's leading suppliers of powders for 3D printing having delivered the first polymer powders for additive manufacturing as early as 1996, setting standards for plastic materials that are still valid today. With a variety of innovative high-performance materials ranging from reinforced to flame-retardant and elastic materials, we are bringing the 3D printing industry a decisive step closer to series production.Many people think 3D printing is a competitor to well established processes like injection molding. This simplistic approach does not factor the many possibilities this technology allows and will likely not be successful. If it is to be widely adopted, it needs to find its market space where its makes sense. It enables more freedom in design and opens new opportunities for designers and engineers to develop lightweight components with new functions. To make the 3D PRINTING IS EVOLVING FROM A NICHE PROCESS TO HIGH-VOLUME MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGYBy Alex Sant Anna, Director, Additive Manufacturing & Material Solutions ­ Americas, EvonikAlex Sant Anna
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