Asahi Kasei has started sales for 3D printing (3DP) filaments in North America through Asahi Kasei Plastics North America (APNA).

The soft launch will begin with filaments from the modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) resin product line, XYRON, then expand to the Thermylene polypropylene (PP) group.

“Asahi Kasei has a proven history of being a resin and compounding technology leader,” states Todd Glogovsky, President and Chief Operating Officer at APNA. “3D printing is a rapidly growing field, and we have the people and skillset to develop, enhance, and exceed the needs of hobbyists and OEMs alike.”

APNA plans to advance two business initiatives targeted at the 3DP sector to show customers versatility and long-term commitment.

The first goal is to deliver success through filament sales in the North American market and then expand globally. This will be started through trialing XYRON, which features properties such as printability (lower warpage, high dimensional stability), heat resistance, electrical insulation and impact strength.

After XYRON, the next filament launch will use Thermylene, providing high tensile strength, chemical resistance, creep resistance, and elevated temperature performance. The second goal will be focused on customer support with advanced resources through computer-aided engineering (CAE).

“This is a great opportunity to grow the usage of our award-winning product portfolio for new markets and application spaces,” states Nihir Bhuva, Strategic Business Director for APNA. “Besides having industry expertise, we plan to provide our partners with design and simulation services through CAE. This will help show our commitment to growth from proof-of-concept to the execution stage”.

APNA's well-established CAE services have now been comfortably expanded to 3DP to provide additional support for filament products and their usage. Asahi Kasei Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) invested in CASTOR Technologies Ltd., an Israeli startup specializing in 3DP technologies, to expand CAE offerings in May 2023. Through this investment, Asahi Kasei is developing a unique 3D printing software that allows the organization to tailor their approach to the specific needs of consumers. With CASTOR, Asahi Kasei is conducting proof-of-concept techniques to expand services, including automation of advanced simulations.

“We will continue providing superior quality and reliability to customers, and with CASTOR, we will drive more excellence through our CAE services,” states Glogovsky. “This is an exciting time to dive into a new industry and show why we are industry leaders through the success of our partnerships.”