Asahi Kasei has started sales for 3D printing filaments in North America through Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA). Accordingly, the soft launch will begin with filaments from the modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) resin product line, XYRON™. Afterwards, it will 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. We have the people and skillset to develop, enhance, and exceed the needs of hobbyists and OEMs alike.”

Looks to New Markets, Applications

APNA plans to advance two business initiatives targeted at the 3D printing sector to show customers versatility and long-term commitment. Moreover, the first goal is to deliver success through filament sales in the North American market. Thereafter, the company plans to 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®. Most importantly, this will provide high tensile strength, chemical resistance, creep resistance, and elevated temperature performance. The second goal is to focus on customer support with advanced resources through computer-aided engineering (CAE).

“This is a great opportunity to grow the usage of our 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.”

Expands Investments, Services

Asahi Kasei already provides comprehensive support for designing and developing customer products using CAE technical services. APNA’s well-established CAE services have now been comfortably expanded to 3D printing to provide additional support for filament products and their usage.

Moreover, Asahi Kasei Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) invested in CASTOR Technologies Ltd., an Israeli startup specializing in 3D printing 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 specific consumer needs. With CASTOR, Asahi Kasei is conducting proof-of-concept techniques to expand services. Particularly, through automation of advanced simulations.

Glogovsky said, “We will continue providing superior quality and reliability to customers, and with CASTOR, we will drive more excellence through our CAE services.”

Moreover, Glogovsky said, “This is an exciting time to dive into a new industry and show why we are industry leaders through the success of our partnerships.”