Jul 11, 2017 | By Julia
French chemical and advanced materials company Arkema has just announced plans for a serious upgrade to its Sartomer subsidiary. Based in Nansha, China, the Sartomer facility will see the launch of a new production line for UV, LED, and EB (Electronic Beam) photocure resins, with the plant’s overall production capacity set to expand by 30 percent.
The new line of resins will be particularly geared towards the Asian 3D printing market, in addition to electronics and inkjet printing, three areas that are continuing to surge. Arkema representatives have announced the production expansion should be complete and consumer-ready by early 2019.
The Sartomer facility in Nansha
The news comes hot on the heels of Sartomer’s N3xtDimension brand, the company’s new range of solutions for UV-curable 3D printing that was launched late last year. Now, with the French subsidiary officially carving a place for itself in Asia’s 3D printing market, the new production line comes as no surprise. The N3xtDimension-branded photocure resins, beyond additive manufacturing, will target the production of printed circuits and screens for smartphones, tablets, and televisions.
“Thanks to production sites and R&D facilities in Europe, Asia and the United States, [our] customers benefit from high quality technical support for tailor-made developments as well as responsive local logistics service,” said Sartomer representatives in a statement. The company believes that its strategic local presence in these three key regions sends a clear message that it is a reliable partner with unique-know how, ready to fulfill consumer demands in high-performance resins.
Selling points of the just-announced line of solvent-free specialty resins include environmental friendliness and full compliance with the global standards on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. In other words, the line of resins is expected to bolster Sartomer’s (and Arkema’s) strategic position in the development of so-called new eco-sustainable materials, enabling Sartomer to capitalize on what is expected to be a growth of 10 percent per year in the electronics and 3D printing high added value niche markets.
Overall, the Nansha-based project remains in line with the Arkema Group’s goals to accelerate development of its advanced materials. The new line of photocure resins should eventually account for over 25 percent of company sales, and if successful, will continue consolidating its presence in Asia.
With the launch date not until early 2019, the French subsidiary has a decent amount of time to make it happen. On the other hand, that year and a half could also see an influx of competition with this fast-growing niche market. Whether Sartomer will be able to effectively secure a leading position in Asia’s photocured resin industry will certainly be a story worth keeping on eye on.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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