The Polypropylene (PP) is a new material for SLS®. This polymer is already used in about 1/3 of all plastic injected parts in the world so it has the potential to become the new standard in Additive Manufacturing (AM) applications as well. At BASF Forward AM, it was clear that they needed to work on a PP powder that would fit the 3D printing needs and applications – to make the convincing material benefits of PP accessible to customers in AM and to jointly drive its industrial adaption. The PP development for powder bed fusion started in 2016 and the first product has been on the market since 2018 to become more and more adopted by the users.
Passionate by 3D printing and powder bed fusion, Dr. Stefan Josupeit, Head of Business Line Powder Bed Fusion at BASF Forward AM, gives insights on the challenges and opportunities of this advanced material