Powder bed fusion 3D printers use metal or resin particles and offer the 3Dprinted parts with excellent dimensional accuracy and efficiency. Metals are for applications requiring exceptional strength. Polymers are commonly for industrial applications because of lightness and affordable costs. However, polymer particles containing mainly used polyamide 12 and others are irregular shapes. Printed surfaces thus require polishing and other post-processing to use them in prototypes or end-use parts, increasing costs and lead times being the issue.

This situation prompted Toray to apply its proprietary polyamide particle technology (see note 2) to polyamide 6, which has a high melting point and good mechanical properties. This effort led it to create Toraypearl™PA6, the first product in the world with true spherical polyamide 6 particles. This offering caters to customer demand for printed parts with smoother surfaces (see note 3), greater strength and heat resistance under tougher conditions.

The outstanding performance characteristics of Toraypearl™PA6 enable 3D printing of complex and precise shapes as well as smooth surface, this can reduce the need for polishing and other post-processing stages.

Furthermore, spherical particles ensure the fluidity needed for 3D printing, even when blended with reinforcing glass fibers, for modeling that combines excellent rigidity with the attributes mentioned above.

Toray will leverage these features in initially proposing prototypes for automotive parts, power tools, and other equipment requiring a lot of strength, heat resistance, and precision. It ultimately looks to expand into the 3D printer market for end-use parts.

Tokyo-based 3D printer company Aspect Inc. has already obtained conformity certification for Toraypearl™PA6 for its AM-E3 300HT and 550HT additive manufacturing printers.

This new product will augment Toraymill™PPS, a polyphenylene sulfide resin milled powder launched in 2017, as part of Toray’s drive to expand its lineup of resin materials for 3D printers. Toray will also provide new value in the growing 3D printer field by applying its proprietary particle and particle size control technologies with Toray-developed polyamides.

3D printed parts using Toraypearl™PA6 made by Aspect Inc.