Dyneon (Burgkirchen / Germany; www.dyneon.eu), the European subsidiary of US technology group 3M (St. Paul, Minnesota / USA; www.3m.com), has developed a new type of 3D printing technology based on fully fluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The process, for which a patent application has been filed, is claimed to be the first of its kind, allowing complex multi-component polymer structures to be manufactured in one piece and eliminating the need to mould and assemble multiple parts. As an added benefit, the company says the technology, quick and cheap, compared with other methods, will significantly cut back on the waste usually generated when prototypes are produced from PTFE in small batches. In particular, unused material can be employed for subsequent printing jobs.

Paula Johnson-Mason, global director Fluoropolymers at 3M, said the new process offers increased flexibility and accelerated product design cycles, as spare parts can now be manufactured digitally. As yet, few details have emerged about how it actually works, but 3M and Dyneon have promised to reveal more in their joint exhibit at the upcoming “K 2016” (www.k-online.de), to be held in Düsseldorf / Germany from 19-26 October 2016.