Dutch 3D printer manufacturer Ultimaker (Geldermalsen; www.ultimaker.com) is collaborating with several major global plastics and composites producers to meet growing demand for industrial-grade engineering materials that are compatible with its printers. Partners include DSM, BASF, DuPont, Owens Corning, Mitsubishi Chemical, Henkel, Kuraray, Solvay and Clariant.

Ultimaker said it will provide software tools and its knowledge of 3D printing materials to allow the companies to generate and maintain material profiles so that customers can reliably use the filaments on its printers. With the profiles, users will be able to easily load a 3D model into Ultimaker “Cura” software and use the available preconfigured settings to print.

“High-quality 3D prints are the result of an optimised alignment of hardware, software and materials. The strategic alliances formed with these global material companies opens up the use of the most sophisticated engineering plastics on Ultimaker printers, allowing the customers of the companies and Ultimaker to fully embed 3D printing in their existing workflows,” said Jos Burger, Ultimaker’s CEO.

The printer manufacturer added that the alliances will serve as a strong foundation for future collaborations, opening doors for more advanced applications, based on user demand. It said it will announce more information on the collaborations later this year.

According to market intelligence firm IDC (Framingham, Massachusetts / USA; www.idc.com), global spending on 3D printing technologies is forecast to reach nearly USD 12 bn (EUR 10 bn) in 2018.