Circular economy marks major milestone: recycling nylon waste powder in 3D printing, addressing up to fifty percent of running costs

voxeljet AG (OTCMKTS: VJTTY) (the ‘Company', ‘voxeljet', or ‘we'), a provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand parts services to industrial and commercial customers, Dressler Group GmbH, and Fraunhofer IPA today announced the successful completion of a material study for waste PA12 powder from laser-based 3D printing systems. In the study, waste powder from Selective Laser Sintering systems was successfully recycled by Dressler Group and 3D printed by Fraunhofer IPA at the University of Bayreuth, using a VX200 HSS platform from voxeljet. The initial results demonstrate that reconditioned PA12 waste powder can be processed effectively using ink- and printhead-based High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology enabling sustainable and cost-efficient production. The preliminary test results indicate that the material properties are equal or may even exceed those of comparable prints with fresh powder.

The Challenge: PA12 Powder Degradation in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Systems

In SLS systems, unprinted PA12 powder loses its ability to be reused due to high temperature exposure in the build area, which causes the polyamide chains to lengthen after condensation, negatively affecting powder flowability and melt viscosity. This makes the material difficult to process again via laser-based technologies, as the energy input from lasers is too short to process longer molecule chains accordingly. Therefore, comparably high powder refresh rates are necessary, accumulating waste and associated high disposal costs.

The collaborative study aimed to reclaim this used powder by processing it through voxeljet's VX200 HSS platform. HSS technology, using an inkjet-based printhead and infrared (IR) heating, offers selective and thermally gentler energy input, allowing the polyamide to sinter gradually, enabling the reuse of this powder. This means a real tribute to circular economy in Additive Manufacturing.

Dressler Group, experts in powder design and manufacturing, processed the used PA12 powder to homogenize and recover key powder properties such as flowability and moisture, making it suitable for reuse in HSS.

"Recycling used PA12 powder can effectively reduce costs and support sustainability efforts in AM," says Dr. Ing. Holger Leonards, Head of R&D at Dressler Group. "Our expertise in regenerating powder properties and handling of large powder volumes enables companies to reclaim this valuable material."

"The VX200 HSS technology is an open-source system, allowing us to quickly change and adapt process parameters to any powder," says Jan Kemnitzer, Research Team Lead at Fraunhofer IPA and adds "We were therefore able to quickly adapt the 3D printer to the material with consistent or improved results in part properties."

"The results of this study are especially interesting for ink and printhead based technologies such as the HSS technology. The future possibility of processing this recycled powder on production platforms like the VX1000HSS will bring immense cost savings," says Tobias Grün, Global Product Management at voxeljet. "Typically, 50 % of the running costs are attributable to powder costs. Thus, this development provides a huge effect on cost effectiveness while boosting a circular material flow, reducing waste."

A Sustainable Solution for Additive Manufacturing

This study highlights the growing issue of excess PA12 waste powder within the additive manufacturing industry. By reclaiming this material for use in voxeljet's HSS technology, companies can reduce waste, lower operational costs, and improve sustainability in their additive manufacturing processes.

First parts of this collaboration will be shown at the formnext trade show in Frankfurt, Germany from November 19th to 22nd and can be seen at the voxeljet booth E08 or the Fraunhofer booth C71 in hall 12.1.

ABOUT VOXELJET

voxeljet's roots reach back to the year 1995 with the first successful dosing of UV-resins. In the context of a "hidden" project, initial 3D-printing tests were performed at the Technical University Munich. Our company was founded on May 5, 1999 as a spin-off from TUM in Munich with a clear vision in mind: to establish a new manufacturing standard by developing new generative processes for the series-production of complex components using 3D printing. In the beginning, operations were launched with four employees at the TUM. Today, we are a globally acting, leading provider of high-speed, large-format 3D printers and on-demand 3D printed parts to industrial and commercial customers. Components manufactured with the help of our technology are flying in space, make mobility more efficient and the production of new engineering solutions possible. Visit our website www.voxeljet.com, and follow us on Linkedin, or on Twitter.

Virtual tour through our HQs in Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVt4h_6oWkc.

ABOUT DRESSLER GROUP - THE GRINDING AUTHORITY

Since its foundation in 1978, Dressler Group has specialised and been comprehensively certified in the grinding and finishing of plastics for all key industries. At the same time, DG has always undertaken research and development. Our core values are quality, flexibility, innovation and service. As a long-term systems partner and problem-solver, DG is involved in customer processes from the outset, offering all types of grinding and complete warehousing, packaging, customs and shipping logistics from a single source. Both gram-based test grinding and individually specified large quantities are available - always exactly reproducible and just in time. With the Listen-Care-Evolve approach, we adapt to each customer's needs, from standard grinding to custom further development. Visit www.dressler-group.com for further information.

ABOUT FRAUNHOFER IPA

With nearly 1 200 employees, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, Fraunhofer IPA, is one of the largest institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The total budget amounts to € 94 million. The institute's research focus is on organizational and technological aspects of production. In 11 research areas, we develop, test, and implement not only components, devices and methods but also entire machines and manufacturing plants. In 11 business areas, we transfer research results in cooperation with small and large enterprises, especially from the automotive, machinery and equipment, electronics and microsystems, energy, medical engineering and process industry.