Covestro develops 3D printing via film extrusion

Thermoplastic films can now be processed much more efficiently using 3D printing rather than filaments, thanks to the result of a new development Covestro is exhibiting at Formnext.

The technology is part of a wide range of additive manufacturing product presented by Covestro at Formnext.

Customers can benefit from Covestro’s extensive experience in film processing, and the company has developed a special print head for additive manufacturing using these semi-finished products, which can easily replace a conventional print head.

The film passes through a cooled area into a heating zone, where it melts under the influence of the supplied thermal energy and becomes liquid.

As usual, the melt is discharged via a defined nozzle geometry and processed into the product.

Jonas Kuenzel, Technical Development for Additive Manufacturing at Covestro, said: “The throughput of a print head for films is significantly higher than that of a print head for filaments.”

“In addition, the production of the films is more cost-effective than filament production, and their storage requires less space.”

“Compared to the standard filament production, extruded films also provides a higher precision, with virtually no deviations in film thickness.”

“The use of films also opens up completely new possibilities for the combination of materials.”