This is one of the tough challenges for a materials producer company but it is definitely worthy. KIMYA, an AM company of Armor Group, has announced it will developed recycled high-performance materials for AM.
This topic had initially been discussed at formnext 2021 with the company’s Director of Business Development, Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage. Today, the company provides further information about this project.
The latter is part of the third stage of the program initiated by ADEME: the FIL’REC project tied to the ORPLAST plastics recycling scheme. During a three-year period, the ORPLAST scheme will provide financial support for plasturgists and manufacturers that convert raw materials into products by incorporating recycled plastics in the materials they use.
Kimya recalls that its first participation in the ORPLAST scheme led to the commercialization of four recycled filaments. This time, the company targets between 70% and 100% recycled materials in so-called high-performance, filaments, without affecting the properties.
A company’s press communication explains that these materials are suitable for applications in the railway, automotive and aerospace industries. They deliver higher resistance levels and benefit from physical-chemical properties, such as resistance to high temperatures and warping.
“Developing recycled high-performance materials poses a significant technical challenge for our teams, but which will enable us to provide the market with a unique offering, as there are no players in the additive manufacturing market currently using recycled high-performance materials. It is also an opportunity for us to extend our offering of engineering materials and to expand our range of eco-designed filaments”, states Nicolas Morand, R&D, Innovation & Industrialization Manager at KIMYA.
Just like we saw with the recycled PETG filament, we may expect KIMYA to rely on a local recycling process for these materials.
“Born out of the determination of the ARMOR group to turn waste into a genuine resource, KIMYA entered the additive manufacturing market in 2016 by offering its first filament designed using industrial waste from food packaging. We have since continued to expand our range of eco-designed materials in order to meet the ever-growing demand. Our ultimate goal is to offer a comprehensive range of filaments containing between 70% and 100% recycled materials. This third stage of the ORPLAST program is once again an excellent vehicle for private-sector operators to demonstrate that growth and innovation can no longer be done at the expense of resource preservation” concludes Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage.
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