The partnership arises from growing demand for zero-waste supply chain manufacturing to support companies’ sustainable development goals.
UBQ Materials, thermoplastic materials producer partners with Plastics App, R&D company that focuses on applications for polymers and plastics to develop a novel filament with a significantly reduced carbon footprint so as to enable sustainable and eco-conscious manufacturing.
With the goal of supporting industries in their sustainable development goals, both partners realized that a lot of investments in R&D has been done to reduce the carbon footprint of 3D printing materials. The only thing is that, they found out that the most sustainable 3D filaments have been largely based on a Glycol-modified version of Polyethylene Terephathalate (PETG), which has limited properties and has confined use cases to dimensional models and dummies.
They have therefore worked on another alternative:
UBQ Materials converts unsorted landfill-destined waste into a sustainable, climate-positive and cost-competitive thermoplastic (UBQ™) that substitutes oil-based resins for manufacturing. Plastics App has developed UBQ™ inside filaments, which, when applied to 3D printing, expand sustainable application to functional uses such as jigs, fixtures and spare parts.
“Combining our end-to-end filament development capabilities with UBQ’s climate-positive material has opened sustainable opportunities for industries like automotive and housing, where fully functional prototyping is an essential part of both R&D and small-scale production,” said Dr. Yanir Shaked, Founder & General Manager of Plastics App. “Using eco-conscious material to 3D-print functional prototypes from the early stages of development helps companies meet their sustainability goals without compromising on product functionality.”
UBQ™ has already been adopted by large multinational enterprises, having been incorporated into end products across various industries. Now that the material is being used to create prototypes, manufacturers can better match the look, feel and performance of these prototypes with their end products.
“Introducing 3D-printing filaments to the market enables UBQ to test the limits and go beyond the boundaries of traditional plastic manufacturing techniques,” said Tato Bigio, co-founder and CEO of UBQ Materials. “The versatile applications of UBQ™ allow for its incorporation into a wide range of products, decreasing emissions and preventing landfill buildup. This partnership will expand the scope of companies that can refine their processes while reducing their energy use.”
UBQ™ will be incorporated into four types of carbon reduced sustainable filaments. Perform Q is a high-performance, UBQ / Polypropylene filament suitable for standard applications; Perform QCF, which has Carbon Fibers, is a reinforced UBQ / Polypropylene-based filament suitable for demanding applications. Both grades are available either on virgin PP or PCR PP carriers.
Remember, you can post job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media free of charge or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram ! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com