Europac3D, one of the UK’s leading 3D printing, scanning and inspection businesses, has been appointed as business partner to DSM, a world leading manufacturer of 3D printing materials for the additive manufacturing market.

The appointment will see Europac3D become DSM’s Channel Partner with responsibility for the sales and supply of the full range of DSM’s 3D printing materials for the additive manufacturing market across the UK.

DSM is capable of supplying some 20 different materials to any manufacturer of SLA technology. Their materials include:

• Somos® Taurus – the first SLA material to be both durable and have the ability to withstand elevated temperatures. With a heat deflection temperature (HDT) of 95°C (203°F), fully functional parts can be created for applications that have more stringent high heat requirements for prototyping or low volume end-use parts. The material is charcoal grey in appearance giving it the look and feel of traditional thermoplastics. In addition, it builds quickly and is easy to process, clean and create parts with smooth surfaces, fine features and details.
• Somos® PerFORM – the material of choice for applications that require strong, stiff, high temperature resistant composite parts – such as for tooling and wind tunnel testing. With the lowest viscosity of any composite stereolithography material, parts made from this material are faster to build, easier to post-process clean, possess superior sidewall quality and provide unmatched detail resolution.
• Somos® BioClear – the material for printing clear guides and models with peace of mind. It is ideal for small run, customized, non-implantable limited body contact (<24hr) medical and dental applications. Parts produced from this material are clear and have ABS-like mechanical properties and a good combination of strength and toughness. The material is very accurate, meeting the high level of detail required in the medical and dental industry. It is also very resistant to moisture and many common solvents and chemicals.

The materials are each designed to provide end users with a range of characteristics to suit any application, from wind tunnel models to certified medical solutions. One of the main benefits of these materials is that they are open-source and so can be used in most SLA machines, such as Uniontech’s range of additive manufacturing machines

John Beckett, managing director of Europac3D comments, “These are exciting times for the 3D printing industry as DSM’s materials are set to revolutionise what can be achieved through additive manufacturing. We’re proud to have been selected as a DSM’s Business Partner and look forward to supporting their ambitions here in the UK.”

Martine Van der Ent, Sales Director EMEA at DSM, comments: “Here at DSM, we have one clear goal: to unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing. Our company draws on decades of experience in 3D printing technologies, performance materials and deep application expertise to help manufacturers change the way they design and manufacture products. We are pleased to be partnering with Europac 3D, who is a proven and trusted player in the industry in the UK and will deliver a best in class customer experience to DSM 3D customers.”