BASF expands 3D printing operations with two manufacturer acquisitions

BASF New Business GmbH (BNB, Ludwigshafen, Germany) announced July 4 it has acquired all the shares of Advanc3D Materials GmbH (Hamburg,  Germany) and Setup Performance SAS (Lyon, France).

Advanc3D Materials, along with their contract manufacturer and development partner Setup Performance, offers advanced, tailor-made plastic powders and formulations for selective laser sintering (SLS). SLS uses a three-dimensional structural design, a laser draws the shape of an object in a powder such as polyamide. The material hit by the laser melts and the required 3D object is produced layer by layer.

BNB is integrating both companies into its subsidiary BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH (B3DPS). Dr. Dietmar Bender, vice president of Manufacturing & Technology at BNB, says: 

“Following our acquisition of Innofil3D last year and the consequent strengthening of our market presence in plastic filaments for layer extrusion we are now in similar fashion expanding our market access in the area of powder bed fusion. The portfolio complements our existing range, being perfectly suited to products such as polyamide 11, polyamide 12 and polypropylene.”

In April, B3DPS introduced a new PA6 material for selective laser sintering that can be processed on most SLS machines commonly used in the market today.