Earlier this year, the company relied on its combination of in-depth material expertise and connections with some of the most reliable manufacturers of service in the industry. Arkema Easy3D, a digital platform, has been launched.
Arkema, recognizing that users of additive manufacturing are digital natives but the adoption and application technologies are not always simple, felt obliged to introduce Easy3D in order to assist them with their challenges.
Namely, Arkema has identified that while most manufacturers know the requirements of their parts, they don’t always know which combination of material and additive manufacturing process is the right one to produce them. There are also scant recourses for users to efficiently compare all the various options open to them, and that’s before they consider where and by whom they have the parts produced.
Easy3D was developed to solve these problems. Users of the platform are able to tap into Arkema’s extensive material expertise with just a few simple clicks. They must first upload a 3D-printed file and answer a few simple questions regarding the component requirements (such temperature and elements that it will be exposed too). The platform will then make material recommendations. The platform will provide a list with suppliers and their price quotes, as well as an estimation of turnaround times. Just one click and they can order!
“Arkema’s expertise is condensed into Easy3D,” said Pierre Gonnetan, Business Development Manager at Arkema. “It’s a way to articulate our expertise in materials to make it more accessible, and user friendly for additive manufacturing. But also still keeping the possibility of having human interactions and asking for help if there is a need for direct communication to experts in materials.”
Easy3D has been developed as a partnership between Arkema and 3YOURMIND. It allows Arkema the opportunity to combine its material expertise with digital skills of a top on-demand software provider. 3YOURMIND utilised materials data from Arkema to create this platform. This allows it to provide material recommendations and a technical rating when the user provides the information about the part. This technical scoring will score each specific material in relation to, for example the required impact resistance. The higher the number of requirements at the initial stage, the better recommendation you will get at the end.
Easy3D, then, provides additive manufacturing users with an intuitive pathway to get their parts made in the most suitable material in the quickest time. Arkema, in order to achieve this, has aligned themselves with a wide range of manufacturing partners that run machines compatible Arkema material, including partners from the EOS or HP manufacturing networks.
“These networks are certified by HP and EOS, which are leading providers of industrial 3D printing solutions,” said Pierre Gonnetan. “This helps building confidence in the quality of the parts that will be produced and delivered to the users directly from these partners.”
Through this ecosystem, users can have their parts additively manufactured in materials such as 100% biobased Rilsan® Polyamide 11, Pebax® thermoplastic elastomers, Kynar® PVDF and Kepstan® PEKK, with Arkema always working to develop and deliver more materials solutions. Soon, more AM technologies and materials will be available on the platform. Keep an eye on the platform!
For more information: https://arkema.com/easy3d