ARBURG and AIMPLAS Team up for Materials

Arburg and AIMPLAS are collaborating on materials research for industrial additive manufacturing (AM). ARBURG, a German injection molding machine manufacturer, has joined forces with AIMPLAS, the Spanish research organization specializing in plastics technology.

At the center of the partnership is a freeformer 200-3X, the smallest of ARBURG’s additive manufacturing machines based on the company’s ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (APF) technology. The technology resembles injection molding (it involves feeding plastic granules through a nozzle via an extruder screw), but no mold is involved. AIMPLAS is using the freeform system to test and qualify new AM materials.

Materials under testing included modifications of standard plastics, medical polylactides, and biopolymers, separately and in combination. AIMPLAS researchers aim to optimize tensile strength, elongation at break, compression set, solubility and water resistance. The next step will be 3D printing components for orthoses, resorbable implants and other treatments for bone fractures.

A major benefit of this approach is that the process parameters are flexible to adjust component properties in a targeted fashion, according to ARBURG. 

The freeformer 200-3X will be on loan to AIMPLAS for 2025, following ARBURG’s installation and training of AIMPLAS staff. The goal, according to the companies, will be to realize a new suite of standardized, high-performance materials for additive manufacturing in the medical sector.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.