Arkema is collaborating with HP, the California, US-based computer and printer business, on 3D printing.  HP has launched the HP Open Platform where suppliers can qualify new materials to run on HP Jet Fusion 3D printers. The platform will allow the French chemical producer to leverage its wide portfolio of materials such as Rilsan fine powders, Rilsamid polyamides, Kynar resins and Pebax copolymers, in new 3D printing applications.

Adrien Lapeyre, Arkema’s global market manager for technical polymer powders, said HP’s platform should accelerate the adoption of 3D printing. “Arkema believes that the future of 3D printing for production parts will be driven by the development of application specific materials,” he said.

The French company includes 3D printing materials in one of its main R&D platforms – lightweight materials and design. It plans to use the resource to drive innovation and help customers from market segments including consumer goods, automotive, aerospace, sport and healthcare, among others, to create more 3D-printed parts.

Stephen Nigro, president of HP’s 3D printing business, said a major part of the company’s strategy is to break down the barriers that have inhibited the market, including expanding the materials options available.

The 3D printing industry – also known as additive manufacturing –is growing at a rapid rate. According to the 2016 edition of the Wohlers Report, the global industry grew by $1 billion for the second year in a row to reach over $5 billion in 2015, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.9%.