The Future Will Be Shaped by Printa!

The Future Will be Shaped by Printa! In recent years, with developing technology, studies on new fields in the changing and transforming world have gained importance. Through this transformation, as Altuğ Kimya, we continue to work with our dynamic, strong and innovative R&D team by following global trends in the development of high value-added products. Today, owing to advances in material science and printer technology, final printing products with different mechanical and chemical properties can be obtained. As raw materials used in various printers are processed using different methods, the demand for specialized raw materials has emerged. As the use of polymeric materials, which are present in almost all aspects of our daily lives, increases, this need is met with environmentally friendly materials, particularly those with low VOC content. Extensive research has been conducted on three-dimensional (3D) printers since their introduction in 1970. Since these printers are large and costly compared to the parts produced, different printing techniques have been developed and introduced. The first robotic 3D printer was created by Charles W. Hull in 1984, and in 1990 Stratasys pioneered fused deposition method (FDM) technology, which became known as "3D printing." Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an additive manufacturing technique capable of producing parts without the need for molds, tools or auxiliary machines, using software-supported design modeling, offering advantages over existing techniques. It is employed in the industry for prototyping in many fields such as automotive, medical, jewelry, aerospace, and footwear, with SLA (Stereolithography) and DLP (Digital Light Processing) being among the advanced printing techniques. SLA or stereolithography is a 3D printing method using laser and resin, while DLP completes the printing process with a conventional light source. Unlike DLP, which uses a projector display, SLA uses a single laser system directed at specific points to harden the resin and solidify the pattern layer by layer. This technology has been actively used by scientists and engineers in final product prototyping from the 1970s to the present day. As a result of the light-sensitive system employed, when the laser contacts the resin, the beam converts the resin into a solid state through photopolymerization reaction. When a layer is complete, an elevator covers the part with resin and immerses it in the resin chamber. When the resin surface is stable, the laser draws the next layer of the part, and this process continues until the final layer is completed and the product is ready. Considering the environmental concerns arising from increased energy consumption in an increasingly globalized world, we have aimed to establish our position in the market with environmentally friendly, ecologically less harmful, and simultaneously high value-added products integrated with technology. With our standard resin PRINTA series and R&D studies completed within Altuğ Kimya, hard and durable end-product prints with high chemical resistance compatible with SLA and DLP three-dimensional printers can be produced. Our colored formulations are appreciated by our prospective customers, and it is evident that they will be supported through a wide portfolio range in many different applications from hobby materials to the footwear sector and molded objects, both visually and technically.   References: • Liu, W., & Xu, S. (2015). 3D Printing Technology and its Applications. Advanced Material Engineering. • Barnatt, C. (2016). 3D printing. ExplainingTheFuture.com. • Agashe, Kustubh Dattatray, et al. (2020). 3D Printing and Advance Material Technology. Vol. 13, pp. 1899–1936.   Kardelen Göksu Chemical Engineer (M.Sc.) R&D Manager Altuğ Kimya