Forward AM Partners with Shapeways to Enable Additive Manufacturing Production at Scale
- Co-branded website powered by Shapeways’ proprietary technology allows customers to order finished 3D printed parts online made with Forward AM material
- Network of production partners and service bureaus of Forward AM by BASF are integrated into the online order fulfillment process
- Available Forward AM materials include powders and photopolymers initially
FLORHAM PARK, NJ, July 23, 2020 – Forward AM, a leading global supplier of high-performance materials and services for 3D printing, has partnered with Shapeways, the world’s leading technology platform for product creation through 3D printing, to offer customers the ability to order 3D printed items online made with Forward AM material. The co-branded website uses Shapeways’ proprietary technology and allows consumers to learn more about Forward AM materials, upload 3D models, get instant pricing for the manufacture of finished products, and quickly and easily place an order.
To facilitate and expedite the creation of finished products, Shapeways will not only produce finished products and fulfill online orders, but also provide the technology to leverage Forward AM’s current network of production partners and service bureaus to create products printed in Forward AM materials. Customer support for orders placed on the co-branded site will be handled by Shapeways, who has helped more than one million creators by successfully 3D printing over 12 million finished parts.
“Our partnership with Shapeways and the use of their technology will allow a broader customer base to create and order high-quality 3D printed prototypes and functional parts online made with our Forward AM material,” said Jim Reddy, Managing Director North America, BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “To help accelerate the use of additive manufacturing at scale, we are focusing on making our high-performance materials easily accessible to consumers while leveraging the manufacturing and services capabilities of our global 3D printing network.”
“At Shapeways, it is our goal to empower large-scale additive manufacturing. Our partnership with BASF enables us to provide the technology to power BASF’s vision in expanding the accessibility of Forward AM materials to more customers,” said Miko Levy, CRO at Shapeways. “Shapeways’ technology and fulfillment services have been custom-built to fit BASF’s business and will be able to connect other service providers to supply BASF with a vast network of manufacturers to offer their materials. This streamlined process will not only showcase these innovative materials but will also enable BASF to accelerate its go-to-market strategy in 3D printing.”
The co-branded website will carry key Forward AM Ultrasint® powders and Ultracur3D® photopolymers. The first phase of available materials at the site includes:
Ultrasint® PP nat 01 – polypropylene, one of the most used materials in the plastic industry, typically used for serial production and functional parts
HP High Reusability PP enabled by BASF – versatile, durable, and chemically resistant polypropylene material qualified for HP’s production-grade 3D printing systems
Ultracur3D® RG 35 – medium-viscosity, highly reactive photopolymer resulting in accurate, rigid multipurpose parts
Ultrasint® TPU01 – high-performing thermoplastic polyurethane which enables the production of elastomeric functional parts
Phase two is expected to include the introduction of at least five additional new products before the end of the year.
To learn more about how to create and produce high-performing 3D printed finished parts made with Forward AM material, visit www.shapeways.com/partnership/basf.
Contacts:
BASF Media Contact:
José Antonio Carranza
Tel.: (973) 558-2169
jose.antonio.carranza@basf.com
Shapeways Media Contact:
Louise Lau
louisel@shapeways.com
About BASF 3D Printing Solutions
BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business under the Forward AM brand with advanced materials, system solutions, components and services in the field of 3D printing. BASF 3D Printing Solutions is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF as well as with research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing. Typical industries include automotive, aerospace and consumer goods. For further information please visit: www.forward-am.com.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,800 employees in North America and had sales of $18.4 billion in 2019. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us/.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS)and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com
About Shapeways
Shapeways is redefining product creation. The platform enables creators to bring their ideas to life with services to design, make and sell products made via 3D printing manufacturing. Shapeways has over 1 million creators and has printed over 12 million products. Unlike desktop printers or makerspaces, the Shapeways platform offers services from their own factories and global supply chain network. Shapeways gives businesses and everyday creators access to the most innovative technology and industrial-quality materials. Printing in over 60 materials and finishes, Shapeways has factories and offices in New York, the Netherlands, and a network of innovative partners around the globe. It is a spin-out of the lifestyle incubator of Royal Philips Electronics, and investors include Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, INKEF Capital, Index Ventures, Hewlett Packard Ventures, and Presidio Ventures. To learn more, please visit https://www.shapeways.com.
