Project Description

MultiMat³ is an international collaborative project between research institutions and industry from Germany and South Africa. The core innovation objectives for MultiMat³ are the development and optimisation of new polymer compounds, and multi-material combinations for Additive Manufacturing (AM). Specifically, these materials are developed for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and the droplet-based ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (APF). The focus is on the following materials due to their innovation potential:

• Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) based nanocomposites for improved dimensional precision and mechanical properties
• Semi-crystalline polymer compounds, such as polyamides (PA) for high temperature applications and polypropylene (PP)
• Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) applied in hard-soft material combinations
• Polycarbonate (PC) for optical parts
• Bio-based and biodegradable polymers

In summary MultiMat³ aims to expand the spectrum of materials and material combinations available for AM, particularly FFF and APF. An additional aim is the further development of the selected AM process technologies for the production of parts with the novel materials and material combinations developed through MulitMat³.