3-D printing service specialist Sculpteo and Forward AM (a brand of BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH) have released a new catalogue containing a range of 3-D printing materials suitable for the automotive industry.

The range was developed by BASF at its two R&D centres in Germany and France and it is now available for 3-D printed parts through Sculpteo.

The three new materials available include: polyamide 6, a ‘technical’ and rigid material that is resistant to high temperatures and is also offered in a flame-retardant version; TPU (thermo plastic polyurethane), a strong and flexible material; and polypropylene, a low-cost material that can be used for the industrial-scale manufacturing of large parts.

Using polyamide 6, it is possible to produce ‘under-bonnet’ parts, ventilators and ventilation grids, headlight housings and brackets. TPU enables the manufacturing of intake pipes, joints, bellows or customised cockpit and dashboard elements.

With polypropylene, it is also possible to produce reservoirs or connection parts.

Dietmar Bender, Forward AM’s managing director, said: “By working with Sculpteo, Forward AM has an agile market-oriented partner that allows the company to quickly validate materials and rapidly deploy them via its industrial clients integrating 3-D printing.”