SABIC ULTEM(TM) Resin and Stratasys FDM® Technology Enable Taylor-Deal Aviation to Produce Customized Parts Quickly and Cost-Effectively
SEATTLE, Wash./USA - Here at the Aircraft Interiors Show, booth #828, SABIC's Innovative Plastics business is announcing that its strong, lightweight, flame-retardant ULTEM 9085 resin now helps to address one of the biggest challenges for aerospace OEMs - the ability to produce small volume parts quickly and cost-effectively. Together with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) technology from Stratasys, Inc., this world renowned material is enabling Stratasys' customer, Taylor-Deal Aviation LLC (TDA) - based in Dallas, Texas - to create specialty fluid and air handling parts in hours rather than weeks, while meeting the latest industry regulations for flame, smoke and toxicity. This collaboration showcases SABIC's deep understanding of aviation industry challenges and its proactive efforts to enable new strategies that lead to customer success.
Key benefits of this unique new use of ULTEM 9085 resin with FDM include enhanced design flexibility, cost-effective low production runs, accelerated cycle times and compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and OEM flame-smoke-toxicity regulations.
"Taylor-Deal Aviation is pioneering new technologies that give aerospace customers cost, time and weight savings," said Brian M. Taylor, president, Taylor-Deal Aviation. "With SABIC's high-performance ULTEM resin and Stratasys' advanced FDM technology, we are creating exciting new designs that enable the cost-effective manufacture of small quantities of specialty parts. This new solution is helping us to rapidly supply customers with superior components offering FAA compliance and light weight for better fuel efficiency and driving our growth into new global markets."
"Our Fused Deposition Modeling equipment is ideal for quickly producing parts with complex geometries that could not be done as easily or cost-effectively using traditional manufacturing processes," said Ryan Sybrant, business development manager, Stratasys. "Success with FDM also depends upon using the right material. Combining FDM technology with SABIC's ULTEM resin gives customers like Taylor-Deal Aviation a total solution. It's an alternative design and manufacturing method that can create finished parts for demanding aviation applications."
The patented Stratasys FDM process, and additive manufacturing process, creates three-dimensional parts directly from computer aided design files, layer-by-layer, for use in design verification, prototyping, development and manufacturing.
FDM technology solves two key challenges for TDA:
· In custom aircraft designs and modifications there are geometric limitations that make traditional manufacturing methods ineffective.
· Tooling for fiberglass parts and machining costs for metallic parts make them too expensive for low production runs that are very common in aerospace.
ULTEM Resin Boosts Value Proposition of FDM
Compared to competitive materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), ULTEM 9085 resin delivers compliance with FAA FAR 25.853 requirements, including Ohio State University (OSU) 55/55. It features inherent flame retardance without additives. ULTEM 9085 resin also provides a high strength-to-weight ratio, outstanding elevated thermal resistance, high strength and stiffness, and broad chemical resistance.
David Wildgoose, general manager, Engineering Resins, Innovative Plastics, noted, "The exceptional physical properties of our high-performance ULTEM resin enhance the value of FDM technology to quickly produce differentiated manufactured components. As a result, TDA not only gains efficiencies from the FDM process, but is also able to deliver customized components that meet the most stringent aircraft safety requirements and contribute to sustainability. Using FDM with ULTEM resin presents great opportunities for a wide range of applications where there were previously no cost-effective solutions."
FDM technology using ULTEM 9085 resin can be applied to other industries, such as rail and other transportation sectors, where it is vital to remove manufacturing costs, eliminate weight to reduce fuel consumption, improve design freedom, and meet flame-smoke-toxicity safety standards. Applications include parts and ductwork to handle air or fluids in hidden spaces, or other parts requiring complex geometries. Other industries that benefit from Stratasys' technology include automotive, consumer, medical and military.
· Brands marked with (TM) are trademarks of SABIC
· SABIC is a registered trademark of SABIC Holding Europe B.V.
· High-resolution photos are available upon request
· ® FDM is a registered trademark of Stratasys Inc.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 29.24 billion (US$ 7.80 billion) in 2011. Sales revenues for 2011 totaled SR 189.90 billion (US$ 50.64 billion). Total assets stood at SR 332.78 billion (US$ 88.74 billion) at the end of 2011.
SABIC's businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 16 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.
SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
About Innovative Plastics
SABIC's Innovative Plastics business is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with an 80-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers' most pressing challenges. Today, Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company's extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).
About Stratasys Inc.
Stratasys Inc., Minneapolis, is a maker of additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts. The company markets under the brands Mojo, uPrint and Dimension 3D Printers and Fortus Production 3D Printers. The company also operates RedEye On Demand, a digital-manufacturing service for prototypes and production parts. In 2011 Stratasys acquired 3D printer maker Solidscape Inc. According to Wohlers Report 2012, Stratasys had a 41.5 percent market share in 2011, and has been the unit market leader for the tenth consecutive year. Stratasys patented and owns the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) process. The process creates functional prototypes and manufactured goods directly from any 3D CAD program, using high-performance industrial thermoplastics. The company holds 380 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally. Stratasys products are used in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, business and industrial equipment, education, architecture and consumer-product industries. Online at: www.Stratasys.com
About Taylor-Deal Aviation LLC
Taylor-Deal Aviation, LLC (TDA) offers turn-key product support, engineering design, stress analysis, test plan/report preparation, weight & balance analysis, flammability test plans/reports and coordination of the certification effort of aircraft modifications. TDA can provide all disciplines of aviation engineering design and solutions based on both our company capabilities and our vast network of associates to ensure we utilize a talented team tailored to your specific technical needs. For more information visit us online at: http://www.tdaviation.com/
For more information contact:
Innovative Plastics Media Contacts
Susan LeBourdais
Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.A.
Tel: +1 413 448 7795
E-Mail: susan.lebourdais@sabic-ip.com
Luisa Tu
Shanghai, China
Tel: +86 21 3861 7363
E-Mail: luisa.tu@sabic.com.cn
