Page 71 - Plastic News Issue August 2025

PRODUCT NEWS

A high performance polymer built for

LMPAEK was specifically optimized for material ex-
trusion 3D printing with a lower melting temperature,
wider processing window, and significantly slower
crystallization rates, enabling stronger interlayer ad-
hesion and making the material significantly easier to
print. In addition to LMPAEK’s improved isotropy and
printability, the material offers similar capabilities to
other PAEK family polymers, such as PEEK and PEKK.
ApplicationsWhen it comes to high performance pol-
ymers, LMPAEK offers a perfect balance of material
properties and printability. The polymer’s high spe-
olyaryletherketone (PAEK) is a family of high cific strength and excellent heat/chemical resistive
performance semi-crystalline thermoplastics properties make it a top option for oil & gas, aero-
Pwhich includes PEEK, PEKK, and recently added space, lightweighting, and high strength/heat tooling
VICTREX AM™ 200, a low melt polyaryletherketone applications, such as composite layup molds, therm-
(LMPAEK™) specifically designed for additive manu- oforming tools, end of arm tooling, and more.
facturing. This new high performance polymer offers 3D Printing VICTREX AM™ 200
similar performance compared to PEEK and PEKK but
with improved printability and interlayer welding. In LMPAEK can be printed either in an amorphous state
this article, we discuss why Victrex AM 200 should be using lower chamber temperatures, followed by an
added to your lineup of high performance 3D printing annealing process, or directly as a semi-crystalline
polymers. part by employing chamber temperatures above 150
°C. Both approaches have their respective advan-
The Challenges Printing PEEK
tages and disadvantages. Printing in the amorphous
Most commercially available PEEK filaments are state is significantly easier, but depending on pro-
made from existing grades of PEEK, where molecular cessing conditions, is more susceptible to warping
weights, viscosities, and crystallisation kinetics have during the annealing — some of which can be mitigat-
been optimized for injection moulding or bulk extru- ed by submerging the part in sand during annealing.
sion processes. As a result, these materials crystallize Alternatively, printing AM200 directly semi-crystal-
rapidly after extrusion, limiting polymer chain mobility line is more challenging but saves time and provides
and preventing effective interlayer diffusion — weak- greater dimensional accuracy, since it eliminates
ening interlayer bonding and reducing mechanical warping that can occur during the annealing process.
uniformity, while also increasing the risk of warping,
delamination, and residual stresses within the printed AON3D’s Hylo™ high-temperature 3D printer is pur-
part. pose-built for 3D printing high performance poly-
mers, such as PEEK and LMPAEK, while accompany-
To successfully 3D print PEEK, crystallization must be ing Basis™ AI-Optimization Software reduces time to
slowed either by using a 3D printer capable of main- part and increases part strength by up to 85%, no
taining chamber temperatures above 250 °C, such as manual tuning required. Connect with AON3D’s ad-
AON3D’s Hylo™ High Temperature 3D Printer. Alter- ditive manufacturing specialists to discover how your
natively, you can select a polymer with similar per- business can leverage high-temperature 3D printing
formance but slower crystallization kinetics, such as to produce high performance parts—stronger, faster,
VICTREX AM™ 200 Fil.
larger, and easier than ever before.
LMPAEK™ Properties
Source - smart_molding

August 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 71