DSM has debuted a flame-retardant polyamide (PA) filament material, Novamid AM1030 FR, the first UL Blue Card-certified filament for open systems. The material enables new applications in the automotive and electronics sectors, amongst others.

The UL Blue Card-certified flame-retardant Novamid grade presents an attractive solution for manufacturers looking for an easy-to-use, flame-retardant material to run in their open system. The material is certified as V0 at 1.6 and 3.2 mm, and as V2 at 0.85 mm. Building upon the strengths of DSM’s Novamid technology, the PA6/66 material offers manufacturers a high-performance solution for applications in industries such as automotive and electronics.

The material was tested in a UL-certified lab with a part built on an S5 printer of DSM’s partner Ultimaker. The UL Blue Card certifies the combination of material and printer. However, as the flame retardant Novamid AM1030 FR is an open-systems material, any and all manufacturers with access to an open-platform, fused filament fabrication system are able to work with the new material.

Nirali Surati, Product Manager Additive Manufacturing at DSM, says: “Moving additive manufacturing to full scale industrial production requires more materials that meet customer and market needs. This innovation in flame-retardant materials unlocks affordable 3D printing for applications that need to meet governmental and industry regulatory standards with regard to flammability.”

Novamid AM1030 FR is a non-halogenated material, making it a logical choice for manufacturers looking for environmentally friendly, high-performance materials.

“Because of 3D printing’s continued penetration into industrial applications, we have noticed increasing end-user demand for standardization, predictability, and reliability of FFF 3D printing,” notes Stefan Weyrich, Business Development Manager Materials at Ultimaker. “Thanks to the collaboration between DSM and Ultimaker, it is now possible for industrial customers to produce functional parts that are validated by UL.”

Adds Weyrich, “UL Blue Card certification enables many applications in the electric and electronics sector. The certification applies specifically to the Novamid AM1030 FR material in combination with the Ultimaker S5 – our easy-to-use 3D printer with a large build volume, high uptime and reliable dual extrusion, created to deliver accurate, industrial-grade parts.”