If taken as an example of industry’s progress on the whole,Formnext 2018sent the clear message that 3D printing is in need of two things:peripheralsand materials.
In recent years, a number of traditional chemical companies have pounced on the opportunity to fulfill the needs of a maturing additive manufacturing industry. Not only is this reflected by the presence of said chemical companies at leading 3D printing trade shows, but it is increasingly driven by customer demand. On an widespread applications-driven plan, the industry requires more materials that can compete with, and exceed, conventional options. As the newly appointed VP of Additive Manufacturing at Dutch multinationalRoyal DSM, Hugo Da Silva is at the forefront of this progress.
In an exclusive interview, Da Silva speaks to me about his vision for the future, and the trajectory of 3D printer materials development at Royal DSM.
Guiding the transition from prototyping to production
据达·席尔瓦（Da Silva）称，这位116岁的皇家DSM已经活跃于3D打印机材料已有25年了，他认为这使其成为第一个闯入该细分市场的传统化学公司。他说：“ [3D系统]发行的第一个3D打印机包含DSM材料。”
The company’s 3D printer material portfolio started with the Somos family of products, available both as a filament, e.g.Novamid, Arnitel and Arnitematerials, and as a wide range of resins suitable for SLA. In addition, Royal DSM also offers a range of polymer powders suitable for 3D printing, including some in-development with HP’s材料开发套件for Multi Jet Fusion.
At present, Da Silva says he sees his responsibility at Royal DSM as guiding the company through “3D printing’s transitional phase,” i.e. moving from prototyping through to end use applications on a production scale.
This “transition” is something which Da Silva sees aligning with previous technology developments. In his professional history, Da Silva was working in television electronics when the hardware started opting for LED screens. As such, he sees many similarities between the two industries. “A lot is happening in the same way,” he explains, “You lower the cost, increase adoption, and now the [new] technology can replace [its predecessor]. It’s a pattern.”
“That could be the same in 3D printing, though it is more complex: you are not isolated to an industry.”
Applications, ecosystem, business model and sustainability
为了与市场竞争对手保持竞争力，Da Silva详细介绍了一个四管齐的计划，该计划指挥3D印刷在Royal DSM。
First of all, he explains, materials development is “application focused”, a direction which has resulted in the formation of Royal DSM subsidiary DSM Additive. One example of this directive is the development of the new orange coloredSomos PerFORM Reflect树脂。在颜色上引人注目，尽管很不寻常，但该规范是由需要它进行风洞测试的汽车客户直接要求的。
Second in DSM’s plan, is the ecosystem. “We believe in partnerships,” says Da Silva. Though many of its customers remain undisclosed the VP of Additive Manufacturing places an emphasis on maintaining “a very strong link” with the industry’s leading OEMs. Some of the company’s recent partnerships have included adistribution agreementwith Dutch supplierFormfutura.
Third in this plan is a new business model, namely an “open” approach to material compatibility, “unlocking the machine.”
And Da Silva’s final point is DSM’s sustainability, a value he believes isn’t shared by other rivals in the market.
DSM welcomes competition
A broad range of applications were showcased across Royal DSM’s booth at Formnext 2018, covering key industries like automotive, medical, sports equipment and the wider engineering sector.
With its continuing strategy it will be interesting to see how the company holds up against competition and navigates the industry’s pivotal “transition stage.”
For now, at least, Da Silva asserts:
“我很高兴看到所有大型材料公司都在做同样的事情，因为它验证了我们的方向。”
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Featured image shows Hugo Da Silva, VP of Additive Manufacturing at Royal DSM. Photo via Royal DSM
