Xenia entry in additive

Founded almost three decades ago, the Italian company Xenia is a major player in the world of thermoplastic polymers. The company’s foundation is built on the development and production of composite materials for injection molding and has served many customers over the years in a number of different industries, including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, energy, medical, consumer goods , sports. , oil and gas and transportation. Most recently, the company has expanded its materials development to include polymers optimized for additive manufacturing and, in particular, pellet-based extrusion printers ranging in size from desktop FDM/FFF to large-format additive manufacturing ( LFAM).

In a recent interview between VoxelMatters and Xenia founder Fabio Azzolin, he told us that the move to AM was “driven by advances in AM technologies that allowed the use of pellet-based materials to produce large parts more efficiently “. From there, the company refined many of its existing fiber-reinforced plastic formulations specifically for large-format extrusion machines and eventually launched its 3DP MATERIALS business unit. Within this unit, the materials company offers a broad portfolio of AM-compatible materials, comprising the following product families: XECARB 3DP, XEBRID 3DP, XEGLASS 3DP, XELIGHT 3DP and XEGREEN 3DP.

The company introduced its first high-performance composites for 3D printing at Formnext 2023 and has since released several AM-optimized grades, including the recent launch of XEGREEN 23-C20-3DP at JEC World 2024. As we’ll see in more detail. , the company’s 3D printing granular materials are versatile and can accommodate a wide range of applications, whether end users are looking for lighter and more economical alternatives to metal, a hard composite for tooling, or a slightly flexible product for sports applications.

XECARB 3DP

Xenia’s XECARB 3DP family of materials is based on its standard XECARB product range and consists of highly selected base polymers, all reinforced with carbon fibre. The XECARB 3DP portfolio includes materials spanning the polymer pyramid, from engineering polymers (eg HDPE, POM, ABS, PET-G) to high-performance ultra-polymers (eg PEI, PESU, PEEK, PPS), with a carbon fiber. reinforcement that goes up to 50%. This group of materials is the broadest in the Xenia portfolio and is known for providing superior mechanical properties, low density and low thermal expansion and is ideal for metal replacement and tooling applications.

According to Xenia, the greatest demand from LFAM 3D printing end users today is for composite tooling applications, and the XECARB 3DP range of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics is ideal for this application area. This is due not only to the hardness of the composites, but also to the fact that the fiber reinforcement minimizes the risk of deformation throughout the printing process, resulting in high-fidelity parts with a high-quality surface finish, especially in curing processes.

Highlights:

• High mechanical properties
• Optimum modulus/density ratio
• Lower electrical resistivity (surface and volumetric)

XEGLASS 3DP

The XEGLASS 3DP family includes a range of long-chain polyamides such as PA11, PA12, PA 6.12 and PA 4.10, reinforced with a high amount of glass fiber, which can be up to 65%. These composites are known for being stiff and strong, making them suitable for specific structural projects that need to withstand stress and remain strong over time while being able to withstand impacts.

Additional glass fiber reinforcement gives the compounds extra strength, making them a good choice for applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace and consumer goods manufacturing. In addition, they are still easy to use in the production process, meeting the needs of modern 3D printing production.

Highlights:

• Based on light long chain polyamides
• Electrical insulators
• dye

XBRID 3DP

The XEBRID 3DP family of materials consists of thermoplastic composites reinforced with carbon fibers and glass. As with the XECARB 3DP family, the XEBRID 3DP family can be developed on the same polymer base as its carbon-only counterpart, ranging from amorphous to semi-crystalline polymer bases. The combination of both carbon and glass fibers results in a material that has both the weight and stiffness characteristics of carbon fiber reinforcement and the mechanical and physical characteristics of glass fiber.

In terms of applications, the XEBRID 3DP family is an excellent candidate for metal replacement applications, allowing users to minimize costs while maintaining high performance and process efficiency. Xenia cites several possible industries where XEBRID 3DP materials can make a difference, including agricultural equipment, construction, industrial equipment and oil and gas. The material properties of XEBRID 3DP can also benefit other fields such as sports equipment, aeronautics and mobility and transport, which require lightweight parts with excellent mechanical properties and good processability.

Highlights:

• Good value proposition
• fickle
• Low surface and volumetric electrical conductivity
• Combining the mechanical characteristics of XECARB 3DP with the toughness and economy of XEGLASS 3DP

XELIGHT 3DP

Xelight 3DP is the Xenia family of ultra-light compounds based on PEBA, a thermoplastic elastomer designed for light and flexible properties. These products are developed based on Arkema’s Pebax family of materials, which offer low density, efficient energy return and durability at low temperatures.

Optimized for large format 3D printing, the XELIGHT family of compounds stands out for its combination of lightness (up to 0.87 g/cm3) and high impact resistance (especially at low temperatures), as well as excellent flexibility and rebound. This specific combination of material properties makes the raw material ideal for sports and marine applications where minimal weight, flexibility and impact resistance are required.

Highlights:

• Lighter-than-water materials that allow a density advantage of up to 15% compared to standard unfilled grades
• Variable hardness and density
• Easy to color

XEGREEN 3DP

As the product name suggests, Xenia’s XEGREEN 3DP materials are the company’s most durable range. These 3D printing-optimized thermoplastic materials are made from up to 100% recycled polymers and carbon fibers, yet offer similar properties to the company’s standard XECARB 3DP grades (in terms of processability, mechanical properties and electrical characteristics).

This family of 3D printing materials includes compounds based on PA6, PA66, PP, PET-G, PEBA and PA12, each of which can be reinforced with up to 50% carbon fiber.

Due to the comparable properties of these recycled materials to the XECARB 3DP family, the XEGREEN 3DP range is suitable for a variety of industrial applications, including 3D printing tools, molds and other production aids.

Highlights:

• High content of polymer and recycled fibers, up to 100%
• Batch-to-batch consistency
• Mechanical properties comparable to standard XECARB 3DP grades

An expanding 3DP portfolio

It has been less than a year since Xenia first launched its first types of composites optimized for extrusion-based additive manufacturing and already offers a versatile portfolio of materials suitable for markets including industrial manufacturing, sporting goods, sustainable mobility , construction, energy and defense, among others.

Suffice it to say, this is just the beginning for the Italian company, which has other AM materials on the horizon based on its existing product lines, such as XECARB SL 3DP, a family of super-light structural compounds reinforced with carbon fibers ; XECARB HM 3DP, characterized by high modulus carbon fiber reinforcement; and SOFT MATERIALS 3DP, a selection of thermoplastic elastomers reinforced with carbon and glass fibers. Finally, Xenia’s latest business expansion not only creates opportunities for the company, but also broadens the market for high-performance 3D printing composites and ultimately creates new opportunities for AM end users and new adopters.