Driving the Future of Industrial 3D Printing: An Interview with INTAMSYS on High-Performance Polymers

Shanghai-based INTAMSYS stands at the forefront of the additive manufacturing industry, renowned as a leading industrial-grade 3D printer manufacturer and solutions provider. Specializing in advanced functional materials, INTAMSYS has carved a niche for itself by enabling the precise and reliable printing of high-performance polymers like PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM. These materials are indispensable across numerous applications due to their exceptional properties. For instance, high-performance polymers (HPPs) offer superior thermal resistance, enduring significantly higher temperatures than conventional plastics, along with remarkable chemical stability and acid resistance, making them ideal for harsh industrial environments. In the critical medical sector, their inherent biocompatibility is a game-changer, facilitating the creation of advanced implants and customized prosthetics that seamlessly integrate with the human body. To delve deeper into their innovative solutions, market vision, and future aspirations, we sat down with Charles Han, co-founder and CEO of INTAMSYS, for an exclusive interview.

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and tell us your relationship with 3D printing technologies?

I am Charles Han, the CEO of INTAMSYS, an industrial 3D printer manufacturer based in Shanghai, exclusively focused on polymer additive manufacturing. Our journey began with a collective vision from a group of engineers, all specialists in high-speed, high-precision equipment development. Our core mission from day one has been to ‘customize our future life.’ This isn’t just a tagline; it signifies our commitment to propelling 3D printing beyond its traditional role of rapid prototyping for research and development, directly into the realm of direct manufacturing for end-use production. Recognizing the transformative potential of 3D printing, we leveraged our extensive experience and knowledge to officially enter the market in 2014. We were convinced then, as we are now, that additive manufacturing would fundamentally reshape future industrial landscapes. Our dedication to innovation quickly paid off, and we gained significant recognition for our exceptional PEEK printing capabilities, largely thanks to the early success and popularity of our FUNMAT HT industrial 3D printer.

Since those foundational years, INTAMSYS has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing customers with robust and reliable industrial 3D printing solutions. Our focus encompasses a wide spectrum of materials, from crucial high-performance functional materials such as PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM (PEI), to a diverse range of engineering-grade materials including PC, PA, and ABS. Witnessing the rapid evolution and expansion of the 3D printing market, particularly in 2019 and beyond, confirms that our strategic direction has been sound. We firmly believe that the most exciting advancements and growth for INTAMSYS, and the additive manufacturing industry as a whole, are still on the horizon.

3DN: Why did INTAMSYS decide to focus on HPPs (High Performance Polymers)?

Our decision to specialize in High-Performance Polymers (HPPs) stems directly from observing the evolving demands within the additive manufacturing market. A significant number of highly critical applications simply cannot be met by conventional materials, necessitating the unique properties offered by functional materials such as PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM (PEI), and PPSU. These materials are not just ‘better’; they possess distinct characteristics that are essential for industrial-grade performance. PEEK, for instance, is globally recognized for its extraordinary high temperature endurance, allowing parts to retain structural integrity and mechanical properties in extreme heat environments where other polymers would fail. Its exceptional acid resistance and chemical inertness make it invaluable for industries dealing with corrosive substances. Furthermore, the inherent biocompatible nature of many HPPs, particularly PEEK, is crucial for stringent medical applications, including long-term implants and custom surgical guides, ensuring patient safety and device longevity. For demanding sectors like automotive, aerospace, oil & gas, and electronics, our goal is to elevate 3D printing technology to new levels of reliability when working with these high-end materials, enabling direct production of critical components.

Printing high-performance functional materials presents significant engineering challenges. Unlike common plastics, these advanced polymers typically require extremely high processing temperatures, necessitating a specialized high-temperature chamber within the 3D printer. Achieving and maintaining the precise thermal environment for optimal material fusion and layer adhesion, without succumbing to warping or delamination, is a complex task. Our innovation lies in developing proprietary technologies to meet these stringent requirements, all while meticulously navigating and respecting existing intellectual property landscapes. This involved an extensive period of detailed thermal analysis, followed by iterative optimization of our printer’s thermal design. We engineered our systems to not only reach but also precisely control the necessary high temperatures throughout the build process, ensuring consistent print quality and mechanical integrity for every part produced. This rigorous approach is fundamental to delivering the reliable performance our industrial clients expect when working with such valuable materials.

3DN: What does INTAMSYS offer as of today and can you tell us about the key factors to your brand’s success?

Today, INTAMSYS prides itself on offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial 3D printing solutions that empower our customers to transition from mere prototyping to concrete, end-use applications across a diverse array of industries. From the demanding requirements of automotive and aerospace to the specialized needs of oil & gas and medical sectors, our machines are built to deliver. The latest additions to our acclaimed FUNMAT series, the FUNMAT PRO 410 and the FUNMAT PRO 610 HT, exemplify this commitment. These advanced systems are engineered as all-in-one solutions, meticulously designed to meet the most stringent and demanding requirements of the additive manufacturing industry, offering larger build volumes, enhanced precision, and even greater material versatility.

A cornerstone of our success lies in our holistic approach to customer solutions. We aim to provide a truly one-stop experience for users of our FUNMAT 3D printers. To achieve this, we actively collaborate with leading filament manufacturers worldwide. This allows us to develop and provide dedicated, pre-configured printing profiles directly integrated into our proprietary software, INTAMSUITE. This means that regardless of their specific application or the high-performance material they choose – be it PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM, or others – our customers can benefit from optimized settings that have been rigorously tested and validated. The result is consistently superior printing quality, reduced trial-and-error, and significantly enhanced productivity. This seamless integration of hardware, software, and material profiles is a key differentiator in the market.

The reliability and comprehensive capabilities of our industrial 3D printers are paramount to our brand’s success. We understand that finding a truly dependable 3D printer capable of handling not only High-Performance Functional Materials like PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM (PEI), and PPSU but also a broad spectrum of Engineering Materials such as PC, PA, PA-CF (Carbon Fiber reinforced Polyamide), ABS, and TPU, all with exceptional precision and repeatability, can be a significant challenge in the industry. Our commitment to engineering excellence ensures that INTAMSYS printers meet this demand, offering unmatched versatility, consistent performance, and long-term operational stability, thereby delivering tangible value to our industrial clientele.

3DN: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see INTAMSYS in 10 years?

Our strategic vision for the future is centered on continuous expansion and, crucially, fostering even closer proximity to our global customer base and network of resellers. This commitment to ‘proximity’ is already being actioned; we recently opened a new office in Stuttgart, Germany, marking a significant step in strengthening our European presence and support capabilities. This move allows us to better understand and respond to regional market demands, provide localized technical support, and build stronger relationships within the European additive manufacturing ecosystem. Looking ahead, we plan to further expand our international footprint with similar strategic regional hubs. We believe passionately in sharing our latest 3D printing innovations with a worldwide audience, which is why we actively participate in major international exhibitions. You’ll find us showcasing our cutting-edge solutions at events like TCT Birmingham (UK) at the end of September, and during the prestigious Formnext in Frankfurt (Germany) in mid-November. These platforms are vital for engaging with industry leaders, potential clients, and the wider AM community.

In 10 years, we envision INTAMSYS not just as a leading manufacturer but as a complete ecosystem provider for high-performance additive manufacturing. This means expanding our material compatibility even further, potentially exploring new categories of functional materials and composites. We aim to continually push the boundaries of printing speed, precision, and repeatability, making industrial 3D printing an even more efficient and cost-effective production method. Our software platform, INTAMSUITE, will evolve into an even more intelligent and user-friendly interface, integrating AI and machine learning for predictive maintenance and automated optimization. We also anticipate playing a pivotal role in standardizing industrial additive manufacturing processes and materials, ensuring greater interoperability and reliability across the industry. Ultimately, INTAMSYS will be synonymous with pioneering innovation, global accessibility, and unparalleled reliability in the advanced materials 3D printing space.

3DN: We’ve seen your international activity growing over the past years, how is AM developing back in China?

The growth of additive manufacturing in China has been nothing short of explosive, solidifying its position as a major global player. According to the Wohlers Report, China’s AM market had already surpassed an impressive 1 billion USD by the end of 2016, a monumental increase from approximately 140 million USD in 2011. This trajectory shows no signs of slowing down. Forecasts from the American International Data Group (IDG) indicate that China’s AM industry will maintain an annual growth rate of at least 22.3% in the coming years, with projections estimating the industrial scale of AM in China to exceed 3 billion USD by 2020. This phenomenal growth is fueled by several powerful factors.

Firstly, China holds the largest manufacturing volume globally, providing an immense industrial base ripe for AM adoption. Secondly, there’s active and aggressive development in key high-tech industries such as aerospace and automotive, where the benefits of lightweighting, complex geometries, and rapid iteration offered by 3D printing are highly valued. These sectors are increasingly integrating AM into their production workflows for both prototyping and end-part manufacturing. Thirdly, the burgeoning personalized demands of Chinese consumers are driving the need for customized products, which additive manufacturing is uniquely positioned to deliver. From custom medical devices to consumer goods, the demand for tailored solutions is on the rise. Driven by innovative companies like INTAMSYS, which continuously push the technological envelope, China’s AM industry will not only continue its rapid expansion but is also poised to play an increasingly significant and influential role on the global stage in the years to come, contributing significantly to material science, machine development, and application innovation worldwide.

3DN: Do you have any last words for our readers?

At INTAMSYS, our daily motivation is deeply rooted in the continuous pursuit of innovation and the relentless improvement of cutting-edge 3D printing technology. We are passionate about empowering industries with the tools to create previously impossible parts and to redefine what’s achievable with advanced materials.

To discover more about how INTAMSYS is shaping the future of industrial 3D printing and our range of solutions, we invite you to visit our official website HERE.

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