KIMYA, the ARMOR group company dedicated to additive manufacturing, continues to expand its range of recycled filaments within the framework of the FIL’REC project tied to the ORPLAST plastics recycling scheme.
For the third stage of the programme initiated by ADEME, KIMYA is focusing its research on developing a new offering by 2024: recycled high-performance materials.
After its first successful participation in the ORPLAST scheme leading to the commercialisation of four new recycled filaments, KIMYA is now targeting between 70% and 100% recycled materials in so-called high-performance filaments, without affecting the properties. With higher resistance levels and benefiting from physical-chemical properties, such as resistance to high temperatures and warping, these materials are notably suitable for applications in the railway, automotive and aerospace industries.
“Developing recycled high-performance materials poses a significant technical challenge for our teams, but which will enable us to provide the market with a unique offering, as there are no players in the additive manufacturing market currently using recycled high-performance materials. It is also an opportunity for us to extend our offering of engineering materials and to expand our range of eco-designed filaments”, stated Nicolas Morand, R&D, Innovation & Industrialisation Manager at KIMYA.
Convinced that Industry 4.0 is synonymous with local production, KIMYA is seeking to take part in the relocation of industrial projects. This is why the additive manufacturing expert aims to collaborate mainly with French operators in this third stage of the ORPLAST scheme.
“At KIMYA, we know that it is only by adding our strengths that we will be able to create a local and sustainable production ecosystem. We have set ourselves the primary objective of working with French companies, from the sourcing of recycled plastic materials to the various stages of technical feasibility”, explained Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage, Business Development Director at KIMYA.
Lasting three years, the objective of the ORPLAST scheme is to provide financial support for plasturgists and manufacturers that convert raw materials into products by incorporating recycled plastics in the materials they use. ORPLAST provides the selected operators with research and investment support in order to adapt manufacturing processes to the integration of recycled plastics. The FIL’REC project is being funded by ADEME in order to remove certain technological obstacles impeding the use of recycled plastics.
“Born out of the determination of the ARMOR group to turn waste into a genuine resource, KIMYA entered the additive manufacturing market in 2016 by offering its first filament designed using industrial waste from food packaging. We have since continued to expand our range of eco-designed materials in order to meet the ever-growing demand. Our ultimate goal is to offer a comprehensive range of filaments containing between 70% and 100% recycled materials. This third stage of the ORPLAST programme is once again an excellent vehicle for private-sector operators to demonstrate that growth and innovation can no longer be done at the expense of resource preservation” concluded Pierre-Antoine Pluvinage.
