Toray Industries, Inc., has completed a mass production system and initiated sales of ToraypearlPA6. This truly spherical polyamide 6 particle offers high strength, heat resistance, and surface smoothness for powder bed fusion 3D printers.

The production facility for this offering should be fully operational by the fiscal year ending March 2026, and further expanding this business and lifting capacity will be insighted.

Powder bed fusion 3D printers use metal or resin particles and offer the 3Dprinted parts with high dimensional accuracy and efficiency. Metals are for applications requiring exceptional strength. Polymers are commonly for industrial applications because of lightness and affordable costs.

Toray's truly spherical ToraypearlPA6 polymers.

However, polymer particles containing mainly used polyamide 12 and others are irregular shapes. Printed surfaces thus require polishing and other post-processing to use them in prototypes or end-use parts, increasing costs and lead times being the issue.

This situation prompted Toray to apply its proprietary polyamide particle technology to polyamide 6, which has a high melting point and good mechanical properties. This effort led it to create ToraypearlPA6, the first product with true spherical polyamide 6 particles.

This offering caters to customer demand for printed parts with smoother surfaces, greater strength and heat resistance under tougher conditions.

The performance characteristics of ToraypearlPA6 enable 3D printing of complex and precise shapes as well as smooth surface, this can reduce the need for polishing and other post-processing stages.

The 3D printed Intake manifold made from ToraypearlPA6.

Furthermore, spherical particles ensure the fluidity needed for 3D printing, even when blended with reinforcing glass fibers, for modeling that combines excellent rigidity with the attributes mentioned above.

Toray will leverage these features in initially proposing prototypes for automotive parts, power tools, and other equipment requiring a lot of strength, heat resistance, and precision. It ultimately looks to expand into the 3D printer market for end-use parts.

This new product will augment ToraymillPPS, a polyphenylene sulfide resin milled powder launched in 2017, as part of Toray’s drive to expand its lineup of resin materials for 3D printers.

Tokyo-based 3D printer company Aspect Inc. has already obtained conformity certification for ToraypearlPA6 for its AM-E3 300HT and 550HT additive manufacturing printers.

Toray Industries, Inc., has completed a mass production system and initiated sales of ToraypearlPA6. This truly spherical polyamide 6 particle offers high strength, heat resistance, and surface smoothness for powder bed fusion 3D printers.

The production facility for this offering should be fully operational by the fiscal year ending March 2026, and further expanding this business and lifting capacity will be insighted.

Powder bed fusion 3D printers use metal or resin particles and offer the 3Dprinted parts with high dimensional accuracy and efficiency. Metals are for applications requiring exceptional strength. Polymers are commonly for industrial applications because of lightness and affordable costs.

Toray's truly spherical ToraypearlPA6 polymers.

However, polymer particles containing mainly used polyamide 12 and others are irregular shapes. Printed surfaces thus require polishing and other post-processing to use them in prototypes or end-use parts, increasing costs and lead times being the issue.

This situation prompted Toray to apply its proprietary polyamide particle technology to polyamide 6, which has a high melting point and good mechanical properties. This effort led it to create ToraypearlPA6, the first product with true spherical polyamide 6 particles.

This offering caters to customer demand for printed parts with smoother surfaces, greater strength and heat resistance under tougher conditions.

The performance characteristics of ToraypearlPA6 enable 3D printing of complex and precise shapes as well as smooth surface, this can reduce the need for polishing and other post-processing stages.

The 3D printed Intake manifold made from ToraypearlPA6.

Furthermore, spherical particles ensure the fluidity needed for 3D printing, even when blended with reinforcing glass fibers, for modeling that combines excellent rigidity with the attributes mentioned above.

Toray will leverage these features in initially proposing prototypes for automotive parts, power tools, and other equipment requiring a lot of strength, heat resistance, and precision. It ultimately looks to expand into the 3D printer market for end-use parts.

This new product will augment ToraymillPPS, a polyphenylene sulfide resin milled powder launched in 2017, as part of Toray’s drive to expand its lineup of resin materials for 3D printers.

Tokyo-based 3D printer company Aspect Inc. has already obtained conformity certification for ToraypearlPA6 for its AM-E3 300HT and 550HT additive manufacturing printers.