COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Making a Difference in the AM Supply Chain with Carbon-Reduced PA 12
November 19, 2024
Sustainability is a key part of our mission and shared vision at Materialise to create a better and healthier world — and our sustainability goals, objectives, and work with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) demonstrate this commitment. We transitioned to renewable electricity in all our production sites and the majority of our offices in 2022, saving over 4,000 tonnes of CO2e annually. At the same time, we’ve produced software solutions that have drastically cut scrap rates, minimized material consumption, and optimized the efficiency of our 3D printing processes.
These innovations are vital to meet the near-term target of reducing our CO2 emissions by 55% by 2029. However, to do so and to make the additive manufacturing (AM) industry even more sustainable, it’s paramount that we collaborate with organizations earlier in the supply chain. This is because a significant portion of our Scope 3 emissions are created due to the materials and goods we purchase.
To reduce this, we’re working with partners like HP and other upstream suppliers to minimize the impact of PA 12: switching to a carbon-reduced powder for Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and selective laser sintering (SLS). Early this year, we changed from the regular PA 12 powder for MJF to our carbon-reduced PA 12. Additionally, we will replace our SLS PA 12 with its carbon-reduced variant at the beginning of 2025.
PA 12 is the most used plastic material in the 3D printing industry. Switching to this more sustainable option will drastically reduce our carbon footprint by more than 700 tonnes annually.
“This is excellent news, as making progress and working on projects that reduce our emissions is essential,” says Leen Kuijken, Head of Sustainability at Materialise.
Our suppliers achieved this remarkable feat by switching entirely to renewable electricity in their production process, allowing us to reduce 46% of our PA 12 emissions. This is a statement of intent, as using greener, more renewable energy sources throughout the supply chain benefits everyone.
“We appreciate the efforts of HP and our other suppliers to make this happen. This could only have been achieved through collaboration. By working together, we’re able to make a difference and reduce our carbon footprint even further,” says Jurgen Laudus, Vice President of Materialise Manufacturing.
“Openness and collaboration are key growth drivers for AM. At HP, we are constantly improving our supply chains while maintaining an open dialogue with our partners to foster change and make a sustainable impact. We believe this approach will positively affect people and communities worldwide,” says François Minec, VP and Global Head of 3D Polymers at HP.
The carbon-reduced PA 12 powder sits beside other initiatives to reduce raw material emissions by optimizing our production processes and repurposing powder, with the option of reusing it or giving it an alternative life.
“We partnered with Arkema to bring new life to our polyamide scrap powder and change it into pellets for injection molding — this downcycled powder reduces waste and is an important step towards more circularity. Furthermore, we’ve collaborated with others in the past and will collaborate with more companies in the future. It’s hard to consider where we would be without partnerships,” says Leen.
Collaboration and partnerships are two factors that made this latest innovation possible, alongside adopting more sustainable practices across our entire supply chain. The more companies working together to remove barriers in the AM industry, the greater the chance of ‘Collaboration Catalysts’ ensuing, and the quicker AM’s adoption rate will accelerate going forward.
For more information about how we empower suppliers to embed sustainability into their business models and our drive toward sustainability, please see our latest sustainability report.
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