Bioplastics Magazine introduces WillowFlex from BioInspiration and Green Dot
The magazine introduced its audience to WillowFlex, a new flexible and compostable 3D printing filament that was the result of a collaboration between Berlin-based BioInspiration and Green Dot.
When BioInspiration, an organic materials company based in Eberswalde, Greater-Berlin, Germany, first began exploring the market opportunities for renewably-sourced materials, one area especially stood out – that of filaments for 3D printing.
Flexible filaments had been seen as an area of opportunity since shortly after the advent of 3D printing technology itself. And already, numerous flexible filaments were available on the market. BioInspiration discovered, however, that what did not exist was a material that was both flexible and made from compostable raw materials – a need the company sought to fulfill.
The result is WillowFlex, a new flexible filament for 3D printers that offers unmatched superior performance with greater temperature resistance, better adhesion and faster printing speeds. The filament is made with a bioplastic called Terratek® Flex, a compostable elastomeric bioplastic made by Green Dot (Cottonwood Falls, KS).
BioInspiration prides itself on identifying materials that “follow nature’s lead”, i.e. are compostable, upcyclable, harmless, innovative and resilient. In the course of the search for a material that could meet these requirements, BioInspiration learned about Terratek® Flex, Green Dot’s compostable elastomeric bioplastic. It was a good fit: Green Dot had already been experimenting with ways to put their plastic into 3D Printing for a number of years.
“When BioInspiration approached us, ready to take the reins on developing a 3D print form of our materials we moved forward immediately. This brings together two merging branches of Plastic Development – next generation bioplastics and 3D Print integration” said Green Dot CEO, Mark Remmert.
