Resin distributor Jamplast has launched 3DSHQ, a business unit focused on additive manufacturing.
3DSHQ opened in late 2023 and caters to both the industrial manufacturing and consumer products sectors within the 3D printing market, according to officials with Jamplast in Ellisville, Mo. The firm has been working with the additive manufacturing market since 2008.
3DSHQ's offerings include sample sizes for consumers, research centers and any other entities needing material for sampling, as well as 3D/additive fused deposition modeling (FDM) filament and pellets used for 3D printing.
The new unit also offers 3D printing machines, from consumer-grade desktop filament-fed FDM printers to industrial-grade large-scale fused granulate fabrication (FGF) pellet-fed machines, along with continued education programs to train molders and processors on the long-term impact and viability of 3D and additive technologies.
Companies represented on the 3DSHQ platform include NatureWorks, BASF, Lucite, Trinseo, American Filament, Push Plastic, ProtoPasta and Jabil.
Jamplast officials said they typically see additive manufacturing benefit plastics processors and molders through design verification, prototyping, testing and creation of replacement parts. Those companies also can use 3D and additive printing for low-volume parts and jigs and fixtures, as well as for full production capabilities, which can provide an entirely new revenue stream for businesses.
3DSHQ already is producing positive results for Jamplast, President Mike Bernich said in an interview with Plastics News.
He added the new business unit "gained a lot of traction" with customers at the recent NPE2024 trade show. "It's one thing to be a materials supplier, but it's another to be a niche materials supplier," Bernich said. Running 3DSHQ as a separate unit "allows us to focus on that part of the business," he added.
Jamplast is marking its 30th anniversary this year. The firm distributes resins and compounds from nine suppliers, with a focus on engineering resins and bioplastics, and also offers recycling services. Jamplast was named one of PN's Best Places to Work in 2020 and 2022.
