ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Jabil is launching Jabil Engineered Materials to develop, validate and bring engineered materials for additive manufacturing to the market.

The launch of the materials, which will be developed at the company’s newly opened Materials Innovation Center in Minnesota, was prompted by customer demand and Jabil’s 3-D printing division.

The Materials Innovation Center will serve as a one-stop shop for 3-D printing, encompassing polymer formulations, compound development and ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification.

“Jabil is taking advantage of its rich history in materials science innovation to advance the entire additive manufacturing market forward and produce custom materials in weeks, not months,” said John Dulchinos, Jabil’s vice president of digital manufacturing. “Our ability to integrate new engineered materials into our ecosystem of 3-D printers and rigorous processes will transform a new generation of additive manufacturing applications, including those for heavily regulated industries, such as aerospace, automotive, industrial and healthcare.”

Expected growth rates for 3-D printing have soared, despite lingering challenges with part quality and materials, according to Jabil. The company’s 2019 survey of 3-D printing stakeholders found that more than half of the 300 participants reported cost and availability of materials as obstacles for increasing 3-D printing adoption.

Jabil Engineered Materials will be available starting this month through distribution partners, including Chase Plastics and Channel Prime Alliance.