Fabulous Brings Its Food-Safe Powder Materials to North America

Fabulous, a French developer and supplier of technical powder materials for selective laser sintering (SLS), is entering the American market with its patented and certified food-contact materials. The company, a provider of technical materials for the food and pharmaceutical industries, warns about the reality of health certifications for some materials dedicated to 3D printing.

Second-Source Supplier in SLS Technical Powder Market

Fabulous develops and supplies powder materials for powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies, particularly selective laser sintering (SLS). The company says that 90% of SLS 3D printers are compatible with its powders, whether in the industrial SLS systems segment or the compact SLS systems segment. This third-party offering enables 3D printer users to purchase technical powder materials based on PA11 or PA12 at competitive prices, with high-quality technical and application support.

The company is known for having developed food-safe technical powders for the food and pharmaceutical sectors, notably the certified Bluecare and Detect powders, which feature optical and metallic detection functionalities.

Alert on Food-Safe Material Certifications

These powders are developed based on PA11, which is bio-sourced and recyclable, providing significant added value from the perspective of food contact certifications in Europe (EU 10/2011 – 1935/2004) and the U.S. (FDA CFR 21). The choice was made to use a bio-sourced base, without initiator additives and degradable pigments, to ensure the best health safety certifications for the end consumer. As an expert in the sector, Fabulous says the market has developed with materials based on PA12, derived from petroleum and composed of additives such as titanium dioxide. These PA12 materials do not comply with the European Union safety alerts gradually banning the use of TiO2 in food components, nor with FDA regulations limiting the use of PA12 only to ultrathin parts equivalent to a food film or powder coating.

Launch in the North American Market

Fabulous is now launching in the American market, leveraging its expertise in the food and pharmaceutical sectors acquired in Europe over several years. The company’s materials have the highest food contact certifications from the FDA CFR21 positive list applicable in the U.S. The company also filed a patent in 2021, which was internationalized in early 2024, including in the U.S. The materials are already available, and partnerships are underway with machine manufacturers and distributors.

Other innovative materials will join the Fabulous Safety and Security range, and are currently under development. Those materials will be unveiled at the end of 2024.