XJet Hosts Grand Opening for Large Additive Manufacturing Center for Metals and Ceramics

XJet opened the doors of a new Additive Manufacturing Center. The Grand Opening event was witnessed by various XJet stakeholders including local suppliers, global customers and the company’s more than 100-member team. With an investment of over $10 million, the 8,000-square-foot facility in Rehovot Science Park is home to the largest collection of metal and ceramic 3D printers worldwide, comprised entirely of XJet Carmel AM systems.

The AM Center will support XJet in developing new 3D printing materials and applications. “The new AM Center is a crucial part of our pursuit for wide-ranging multi-material printing,” says XJet CEO Hanan Gothait. “XJet Carmel AM systems are currently available with one of two printing materials, stainless steel or zirconia. Our vision is a platform that prints with a multitude of metals and ceramics on the same part. We will use the AM Centre to develop and demonstrate specialized applications, print test parts for our global customer base and trial new metal and ceramic materials.”

The AM Center inauguration follows less than a year on from the commercial launch of XJet’s first AM system.

“I’m extremely proud of the progress made by the XJet team over the last year. In addition to opening the AM Center, which will speed up operations at XJet, we also held our first open house event at YBI in North America, and started working with a turnkey manufacturing company,” states Gothait. “NPJ technology delivers a step change in metal and ceramic additive manufacturing, and with huge potential in each market we’re working hard to build an infrastructure to support the rapid growth we will drive for the business.”

Using the company’s NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology, the XJet Carmel AM series allows manufacturers to produce ceramic or metal parts with the ease and versatility of inkjet printing. Due to its approach, the NPJ technology produces highly complex parts with superfine details, smooth surfaces and pinpoint accuracy. Remarkably thin layers of just a few microns can be achieved, compared to dozens of microns in powder-based ceramic and metal AM technologies. Cavities and fine details can be created with no concern that they will be harmed in the support-removal process, as a separate material is used for support structures, a material that easily disintegrates post-printing.

Guests at the AM Center Grand Opening were able to tour the facility and see the XJet 3D printers running live, observe how easy it is to remove support structures, and talk to XJet customers and employees. Attendees also heard from XJet customers including Syqe Medical, an Israeli manufacturer known for its metered-dose medical inhaler, and Oerlikon Group, a Swiss manufacturer and AM service bureau. In addition, TED speaker and winner of the Israeli Prime Minister's Prize for Initiatives and Innovation, Professor Oded Shoseyov, gave a talk on The Plant Age; Materials of the Future.

Sources: Press materials received from the company.