LUXeXceL Announces New Optics 3D Printing Process and Material – To Compete With Injection Molding

One of the more impressive companies we have covered over the last year has been the Netherlands-based LUXeXceL. The company uses a unique additive manufacturing process to create crystal clear 3D printed optics for a variety of key applications. The process, which allows a photosensitive resin to settle, prior to being cured by UV lighting, has certainly garnered the attention of several major manufacturers.

Today, the company has announced several key developments which have taken 3D optics printing to the next level. According to LUXeXceL, these new developments will make 3D printing of small and mid-sized optics just as efficient, if not more efficient than injection molding techniques.

The new patform promises to provide clients with precise, quick-to-market products, which will eliminate costly tools and the inflexibility inherant with injection molding. As part of this new platform, the company has unveiled a new LUX-Opticlear printing material. This new material can be printed to heights of up to 20mm, retaining its superb optical properties. Optics printed with LUX-opticlear will have a 96.9% internal transmission, and a perfectly smooth outer surface.

“The optical quality of the new LUX-Opticlear material combined with the digital advantages of this new additive process, makes our service an affordable and attractive solution for both prototyping and smaller or mid-sized volume manufacturing of optical components” says Richard van de Vrie, Founder and CEO of LUXeXceL. “As we do not need to post process the printed products, our process is fast and scalable, enabling optics designers to walk a perfect route from fast prototyping and easy iterating, to manufacturing the exact required volumes in days.”

Additionally, the company has unveiled a new ordering platform, which is expected to be rolled out over the remainder of this year. The platform will allow customers to log on to the system 24/7, securely upload their CAD files, and be provided with a quote based on the model’s specifications.

“The new platform is equipped with software that enables the uploading of various different types of CAD files and automatically re-processes the CAD files in specially formatted print-files,” explained van de Vrie. “These new capabilities combined with the ‘One-Step-CAD-to-Optic’ manufacturing process is interesting for various industries, as new optical products and functions will arrive on stage and optics can be tailored to every application, project or even single product.”

More details on this new platform and LUX-opticlear material can be found here. Let us know your thoughts on this breakthrough technology being used in the production of optics, in the LUXeXceL forum thread on 3DPB.com