Xaar Focuses on 3D Printing Transforming from Prototyping to Volume Production

Back in 2015, Xaar, which is based in the UK and develops and manufactures inkjet technology and piezoelectric, drop-on-demand industrial printheads, jumped headfirst into the 3D printing world a year after helping FACTUM develop special inkjet technology for its 3D printer. The company hasn’t looked back since, announcing the creation of a new Xaar 3D Centre in Nottingham, which just had its official opening in March, and becoming a member of an Innovate UK-funded consortium to develop AMT’s automated, intelligent post-processing machine. Add in a new Materialise 3D software bundle option and a new printhead, and it’s safe to say that Xaar is making big things happen.

The company will be attending the upcoming InPrint exhibition at the Munich Trade Fair Centre, and Xaar engineer Chris Noble will be presenting on how inkjet 3D printing, particularly Xaar’s technology, is transforming 3D printing from a focus on prototyping to volume production manufacturing.

The exhibition focuses on industrial 3D printing, and over 100 companies from around the world will exhibit the latest technology, including innovative applications and equipment for both functional and decorative printing on surfaces like metal, plastics, textile, glass, ceramics, and wood.

Fine-featured material jetting part, made using a Xaar 501 GS8 printhead.

The conference begins on Tuesday, November 14th, with the first day focusing on decor applications, the second on functional applications, and the third on packaging. Noble is giving his conference forum talk, titled “Opportunities in 3D Printing for Inkjet,” at 11:30 on Wednesday morning. In his presentation, Noble will discuss the important enablers that are speeding up the 3D printing industry’s growth, along with the growth and benefits of the technology in general. He will also focus on Xaar’s specialty – inkjet technology – and how it’s “ideally placed to deliver 3D Printing’s transformation to volume manufacturing.”

“To date, 3D Printing technologies have often been used to produce prototypes and one-offs,” Noble said. “Whilst for many businesses globally there is a definite value to be had in this, the opportunities with inkjet technology are now creating even greater excitement and buzz around 3D Printing and its potential to deliver reliable, repeatable systems for high volume manufacturing.”

Noble will also talk about why digital inkjet technology, and Xaar’s TF and High Laydown technologies in particular, are at the very center of the solution, because it is more than capable of delivering a robust, fast, and scalable 3D manufacturing process, and one that’s economical to boot. He will explain how Xaar’s technology could be used to “push 3D manufacturing into a new era.”

Chris Noble, 3D Engineer at Xaar

Using 3D printing as, how Xaar puts it, a “manufacturing methodology” can include multiple applications and processes, not just one, all of which center around building parts up. We discuss the many highlights of 3D printing processes often – not only does the technology reduce the need for tooling, but it also offers product designers far more capability due to its freedom of complex geometry. 3D printing also reduces product design and production lead time, allows for customized products to be made for individual consumers, helps decentralize manufacturing, and get rid of unnecessary storage space for spare parts.

At the InPrint exhibition in Munich later this month, you can also find more information about Xaar’s innovative 3D printing solutions at its Stand #514 in Hall 6, along with taking a look at the company’s full range of inkjet printheads and other supporting products. You can request a free visitor’s pass to the exhibition on Xaar’s website.

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