Xaar has reached a partnership with German printhead developer Quantica. The UK company will manufacture the NovoJet piezo printheads that Quantica has developed for jetting high viscosity fluids, in demand for 3D print, adhesives and other industrial applications.
Xaar will provide Quantica with printheads to launch a range of 3D printers towards the end of this year. The company will be able to sell the NovoJet alongside its own printheads. Xaar’s ImagineX heads can already jet fluids to 100cPs in viscosity compared to the 12cPs associated with other commercially available inkjet heads. The Quantica technology expands this to 400cPs.
Like Xaar’s own designs, the Quantica is a through flow head with the fluid passing behind the nozzle. It is activated by a pump style movement which pushes the fluid through the nozzle.
Xaar COO Graham Tweedale says: “Our partnership with Quantica is a win-win for both our businesses. The combination of our existing ImagineX technologies with the capability offered by Quantica’s IP will ensure Xaar offers the widest range of solutions in jetting highly viscous materials. Similarly, Quantica will now be able to focus on the launch of its NovoJet 3D printers, with the backing of our expertise in manufacturing truly robust and reliable printheads.”
Group R&D director Karl Forbes adds: “We are helping them take their technology to market and will be manufacturing the printhead for them. Because of the high viscosity that this can cope with, there is an extra set of fluids that can be jetted. This covers adhesive deposition, additive manufacturing for the dental sector and we can look at using 3D for manufacturing applications, not just for prototyping, giving the final product strength and flexibility characteristics.”
Other applications under consideration included electronics, life sciences and display print where the ability to lay down high viscosity fluids will suit certain applications and substrates.
The heads will be produced at Xaar’s revamped manufacturing operation at Huntingdon. “Quantica has been working for some time to develop a printhead that can jet incredibly high viscosity fluids,” says Forbes.
