Israeli Metal 3D Printing Technology Raises $25 Million Funding

The NanoParticle Jetting Innovator Xjet informed that they’ve managed to raise a load sum of money that amounted to $25 million from their investment funds. The Catalyst CEL, a Chinese-Israeli private equity fund leads the list on the main source of new investments. The manufacturer Xjet managed to get financial security from a software development company which is Autodesk.

New Funds

The funding would be used in the continuing the development of the NanoParticle Jetting 3D metal printing progress. The new partnership with the Catalyst CEL is expected to bring the technology to the world market and also with the Chinese manufacturing industry.

The NanoParticle Xjet 3D printing was just released last year and already grabbed the manufacturers attention when it comes to its potential.

The Technology

The printer uses liquid metal inks and the metal ink composes of solid metal nanoparticles that are inside a liquid base substance. This metal liquid ink is tight sealed inside removable and recyclable cartridges that can be installed and removed just like any inkjet printers. The stored metal ink is a great substitute for machine operators that can possibly come in contact with hazardous materials in the process.

The process includes the depositing of a fine layer of the metal liquid ink onto the printing platform using the inkjet printer. The printer will set the ink onto the printing envelope while being supported by a material that maintains the reliability of the printed part while it is being made-up.

Moreover, the process is achieved by a sintering process when the ink is submerged in excessive degree of heat. While being heated, the liquid material will evaporate thus leaving the metal nanoparticles to stick to the metal object. Once the printing process is completed, the material used for support can be easily removed.

The Product

Xjet assures that the final product would be a solid metal part with the metallurgy that is of the traditionally produced metal parts. Xjet claims that because the process involved using the basic 3D printing technology, the processing presents no limits when it comes to shapes and geometries.

One advantage of 3D printing is that it is time efficient when it comes to manufacturing time and the post-processing also takes a little time. As of now the liquid metal substance is only limited to printing stainless steel ink but the good news is that Xjet is still on the verge of developing newer liquid metal inks that are soon expected to cater different kinds of metal nanoparticles.

Xjet

In 2005, the company was founded by Hanan Gothait and as a veteran in the inkjet printing industry, Hanan Gothait will use the experience he harnessed in developing a printer that can also print solar panels. During some time in 2013, Xjet expanded the business into additive manufacturing. This bold move was able to raise $22 million during the process and it later on developed into the advance 3D metal printing technology.

Lastly, when Xjet presented the technology in a Go4Israel conference in 2015, the company managed to attract other companies that are looking to invest and use the technology.