So far, the silicon valley startup has received 222 million yuan in investment, including a recent 81 million yuan from GE. The reason behind these investments is its ability to 3D print terminal parts almost instantaneously.
Through the two-step light curing process, the parts processed by CLIP process show the same mechanical properties as the injection products. The essence of CLIP process layer-less printing makes the parts have isotropic strength, that is, the strength is the same in all directions. Secondary curing further improves product performance, such as higher stiffness or toughness.
At present, many large companies are using CLIP process to produce hand parts and end products. Johnson & Johnson hasn’t disclosed the use of the technology, but has shown strong interest in personalized medical devices. BMW USES Carbon technology to make nameplates for MINI Coopers and print hand parts for other vehicles. Ford and Delphi are also printing prototypes using CLIP technology.
2. XJet
And at the RAPID conference, an Israeli company called XJet unveiled for the first time its NanoParticle Jetting technology, which is quite amazing. First, the NPJ process deposits nanoparticle metal “inks” onto the substrate using piezoelectric print heads. The heat in the forming chamber causes the liquid solvent to evaporate, leaving metal particles stuck together. After printing, the product is further sintered in the furnace to produce completely compact metal parts.