Addifab and Nexa3D Partner for Larger, Faster 3D Printed Tooling

Polymer 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D (Ventura, Calif.) will supply its NXE 400 system—including the industrial 3D printer as well as wash and cure units—to users of Freeform Injection Molding (FIM), while Addifab (Taastrup, Denmark) will be supplying their proprietary tooling resins and post-processing equipment, as part of a newly announced collaboration.

FIM allows users to additively manufacture complex injection mold tooling in hours. The resulting molds are compatible with most thermoplastic materials, including reinforced high-performance resins. After molding, the tool is dissolved away, leaving only the complex injection molded part.

As part of the collaboration with with Nexa3D, Addifab is offering customers three packages to begin utilizing FIM: Getting Started, Scaling up and Going Micro. Getting Started includes a Nexa3D XiP desktop 3D printer for build volumes of 7.5 by 4.7 by 8.3 in, with a print volume of 4.8 liters and a pixel size of 52 µm. Scaling Up is built around the Nexa3D NXE 400 printer, with a build volume of 10.8 by 6.1 by 15.7 in, 17 liters and a pixel size of 76.5 µm. Going Micro includes the same Nexa3D printer and build capabilities as Getting Started, but also includes an Addifab 10 µm printer.

Nexa3D and Addifab will showcase their joint solution at the RAPID + TCT show (May 17-19;  Detroit). The companies are also setting up joint Silicon Valley demo facilities in Palo Alto, Calif.