XJet secures $25 million investment in its novel metal printing technology
March 8, 2016
XJet, based in Rehovot, Israel, has secured a further $25 million investment in its nanoparticle metal Additive Manufacturing technology from private equity fund Catalyst CEL and design software company Autodesk through its Spark Investment Fund.
XJet’s technology is claimed to bring new levels of detail to the production of metal parts. The company’s patented NanoParticle Jetting™ technology makes use of solid metal nanoparticles within a liquid suspension. The system’s print heads deposit an ultra-fine layer of these liquid droplets onto the system build-tray.
Inside the system’s build envelope extremely high temperatures cause the liquid ‘jacket’ around the metal nanoparticles to evaporate. This results in strong binding of the metal with what is stated to be virtually the same metallurgy as traditionally-made metal parts. In addition, the metal part needs to undergo a sintering process, with the supports removed simply and with almost no manual intervention.
The current round of funding will be used to complete the development of XJet products and launch them into main international markets.
Between 2007 and 2011 XJet raised $60 million from investors that included Gemini Israel Ventures, Landa Ventures, Applied Materials, Good Energies and Chinese investors. In 2014 the company raised an additional $22 million from Alumot and existing shareholders to complete the changes in direction of the technology from solar to metal Additive Manufacturing.
