While desktop 3D printers have solidified their place as a solution for prototyping, production and maintaining inventory, those that are fast and precise often come with a hefty price tag. At Formnext 2021, Nexa3D announced that it’s about to change that with its first desktop solution, the XiP.
“We wanted to make ultrafast 3D printing available and accessible to every business that could benefit,” said Avi Reichental, CEO, chairman, and cofounder of Nexa3D. “The XiP will allow a wide range of users to create at the speed of thought—turning their ideas into products more quickly. We envision a world where all businesses can have a prototype product in their hand in the space of one day, while working sustainably, safely and responsibly.”
Founded in 2016, the California-based company has made it a mission to expand 3D printing capabilities while keeping sustainability a focus. The XiP, set to be available in the second quarter of 2022 at a starting price of $5,999, brings that mission to life. For businesses small and large, the printer was designed to reduce the carbon footprint, radically minimize supply chain issues, and speed up time to market while ensuring ease of use and high-quality rapid printing.
Ideal for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products, dental, medical and more, the XiP harnesses Nexa3D’s innovative polymer technologies used in its industrial NXE 400 and dental-focused NXD 200. Built for speed and precision, these machines use a proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology that enables increased productivity by up to 20 times compared to Stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. All that power has been infused in the XiP.
“Alongside its productivity and safety benefits, the XiP delivers a quick return on investment, low total cost of ownership and has a rugged aluminum design that is ideal for a busy commercial environment,” Reichental said. “We’ve considered that a 20x faster printer can be used 20x more and have designed the machine to withstand the extra wear and tear that accompanies so much printing.”
While developing its newest printer, the company focused on the various challenges that businesses face when incorporating 3D printing into their ecosystems.
“So far, the Nexa3D polymer line-up has been focused on efficient production of end-use parts, but time-to-part is important across prototyping, design and R&D, as well,” said Michael Currie, recently named Nexa3D vice president, general manager Desktop Business Unit. “The XiP makes our high-speed 3D printing technology more available and accessible for a wider variety of users. We’re familiar with the challenges of today’s 3D printing workflows and are investing time, energy and expertise in removing every possible pain point.”
The XiP has a 190 x 120 x 170 mm build volume and 9.3-inch 4K monochrome LCD screen. The company is working to make the 4K upgradeable to 6K to 8K. Other features include a 3.8-liter print volume, 52 µm STD pixel size, upgradable to 25 µm when available, and 50 µm / 100 µm / 200 µm layer thickness.
While other desktop 3D printers on the market may have similarities, the XiP has unique features that make it suitable across industries. So, what makes it different?
“Did we say speed? Kidding aside, the printer is a major step forward for 3D printing parts quickly, but just printing parts fast is not enough,” Currie said. “Users want high-quality parts. We’ve taken a fairly new technology, mSLA, and upgraded it into our proprietary high-speed Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) process. This has been available on our industrial systems, and we have now integrated it into a compact desktop package with a focus on usability and serviceability. With LCD resolution improving to 8K and beyond over time, the XiP will see incremental improvements. Lastly, we are hoping this becomes a platform for users to experience the Open Materials Network we’re building with our strategic resin partners.”
Three key benefits of the new printer are time to part, material availability, and safety and sustainability. According to Currie, the XiP can quickly print multiple print cycles a day, which means prints that may have taken hours will take only minutes.
Nexa3D has already formed partnerships with key material providers, including BASF and Henkel. For XiP users, it means leveraging an extended network of material providers and gaining access to the latest innovations, such as a resin from BASF that is UV stable—something that has been a challenge for many SLA providers. The XiP can handle an array of materials, including general-purpose, polypropylene-like resins, PEEK-like resins and elastomeric materials.
As for safety and sustainability, the XiP is pushing the desktop space forward in both realms. Along with an aluminum chassis and many recyclable parts, its resins come in aluminum bottles with a modular design for easy recycling. Nexa3D also focused on minimizing volatile organic compound (VOC) contributions to the office space. The XiP uses Nexa3D’s xCLEAN detergent to clean parts and has an onboard air filtration system.
The cartridges themselves are designed to be smart while enabling quick, easy and touch-free loading and unloading. According to the company, the XiP recognizes the cartridge, with smart capabilities automatically authenticating and checking compatibility with the current build, as well as monitoring shelf life and quantity. The Toolless Vat System offers a vat life of 50,000 layers, further reducing costs. Using electromagnets, the system clamps into place to speed up changing out materials. It features a UV-blocking storage system, which prevents spills and helps resins last longer when not in use.
Of course, print quality is often the most essential part of a 3D print. The XiP uses advanced UV light with collimated light optics to ensure equal exposure across the surface. That means parts are consistently uniform, strong and reliable. Its ability to cure entire layers in a single flash speeds up the process without affecting quality.
The printer uses NexaX intuitive software, which generates custom support structures part by part and enables incorporation of hollow parts and internal lattice structures. Additional features include wireless file transfer and printer management and advanced support generation. This enables instant connectivity to print from a computer and manually edit models with one-click layout and stacking.
“Nexa3D launched the XiP to gift its users more time,” Currie said. “The XiP unites multiple innovations into a desktop package to radically transform how fast additive parts can be made. With XiP, you will see your parts come alive in real-time, with zero sacrifices in quality.”
To learn more about Nexa3D’s XiP, see it in action or join the waitlist, visit the company’s website.