BASF, a world-leading chemical company, and Xaar, a world leader in industrial inkjet technology, are collaborating to improve the Photopolymer Jetting (PPJ) process also known as Material Deposition.

The goal is to enable manufacturers to produce 3D parts with improved properties and lower costs than currently possible. BASF and Xaar are seeking companies to join the collaboration to understand how these improvements can serve industrial part manufacturing. This applies to companies wishing to make custom industrial 3D Printing machinery or standalone 3D printers.

In the Photopolymer Jetting process, photopolymers are deposited by jetting droplets onto a build bed platform and cured using a UV light source. This process is repeated layer-by-layer, using part and support photopolymers to create the intended 3D object.

The collaboration of BASF and Xaar has produced improvements over the existing process. The benefits come from Xaar’s industrial inkjet printheads with TF Technology ink recirculation and the newly released High Laydown Technology combined with BASF’s newly developed photopolymers. Xaar’s High Laydown Technology enables high deposition rates of up to 20 l/hr with addressability of 720 dpi with the Xaar 2001+. Additionally, Xaar’s low energy Chevron actuator and TF Technology enables use of high viscosity and high particle-loaded fluids. BASF’s new photopolymers have been developed to complement Xaar’s printhead specifications to deliver high productivity and improved parts properties.

BASF
www.basf-new-business.com

Xaar
www.xaar.com