This 3D Printer Offers Industrial-level Speed in a Desktop Size

3D printing technology is becoming more efficient, capable, and flexible with each passing year, but a persistent issue continues to hinder users stuck in what’s known as the “additive manufacturing gap.” Those individuals or companies need capabilities beyond what’s typically offered in a desktop 3D printer, but might not have the scale or means to accommodate a large, industrial-scale system. A Southern California startup, however, believes it has the answer. Three years after its founding in 2019, Nexa3D debuted the NXE 400 photopolymer 3D printer, which offered 2.5 times the build volume at 6.5 times the speed of other printers in its class. In the wake of the system’s successful debut, the company sought to develop a smaller-scale version to help close the additive manufacturing gap. The result, coined the XiP, began shipping to customers in North America this summer. Nexa3D used the help of supply chain and sourcing powerhouse Xometry to scale down the proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing technology from the NXE 400 to provide industrial-level speed in a desktop size.