Engineering 360 – Dec 9, 2022

High precision material extrusion platform launched by NematX

NematX has introduced NEX 01, a high-precision extrusion platform designed to work with proprietary filaments from liquid crystal polymers (LCPs). The company claims the platform is a ‘comprehensive manufacturing solution’ for end-use products and it performs in harsh environments.

 

NematX suggests that by controlling the molecular alignment during the extrusion process, the company can enable parts with “superior” mechanical thermal properties as well as chemical and biological properties. The company also suggests that LCP can be processed with higher precision and speed compared to conventional materials.

 

Source: NematX

“LCP has highly attractive properties for 3D printing but the market was lacking a product to optimally process our proprietary materials and to unlock their full potential,” said CTO and co-founder Silvan Gantenbein.

 

As such, Gantenbein and his team started to develop their own material extrusion platform, NEX 01, a “comprehensive production solution” with hardware and software to match the materials to be processed.

 

“With our decision to offer tailored hard and software solutions for our materials, we did not take the path of least resistance,” added CEO and co-founder Raphael Heeb. “But thanks to our holistic approach, we have the chance to set new standards in polymer 3D printing by combining part performance with high manufacturing precision.”

 

The NEX 01 platform is designed for the requirements and needs of industrial companies in demanding markets, according to NematX. NematX uses in-house developed 3D slicing software and proprietary LCP filaments, which enables serial production of complex technical products with industrial quality according to the company.

 

NematX explained that key features of the system include a high accuracy motion control system, micron-resolution slicing algorithms, precise control of extrusion volume, fully integrated process monitoring, quick build plate exchange system, maximum production throughput, and fully recyclable and re-processable materials.