Quantica and ImageXpert announce partnership at LOPEC

This collaboration leverages Quantica's NovoJet printhead technology, capable of printing high viscosity fluids and large particle sizes, opening new material possibilities for 2D and 3D manufacturing. This breakthrough will help transform traditional analogue manufacturing processes into digital, bringing about significant advancements in material development and printing capabilities.

The integration of Quantica's JetPack and ImageXpert's JetXpert systems is the first step in this transformation. The JetPack serves as a specialised tool for validating and optimising the use of novel materials with the NovoJet printheads, guided by live analysis of drop shape, volume, and velocity with the JetXpert Dropwatcher. This integration provides researchers and material developers with the ability to test, characterise, and validate new materials for jetting, thus enabling the exploration of new possibilities in inkjet applications. 

The integrated system is shipping to first customers in the second quarter of 2024, and to showcase the collaboration, the two companies will co-exhibit at LOPEC, a prominent industry event for flexible, organic, and printed electronics in Munich from 5–7 March 2024.

Quantica is actively exploring various applications in the electronics industry, spanning conductive tracks, insulation layers, solder resists, solder pastes, heat sinks, component connectors, encapsulations, wafer coatings, and more. This underscores the broad spectrum of applications that stand to benefit from Quantica's unique inkjet printhead.

Ramon Borrell, Quantica CTO, expresses enthusiasm about the partnership, stating: "We are pleased to announce our partnership with ImageXpert to drive the advancement of inkjet technology while also enabling the development of novel materials. This collaboration marks another step forward in the adoption of our NovoJet technology.”

Paul Best, ImageXpert CEO, echoes the sentiment, stating: "We believe that this partnership will unlock and redefine what is possible with inkjet technology. The integration of our analysis systems with Quantica's innovative printheads will give users in novel applications the tools and confidence to explore inkjet technology for the first time."

This partnership signifies a collective commitment to pushing the boundaries of inkjet technology and material development, propelling the several industries towards new heights.

Key highlights of the partnership:

• NovoJet printhead technology: Quantica's NovoJet technology facilitates the printing of high viscosity fluids and fluids with large particle sizes, expanding the range of materials that can be used with inkjet technology.
• JetPack integration: the JetPack, integrated with ImageXpert's JetXpert dropwatcher, serves as a vital tool for validating and optimising the use of new materials with NovoJet printheads.
• Commercial partnership: Quantica and ImageXpert join forces in a commercial partnership, making NovoJet technology accessible to the wider inkjet community.
• Market launch: the integrated system, comprising NovoJet technology and the JetPack, is set to hit the market in May 2024, providing researchers across academe and industry inkjet professionals with an advanced solution for material jetting.

The partnership launch underscores Quantica's ongoing growth and commitment to innovation, as demonstrated by a string of milestones achieved in the past months: the company introduced an AI-based build management and slicing software named MultiSlice (in cooperation with Czech startup Additive Appearance), unveiled its NovoJet OPEN system at Formnext 2023, forged a strategic printhead partnership with Xaar, and (earlier in 2023) successfully secured a €14 million series A funding round.