Nexa3D launches digital tooling for injection moulding

Nexa3D announced that it completed the acquisition of Addifab, the originator of Freeform Injection Molding, a proprietary and patented digital tooling process that couples the design freedom of 3D printing with the mechanical performance of injection moulding using thousands of tried-and-true engineering materials.

The acquisition follows a successful year of joint go-to-market collaboration between the two companies in both North America and EMEA. The joint sales and marketing efforts resulted in converting dozens of customers from traditional tooling to digital tooling due to significant time and cost savings associated with this innovative approach. This transformative end-to-end solution combines the best of Nexa3D’s ultrafast 3D printers with Addifab’s high-impact, high-temperature soluble resins to print complex tools that are compatible with any injection moulding feedstock, thereby delivering complex tooling at a fraction of the cost and time of other 3D printers or conventional tooling processes.

Most notably, the combined solution was used by Wilson Sporting Goods to accelerate the development of youth baseball bats. Wilson’s R&D team was able to produce and test multiple designs simultaneously using final manufacturing materials, something they could not have accomplished before with any other 3D printed tool.

The combination of these two highly complementary technologies unlocks the full potential of digital tooling for injection moulding combining the freedom of creation with the reliability and ubiquity of injection moulding, uniquely positioning Nexa3D for accelerated growth in the fast-growing additive manufacturing space. The acquisition also adds foundational intellectual property and capabilities to Nexa3D’s product line and accelerates its resin formulation and industrial production initiatives.  

Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, Addifab developed, patented, and successfully brought to market a proprietary end-to-end digital tooling solution that includes CAD-to-Tool software generator, dissolvable tooling resins, 3D printing and production injection moulding process. By combining the freedom of 3D printing with the industrial strength of injection moulding, Addifab unlocks tremendous potential for contract manufacturers, regional moulders, medical-device companies, service providers and low-volume manufacturers looking to take full advantage of the design freedom inherent to 3D printing while using tried-and-true injection moulding plastic materials for same day and next day part production. This is because the xMOLD resin is compatible with the entire range of off-the-shelf thermoplastic materials, including reinforced high-performance feedstocks.

Additionally, metals, ceramics, and silicones are also covered, enabling users of Nexa3D printers to tap into applications that would normally require a substantially larger capital investment. A tool printed with the xMOLD resin is soluble, meaning it does not require complex slides and gates, giving customers the ultimate flexibility to test and iterate more frequently. Finally, you don’t have to be a toolmaker to quickly design an injection moulding tool using the Addifab tool maker software or Solidworks.

As part of its growing commitment to EMEA, and in service of its growing reseller partner network, Nexa3D plans to immediately leverage Addifab’s Copenhagen facility as its Customer Experience Center, inclusive of a product showroom, service and support hub for its European-based customers, and a main warehouse and logistics center in Europe. This move further emphasizes Nexa3D’s commitment to geographic expansion, customer success, and broadened access to its ultrafast 3D printing technology and digital tooling solutions.