Rehovot, Israel – November 4th, 2019 – XJet Ltd., the additive manufacturing company, announces today the appointment of Professor Dan Shechtman to lead its Scientific Advisory Board. Winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of quasicrystals, Shechtman’s role will be to help steer XJet’s material and application development roadmap. With his broad knowledge of scientific challenges and innovation, he will help guide pioneering applications, materials and the way materials are used for XJet NanoParticle Jetting™ (NPJ) technology that could revolutionize many different aspects of additive manufacturing for a variety of industries.
Crediting his Nobel Prize win to cultivating an expertise in a particular field, whilst retaining a broad knowledge of science – and above all tenacity – Shechtman believes applying those same proficiencies could see some exciting new developments in additive manufacturing, “I’ve long been fascinated with additive manufacturing and the way it enables innovation and turns many concepts on their head. I feel there’s still a huge untapped potential for pushing this technology, through the materials. XJet’s NPJ technology grabbed my heart, mind and imagination and is particularly intriguing to me. Because it jets a liquid, in tiny droplets, it allows for innovation to surpass the level of a single material and involve new mixtures and complex structures.” he says.
“My vision for NanoParticle Jetting technology is to solve ‘impossible’ manufacturing challenges,” explains XJet CEO Hanan Gothait, “We look at existing manufacturing methods and we are bringing additive manufacturing solutions that deliver time and cost efficiencies, but we do much more than that. we are enabling innovation and the creation of things that have, up to now, not been possible. This is fascinating and exactly why the appointment of Professor Shechtman to the XJet team is so momentous. His knowledge of materials and innovation is unrivalled, thus his unique perspective will be priceless to the business.”
Shechtman’s expertise is in material science and the nature of matter. His discovery of quasicrystals in 1982 was initially extremely controversial and strongly denied by some peers, who wouldn’t reconsider their conceptions of crystallography and of the atomic structure of matter. It took a while and a lot of determination to lead a paradigm shift in chemistry. But eventually there were some who embraced the breakthrough and developed it into a thriving science. In 2011 the discovery was recognised with the Nobel Prize and today quasicrystals are found in applications from the formation of durable steel to non-stick frying pans.
XJet has already seen customers adopting its NPJ technology to overcome challenges that were seemingly unsolvable. “The University of Delaware and Marvel Medtech had both developed devices that they knew could provide trailblazing advances in their respective fields of 5G antennae and breast cancer treatment,” adds Gothait. “But they just couldn’t find manufacturing methods that would deliver the functions they needed, be it smooth, accurate internal channels, or the right material properties for directing waves. XJet NanoParticle Jetting has delivered a new and unique method of manufacturing that will allow them to make their designs a reality.
“Clearly, when we were developing NanoParticle Jetting technology, we couldn’t foresee these exact applications, we only thought we might have an impact on some industries. With Professor Shechtman’s expertise and understanding of science, chemistry and its challenges, and his approach to innovation, I can only start dreaming of what else we can achieve. concludes Gothait.
About XJet
XJet is a provider of breakthrough ceramic and metal additive manufacturing solutions for the aerospace, automotive, medical/dental, tooling and many more markets. Featuring the company’s patented NanoParticle Jetting™ technology, the XJet Carmel product line is redefining ceramic and metal additive manufacturing industries by printing separate nanoparticle “inks” or fluids for the build and support materials. This allows manufacturers to produce ceramic or metal parts with complex geometries with the ease and versatility of inkjet printing. XJet’s world-class R&D team, which includes skilled veterans from the inkjet and 3D printing industries, holds more than 79 registered and pending patents. The company is based in Rehovot, Israel. www.xjet3d.com
Source: XJet