XJet Ltd (www.xjet3d.com), an additive-manufacturing (AM) company pioneering Nano Particle Jetting (NPJ) technology, has announced the first global installation of its XJet Carmel 1400 AM system — at Citim, which is a part of the Oerlikon Group and an international service provider of AM parts.

The Carmel 1400, which features patented NPJ technology, can print separate nano-particle ‘inks’ or fluids for both the build and support material. This enables ceramic or metal parts to be produced with the ease and versatility associated with inkjet printing.

The Carmel 1400 prints layers just a few microns thick. This allows complex geometries to be created — with details as small as 0.1mm.

Oerlikon’s AM part production site in Barleben, Germany, will now commence with field testing using the Carmel 1400. Initially, the AM system will be configured to manufacture ceramic parts (ceramic zirconia); at a later stage, it will also be used to manufacture metal components that require fine details.

Andreas Berkau, head of Oerlikon’s AM service in Europe, said: “The co-operation with XJet is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our AM offering beyond metals and into ceramics.”