Nexa 3D XiP - LCD 3D printer

Some of the biggest challenges in traditional manufacturing are disruptions in the supply chain, long lead times, high cost per part and material limitations. Additive manufacturing via 3D printing is capable of mitigating those risks by allowing for quicker, more flexible and more personalized manufacturing. The XiP resin 3D printer by Nexa 3D is an excellent example of how additive manufacturing can transform any project or business by boosting productivity and versatility, and reducing lead times and cost per part. In other words, the XiP 3D printer means industrial power in desktop format at a revolutionary speed.

Video 1: Introducing the XiP desktop 3D printer. Source: Nexa 3D.

Durability, modularity and upgradability

The main mission for Nexa 3D is, in their own words, the sustainable digitization of the supply chain. The Nexa 3D catalog consists of ultrafast polymer 3D printers and the 4K LCD XiP printer is the first desktop solution in the Nexa 3D catalog. With the XiP 3D printer, a twentyfold increase in productivity can be achieved over competing SLA and DLP 3D printers. Since more productivity implies more use, Nexa 3D made sure that the XiP printer is sturdy, stable and reliable by including a billet aluminum enclosure, rigid parallel linear rails and a precision ballscrew Z-axis.

Image 1: Parts 3D printed with the XiP 3D printer. Source: Nexa 3D.

These features ensure stability, precision and efficiency even with large structures and fast printing speeds. The design of the XiP printer is modular and upgradable, and the entire XiP ecosystem was developed with usability and serviceability in mind. Thanks to the amount of thought put into the design and manufacturing process, the XiP printer is ideal for busy commercial environments, large workloads and long printing sessions.

Open materials platform

One of the key features of the XiP 3D printer is its open material architecture available with the purchase of the NexaX PRO software. In order to fully unlock the potential of resin 3D printing for large scale production, Nexa 3D partners with world-class material suppliers such as Henkel, BASF and Keystone.

This way, the users of the XiP printer can work not only with the Nexa 3D inhouse resins but also with third-party materials, all in a straightforward and automated workflow for maximum user comfort. Thus, the XiP printer can work with all kinds of resins, from general to industry-specific applications - tough, biocompatible, flexible, ceramic, clear and more.

Create faster than ever with LSPc

In order to truly challenge the notion of speed in resin 3D printing, Nexa 3D have developed the proprietary LSPc technology based on the mSLA (masked stereolithography) principle. LSPc stands for lubricant sublayer photo-curing and it refers to the LSPc Everlast Membrane that is part of the photocuring process in the XiP printer. The Everlast Membrane's longevity significantly outperforms vats and mebranes used in other resin 3D printers available on the market, which implies less downtime, reliable continuous printing for long prints or production in series and vat life extended by up to 50 000 layers.

Video 2: The Everlast Membrane used in the XiP 3D printer. Source: Nexa 3D.

The printing process begins with a proprietary uniform UV led array, the key to the proper functioning of the LSPc High Contrast Mask technology. The LSPc HC Mask projects the 3D slices to the resin vat where the photopolymerization process takes place layer by layer. This technology ensures that a uniform and distortion-free image is delivered to all areas of the build plate, something that is often a challenge in DLP 3D printing.

Image 2: The anatomy of the Nexa 3D proprietary LSPc technology. Source: Nexa 3D.

Finally, the last step is the self-lubricated LSPc membrane, which propagates even resin replenishment and creates a non-stick zone between the vat and the 3D printed part. This allows the XiP printer to achieve the unprecedented printing speeds of 18 cm per hour, isotropic part properties and astonishing detail. 

Smooth resin and vat change

The already easy and quick operation and maintenance of the XiP is further optimized by the intelligent resin delivery system and toolless vat change. The smart resin feed system relies on gravity and enables touch-free material loading even during a live print. It also recognizes the cartridge (material authenticaton, build compatibility, shelf life) and detects polymer levels in the vat via NFC tags, ensuring a consistent print quality and continuous production without interruption.

Image 3: The XiP resin vat. Source: Nexa 3D.

The toolless vat system clamps into place with electromagnets, simplifying and speeding up material changeover. Once the print is done, the vats can be stacked in a UV-blocking storage system extending the useful life of resins and preventing spills. All these solutions provide an easy-to-use 3D printing experience so that less time is spent on manual configuration and maintenance, and more time can be devoted to 3D printing.

The NexaX software

To top it all off, Nexa 3D has developed their own NexaX 3D printing software compatible with Ximplify™, an automated support portal developed by Nexa 3D and powered by CASTOR. The NexaX software is available in two versions: the free basic version (NexaX Basic) and the NexaX PRO version (1 year). The NexaX software ensures optimal process efficiency, part performance and consistency with the help of intelligent and automated algorithms that bring to life the interplay between hardware, software and chemistry.

Image 4: The NexaX software. Source: Nexa 3D.

With the NexaX software it is possible to bring ideas to life faster than ever and efficiently scale production, as well as reduce waste, energy and carbon footprints. It should be kept in mind that the use of third-party materials with the XiP 3D printer is only possible with an annual subscription to the NexaX PRO software, while the NexaX Basic software only allows the use of Nexa 3D inhouse resins.

Image 5: The PRO version of the NexaX software. Source: Nexa 3D.

NexaX seamlessly integrates a wide variety of software tools such as automatic support structure generation, auto-orientation, hollowing and performation tools, part collision and out-of-bounds detection, lattice generation and mesh fixing, lightweighting, part rescaling and duplication, estimation of print time, resin consumption and part cost, remote management of printing process and live print view, user support, ROI calculator or MES workflow and fleet management. This high level of automation and workflow management increases productivity and performance immensely and practically eliminates the risk of time and resource waste.

Unlock your potential

The Nexa 3D XiP resin 3D printer opens up a world of possibilities for ultrafast high quality additive manufacturing with the proprietary LSPc technology. Thanks to its affordability, speed, modularity, versatility and accessibility, and the wide range of usable materials (tough, flexible, biocompatible, clear, ceramic, etc) the XiP 3D printer can be used for rapid prototyping, for consumer products, for the 3D printing for the dental or medical sector, for the automotive industry, for aerospace and defence or for industrial production.