Added Scientific, a University of Nottingham spinout, is releasing two desktop JetForge inkjet 3D printers: the $45,000 JetForge Core and the $15,000 JetForge Go. The Core takes up to six print heads and is built as an open platform for materials and 2D and 3D research. It targets labs and developers who want multi-material inkjet without a closed commercial system.
What is in the JetForge Core?
The Core evolves the earlier JetForge MaterialJet. It supports up to six print heads, uses linear motors and encoders, and has UV curing and substrate heating on board. Inexpensive 128-nozzle heads come as standard, but heads and other parts can be customised. The system is fully open and aimed at materials development and research.
Who is it for and where is inkjet heading?
Added Scientific names materials development, universities, dental, printed electronics, wearables, consumer and sensing as target users, with new interest from semiconductors, insulators and defence. Co-founders Christopher Tuck and Richard Hague expect inkjet to move toward multifunctional printing, for example embedded sensors for strain, pressure, temperature and humidity built in a single machine.
What came before?
The company grew from contract research, which doubled in revenue. Its products include a Dimatix driver board, a binder jetting kit for the PixDRO LP50, a JetForge driver board for Xaar heads on FDM printers, and the Blade modules that combine print head, driver board and material system for Ricoh, Dimatic, Xaar and other heads.
What it means
For small and mid-sized European firms and labs, this is a low-cost way to test multi-material inkjet before committing to industrial systems. At $15,000 to $45,000 the barrier is closer to a research budget than a capital investment. Open architecture helps materials work but means users carry process development and any qualification themselves. The sensor and electronics applications described remain research-stage, so realistic timelines are long.
Frequently asked questions
How much do the JetForge printers cost?
The JetForge Core is priced at $45,000 and the entry-level JetForge Go at $15,000.
What can the JetForge Core do?
It uses up to six print heads, has linear motors and encoders, UV curing and substrate heating, and is designed as an open platform for 2D and 3D materials research.
Who is Added Scientific?
A University of Nottingham spinout founded by Ricky Wildman, Phill Dickens, Christopher Tuck and Richard Hague, active in material jetting and binder jetting research and tools.