Parts can be printed within hours from a CAD file with tolerances under 1 micrometer (µm), structures down to 200 nanometers (nm), and surface finishes with average roughness better than 10 nm. While the process enables the production of geometries that would be impossible via injection molding, it is not suited for volume production. It would be cost-prohibitive to make parts larger than a few millimeters. NanoVoxel broke this logjam by combining 2PP printing with micromolding, which is its core business model.

The U.S. imported almost $109 million worth of injection molding machinery from China in 2016, while extruder imports were much lower at around $12.4 million. Blowmolding machinery imports from China were valued at about $4.2 million. For its part, the U.S. exported over 152,000 tonnes of LDPE (including LLDPE) to China in 2016, valued at $215 million. U.S. polycarbonate exports to China, meanwhile, were valued at almost $325 million (129,000 tonnes).

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and is a proud dachshund owner.

Individual prototype segments of the endoscope initially were printed in various design iterations for testing and optimization. Upon validation from the customer, NanoVoxel quickly molded the parts for functional and mechanical testing. All of the manufacturing process and design iterations for this complex medical device were completed within five weeks, according to the company.

In a written statement, American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Cal Dooley said: “U.S. chemical manufacturers believe the principles of free and fair trade should apply to all members of the WTO, and that includes China. However, engaging in a trade war with one of our country’s most significant trading partners is not the answer. We strongly urge both the U.S. and Chinese governments to work together to come to a satisfactory and mutually beneficial decision before this situation escalates further.

The fomenting trade war being fought between the United States and China could disrupt global supply chains if tariffs on resins, processing machinery, tooling and plastic products come into effect. This could happen as early as the beginning of June.

“Nearly $185 billion in new chemical factories, expansions and restarts of facilities around the country are predicated on current tariff schedules, and market shifts caused by tariff increases may convince investors to do business elsewhere. We strongly urge the U.S. and China to reach a productive and meaningful agreement before any of the proposed tariff schedules go into effect.”

Editor in chief of PlasticsToday since 2015, Norbert Sparrow has more than 30 years of editorial experience in business-to-business media. He studied journalism at the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes du Journalisme in Strasbourg, France, where he earned a master's degree.

NanoVoxel relies on a 15-t MicroPower injection molding machine from Wittmann Battenfeld to leverage high-precision molds, noted Ganz. The 150-kN clamping force enables the cost-effective production of small and micro-sized parts with maximum precision and accuracy, and a two-stage screw-piston injection unit with thermally homogenous shot volumes from 1.2 to 6.0 cubic centimeters makes it possible to produce precisely molded parts in exceptionally short cycle times, added Ganz.

The dynamic duo of 2PP printing and micromolding is not limited to the rapid tooling process. NanoVoxel can print directly on parts in materials other than plastics, including glass, ceramics, carbon substrates, and metals, manufactured via other processes. The company can also combine different materials and offers customization suited for rapid prototyping, product development, and mass production. “This enables customers to imprint detailed functional features directly onto bulky and larger parts obtained from more efficient processes. Initial applications have been successfully applied in the microfluidics world, where NanoVoxel printed unmoldable features onto commercial chips, using its advanced printing process only where needed,” said Ganz.

“NanoVoxel´s efficiency with the micro-manufacturing process unlocks new creative avenues for designers and engineers across diverse industries and revolutionizes the way in which to approach design and fabrication of intricate, customized, and functional micro-scale parts,” added Ganz.

The United States has listed injection molding machinery, extrusion machinery, blowmolding machinery, thermoforming and tooling as imports that could be hit with tariffs of 25%. In a tit-for-tat riposte, China listed low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyolefin elastomers and plastomers (POEs, POPs), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin, polyamide (PA) 66 resin, aromatic and semi-aromatic PAs and their copolymers, and epoxy resin among plastic-related products that would be taxed upon import. PET sheet and film, acrylic resin and polycarbonate resin also made it to the list.

UpNano’s 3D printer is based on the principle of non-linear absorption of photons, explained NanoVoxel Chief Technical Officer Martin Ganz in a technical report distributed by Wittmann Battenfeld. The two-photon polymerization process, branded as 2PP by the company, uses a narrowly focused femtosecond laser beam to excite a photosensitive resin, causing it to polymerize and solidify. Unlike conventional 3D printing, however, 2PP achieves full control of polymerization in the z axis, explained Ganz, producing precise, round holes and cavities. The process “offers unparalleled precision and resolution, enabling the creation of complex 3D micro-structures with sub-micron accuracy, even down to the nanometer range. This makes it ideal for applications requiring particularly intricate details with high surface quality,” said Ganz.

NanoVoxel uses 2PP printers to rapidly produce high-precision molds that replicate the precision and resolution of 2PP in micro parts. Small detailed structures can be accurately and repeatably molded with tolerances in the micrometer range. Moreover, 2PP 3D printing can precisely create mold cavities that enable the production of larger parts with single-digit micron features that otherwise would be too time-consuming, expensive, or even impossible to produce, according to Ganz. One recent application is the development and production of an endoscope for Zürich-based aiEndoscope.

Austrian startup NanoVoxel reports that it can produce high-precision micro-scale parts in just two weeks. The breakthrough is made possible through a combination of novel two-photon 3D-printing technology developed by fellow Austrian startup UpNano and a 15-t MicroPower injection molding machine from Wittmann Battenfeld.

“China is one of the U.S. chemical industry’s most important trading partners, importing 11 percent, or $3.2 billion, of all U.S. plastic resins in 2017. We are particularly concerned that 40 percent of the products to which China has assigned new tariffs are chemicals, including polyethylene, PVC, polycarbonates, acrylates, and others.